Year: 1868

The ex-Rebel General Forrest spoke at Demo-
cratic Convention, in Brownsville, Tenn, on the
10th INST. In his remarks he sald:-


received letter from General s.. r. Ander-
son, of Nashville, a few days ago, and he stated
to me in that letter that he considered the action
oi Governor Brownlow, in relation to the militia
declaration of war If the militia we're called
out under his proclamation. That is also my
opinion. can assure you, fellow. citizens, that
l, Tor one, do not want any more war. | have
seen 1t In all It's phases, and believe me when
say so, that don't want TO see any more blood
shed nor do want to see negroes armed to
shoot down white men. If they bring this war
upon us there l. one thing will tell you-that
| shall not shoot any negroes so long as I can
see white radical to shoot for it is the radicals
who VIII be to blame for bringing on this var.


can assure you, tellow-cltzens that | shall
at all times be ready to go forward and assist
the Sheriff, or any other officer in carving out
the laws OF the State, and in order to assist him
thoroughly, l will get as many of my old SOL
diers as possible to go with me. But if they
send the black man to hunt those Confederate
soldiers whom they call Ku-KluX, then [ say to
you, go out and shoot the radicals" If
they do want to inaugurate civil war,
the sooner 1t comes the better, that we
may know what to do. (Applause.) 1 do
not wish 1t understood that am melting yoa to
war, for, as said BEFORE | have seen all the
war and all the bloodshed 1 want. | wish you
to exhaust all honorable means before you do
anything, and | would prefer that you should
suffer before l should see civil war inaugurated
in this country. We have already lost all but
our honor by the last war, aud must say that
in order to be men we must protect our honor
at all hazards, and we must also protect our
wives our homes, and our families.


| wish distinctly TO state that am not agains
the colored man, neither have l ever been
against the colored man. l carried forty-fve of
them into the war with me, and all but one re-
mained with me during the war. The next time
| saw the one who deserted he was in the hands
of the metropolitan police for stealing. (Cheers
and laughter0 l wish you to do nothing that
will give the radical party any pretense to bring
on war. warn you particularly against this.
They would like nothing better than war; for
through it they might carry the election, and by
this means keep office and continue to rob
aud bleed us. II, however, the war
should come, and l hope it never will,
want no drones in my drum of bees. Gap
plause.) If am forced into a collision, can
tell you that every man shall be compelled to
do his duty, They have got to take sides with
us or the other party. We will have no neu-
trails; all must show what they are. If they are
not for US, then they will be against US. We
must be unit on this very grave question.
The militia will be a unit and we must be in
the same position. My felowcitizens, l assert
IL is a solemn thing to think of, tor have no
doubt that you have all had enough of war.
You have seen war and you know what it is,
and therefore we ought, as l said before, ex-
haust all honorable means to prevent it coming
among US. But it 1t does come, will do all in
my power to meet it, let the consequences be
what they may. cloud and prolonged cheer.
ing.)