Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-09-23

Defense or n Good Citizen aad Brave
OMeer-ADsuer 10 NOEthera
Editors.
" hat he Was in Peace aEd WaT-AfteF
the suTrendeR-His A0ysiEy 80
che United STATES.
rom The Grenada lMisa.) Republican,

From the Grenada tMiss.) Republican,
We see, with regret, that some of the
northern papers are very severe in their anl-
madversions upon the proposlt on OF denei al
! Forrest TO aid the civil authorities Of Gibson
county, Tennessee, in ferreting out and arrest
ing the masked murderers Of the fourteen IN
| fortunate negroes. We DO not propose 20 oe
The cham pon OF Bedf lrd Forrest as we were
wont in other days 70 call him. out VIII add
our humble testimony IN his behalf, as a true
man, Ia whatever circumstances he may be
placed. " g have known him almost from
beardless boy, when, as the keeper OF livery
stable he groOmed his own horses, and de-
veloped even in that humble sphere some OF
those marked traits Of character, which, ma
turing in after years, made MIN one OF Lne
foremost men in The Confederate armies. Ed
dowed with n strong miHd and hlgh business
qualifications, he worked his way through
life until the beginning OF the war IN 1894
found him a man OF ample means and hlgh
social standing. His career IN the army We
do not desi ga to dwell upon. particularly as IL
is now a matter of history, and his name
viii be contested with II for AZ time 70 come
as one of the heroes Of the south. The north
srn people cannot get over what they are
pleased 70 term the atrocities OF the Fort P1l-
low affair, and this point In his military ca
reer they select as the most Vulnerable one,
without considering the explanation gwen Dy
himself and friends in reference 70 the events
Of that bloody 1dds ansy yRBtSont prncip i or
honor. Here, we think, they are mistaken.
General Forrest entered the Confederate army
honestly believing that MS SWORD was IRA Sh
in a rirn teous cause. and this conviction deep
eued with every stroke OF his stalWart arm,
Until be finally became an object OF as much
lear on one side as of homage on the other He
may have com mitted acts, during MS aruuous
CAMPAIGNS, not strictly IN accordance with
milit ry etiquette, Dor even COM ttole VII
ment would naturally overlook in pursuit OF
the one grand Idea that absorbed all minor
cOnsiderations-the success OF the cause which
he had espoused. Rut the end came at last,
and Forrest furled his battie-Worn nag in ST.
lence and in sorrow at the foot OF Federal
power. He had fought and lost; he was fair
" wnipped, and, We believe, was whipped all
over. He returned to the walks OF civil Life
to see his fortune scattered 10 the winds, save
here and there a fragment which ne soon
combined, and begun the struggle Of life
anew. With what success we do not know
out that tndOmitable energy which belongs
to him by birth has borne him forward and
upward until he is again man OF mark. It
is cur honest belief, since he told his ragged
squadrons ''go home and be good citizens,
no man In the south has more respected his
parole of honor or kept more sacredly his
oath OF allegiance. When the troubles grow
ing out Of the capture OF the Ntrglnius by the
Spauiards raised little war-cloud over our
political armament, General Forrest
was among the first to tender his services in
case of hostihtles, and Lleutenaat-Gen-
eral sherman had the good sense and con-
hdence to write, that in case OF necessity he
would place General Forrest high on the list
of officers that would be commissioned in the
United States service. General sherman knew
his man, for We presume he has had his eye
upon the civil career Of General Forrest, as
well as hundreds OF others OF COuIeOerALe OIL
GERS, since the close Of the war. Had the au-
thOrities of Gibson county accepted the ser
vices of General Forrest, we surely believe
that the most OF the guilty men engaged in
that Trenton murder would have been safely
lodged in prison. They would have been
dragged out from their hiding-plGces, whether
IN the mansions of the rich or the novels of
the poor; Whsther in the tangled brakes OF
the swamp or the open streets OF the town
whether backed up with the defiant prep
arations or the dssperado or sSuIking
around as guilty towards. We say again,
If the people OF Gibson county had been In
earnest 10 arrest these men, in our opinion
no better evidence could have been given
than in securing the proHered aid OF an earn
est. honest, intrepid man like General For
rest. We viii not ssy that such man they |
did not want, but from the slow manner Of
arresting the guilty ones, it would bear that |
inference. We believe that General Forrest |
is in full accord with the Democratic party, |
but notwithstanding, IN the discharge Of bis |
duty, be would not be swayed in the least by |
party Influences. but would exercise his off, !
cial authority alike upon the Democrat and |
Republican, looking wholly 10 his duties IN /
the case as defined by the law. II northern /
editors can do no better than find fault with |
men who are ready 10 sacrifice themselves in 1
promoting the ends Of Justice among US here |
Than bringing up the Objectionable records Of
the war, they hal as well remain silent.