Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-12
AN INTERVIEW UITH GES.
y FORREST.
A Talk about the Negro and
Railroads.

From the Courier Journal
NASHVILLE. March "A few day
ago, General Forrest, and Major Minol
MerFiwether, engineer Of the levee or
the Mississippi, were my companions
part OF the way from New Orleans. J
have nc doubt a sketch of some of the
conversation which t%ranspired between
us will interest the readers of the COu'
rier-J Journal.
EMIGRATION TO THE SOUTH.
AS we passed through beautiful tracts
OF country, lying waste, l asked General
J Forrest how it eve could be populated
with negroes" vas his reply" They
are the best lsbOrers We have eve had IN
the South. Those among US during the
war behaved in such g manner that |
| shall always respect them for It, and l
would not have one Of mine back, nor
have them enslaved, if L could. My
house servants continued he, " are
with me yet in Memphis, and never
would leave me-"
"But,n said /, "you have had the
name Of being hard on that PECULIAR"
at is not true,n he said with energy ;
al have Rlways.fslt kind towards them,
and always treated them kindly. Even
the Fort Pillow massacre was inves.
tigated and the Federal officers, to a
man, stated that / was not to blame.
The fort never hauled down tse fiRg-I
cut it down with my " hands, and
did all I could to stop the firing" But
how, General continued !, I" are you to
~repopulate with negroes ?" Get them
from Africa,u was his startling reply
{" they'll improve after getting here; are
the most Initiative creatures in the
world, and if you put them in squads OF
ten, with one experienced leader in each
squad, they will soon revive our country.
1 want Northern men to come in here
and would protect any man who comes
to build up the country with my life,
but they won't come Europeans womb
come then, ] say, let's get Africans. By
pursuing q liberal policy to them We can
benefit them and they us. The prisoners
taken in war over there q oil be turned
Oyer to Us, and emigTate and be fresd-
men here. 1 had an interest" continued
| he, ''iu the Wa8derer, and We brought
| over 400 only SIX per cent. died. They
were very fond OF grasshoppers and bugs
| and / taught them TO cat cooked NEST,
| and they were as good niggers as ever |
bad. When prejudice gets over our
Government will toster this scheme ;
there is no need CT 3 war OF races. l
wat to see the whole country prosper.
| It's my country, and | don't intend to
| give II uD as long as / can do anything
TO build it up. l sn an American, and
from the day / surrendered have been
for the United States"
RAILROADS.
Major Meriwethar ana the General
were returning from Selma, whittier
| they had been to purchase the Selma
and Marisn Railroad. The arrangement
was perfected, and the iron Of the New.
bern road was turned owe TO them-giv.
| ing so miles of track now in running or
der, and iron for twelve miles more to
begin the great Selma and Memphi;
road. They seemed in high spirits 81
the prospect of early success "B1t,'
said / "even though you should build It.
the stock will be worthless, for l letT
New Orleans OF the great Southern ROAD
with ten passengers, ami even now thai
We have passed Jackson with the sccu
mutation of two railroad feeders, We
have only about ssvsnly-five psssen-
gers,U They replied that the roads run
ming esas and yest would Fey better be-
| cause beyond the competition OF ths Mis-.
sissippi river, and that q great traJe
would spring up betWeen Memphis ant
the Atlantic cities of the South thai
the SJUthcrn Pacific route would be IL
their line and hence their contemplated
read, having these advantages n rup.
ning through q very rich country, would
pay better than roads running north and
south. Thy believed that the Mt'ssis'
sippi would be leveed again and becoHC
the great cotton country which IL wa
before the war. This brought US to the
| conversation about population giVeI
above. }. w. II.