Quote:
Originally posted by kafromTN
Union officers fault as Forrest offered unconditional surrender.
As far as racist goes, he was not one. He did not create the KKK, he was just one of the first leaders. The KKK also was not against blacks, that was a 20th century concept but instead to protect the south from carpetbaggers and the Federal troops who raped and pillaged towns and cities [but those atrocities are never reported]. He defended southerners no matter what race they were. He also dispanded the KKK when their job was done [reconstruction was over] He was in fact a pioneer in race relations. On his railroad he tried to highed blacks in an effort to prevent a dependency on the government for welfare.
Do people think Abraham Lincoln was racist? Even though he made comments such as
"I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races -- that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people"
No, because the victors of war write the history, it doesn't make it correct but that is why one must dig deeper for the truth.
stepping off my soapox for now.
|
I would be open to the idea of Lincoln being a racist. He was no great abolitionist in any sense. I don't know enough about Forrest enough to refute your points, but the southern Democratic party was definitely not "race neutral". So, if he was down with them, I'm inclined to think he was racist. Would it be that much of a surprise? This country is built on racism