Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-07-06

ga " CS'iOuo. 1u OAIl'illOOu,; Iuu IAOuSSi
years had passed>since, they had beer
indelibly stamped upon the heart
Think Of this, you who are tempted
to use improper language, and never
disgrace yourselves" r
General Forrest on the Condition
of the South.
From the Washington Pdtrtot.]
In response to a summons sent by
the Ku-Klux Committee, now holding
their sessions in this city, General N
B. Forrest, Of Tennessee, arrived or
Wednesday, and made his head.
quarters at the Ebbitt House. Yes
terday one of the staff of the Patriot
with a view to ascertain from so pop
ular representative of the Southern
people his opinion in regard to re-
ported acts Of violence and the causes
leading thereto, called upon him at
his rooms. The General is a man
above, the average height, of light,
though wiry, frame. His eye, a small
gray, bordering on blue, denotes ac-
tivity and nervousness: In his. man
ner he is cordial and courteous. He
talks distinctly, but slowly, and seem
.ingly studies in his mind the proprie-
ty Of giving replies to interrogatories
without proper reflection. Heis neat
and, careful in his attire, and is just
such a man as one would never think
could be General N. B. Forrest, of
Confederate fame.
Having passed the salutations Of
the day, we accosted the General as
follows:
Reporter. General, having a desire
toascertain from representative South
ern men the condition Of affairs in
the South, SO far as comes under Their
personal knowledge, I have taken the
liberty to call upon you for the pur-
pose 70 giving to the people, through
the press, your views regarding the
existence Of an organization known as
the Ku-Klux Klan.
General: Well. ] am charged as
being the organizer and leader Of
that organization. but as yet l have
failed to ascertain that any such Klan
exists, except in the imaginations of
those, who, for political purposes pro-
badly, would like to see such body
in the South.
Reporter. Are your opportunities
for observation such, that -if,there
was an armed band known as the
lzo. Ku.kluS, slus you would be o0gnizant Of
General. Certainly; I have, in my
business pursuits, travelled through
all portions of Alabama and Tennes-
see, and the South generally.
Reporter. What. thcn, in your
opinion, is the cause Of so many acts
OF violence being reported and tele-
graphed North as Ku-Klux outrages!
General. 1t may arise from various
causes. My theory, however, is, that
class of men, who have not the vel
fare Of the South at heart, come from
the North, and, knowing that the po-
litical rights OF many Of the Sa1thern
people are denied tAam, they operate
with the negroes to secure their votes
to elevate them to positions of trust
and responsibility. Secret leagues are
formed incendisry speeches, calcula-
ted to doirreparable injury, are made;
the employer is denied the services a
his paid laborers, as they aock to
these leagues and are taught l!nsabor-
dination. Ths result is, that AMONG g
the substantial citizens Of the section
of country wherein these men oper,
ate. they are regarded with distrust
and socially ostracised. They secure
lucrative Offices, .defraud the people,
and in all their acts seemingly en-
deavor to excite public opinion against
them. AS a natural consequence, at
intervals, the Indignation probably oI
an individual may be. aroused. and
an individual assault made, which is
soon magnifed into a Ku-klux out
rage. Now, I do not pretend to deny
that il some instances men have been
killed-not, however. indiscriminate'
ly slaughtered. The same motive
that impels a man to kill his brother
in New York. Massachusetts,, or Maine,
applies SIS we'll in Alabama, North
Carolina, or Tennessee, the difference
being that in the latter States, the
victim, by his action and conduct,
tempts and goads the murderer to his
bloody work. These cases are few
but, of course, are credited as being
the work of the Ku-Klux, and hence
public opinion North is directed
q against the whole South as o blood
thirsty people. Again, bad men come
South with no fixed purpose in view
They seem to float along, and, like
Micawber, await something to turn
mp. In their idleness they operate
among the negroes; excite their su-
.perstitious feelings against their en-
ployers, and cause a general, stagna-
ton in agricultural pursuits. When
demonstrated with for such conduct,
instead Of allowing the planter to
peacefully pursue the even tenor o.
his way, they attempt to revive old
sores, and make assertions calculated
to excite anger and bad feeling. The
result may be that such men are or
dered to leave, or to pursue some vo-
cation, just the same es a ayasrant
may be looked.up in Washington, or q
suspicious character ordered out Of it
This, I presume, is at once called
Ku-Klux outrage. aea aaa
R.nortor Wonld n Northern man