Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-30
A MGR0ASAN OBSERVER
LINCOLN hRDERS GREENEs EN-.
LISTBEE.ST UNDER af.AZEN.

/ Aho Nniet olgnal OHceF aud the be-
cruiting officer Both work in Vain to
Keep Blacks out Of the Department
The Gist of a Long Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2s.-The cores
| pondence which passed between GEN.
| Hazen, Chief Signal Oficer, and the Sec
/ retary of War, in reference to the applica.
tiOn of cOlored man for enlistment in the
Signal Corps, is given to the public. The
mans name is w. Hallett Greene. He is
a graduate of the College OF the City Of
| New York. He has since this eorrespon-
dence been enlisted into the Signal Corps
as private.
in letter dated July IS Gen. ,Hazen
refers to a former letter in which he stated
that the general policy of the government
had been opposed to the enlistment Of col
| Orcd men in any part of the army, except
the four colored regiments especially set
| apart by Congress for that purpose. Gen.
HaZen says that the applicant has been
notified to hold himself IN readiness. and,
the Secretary OF War directs that he will
be enlisted, but that he is informed By the
| recruiting officer that without this order
| OF the Secretary he should not feel
legally authorized to make this enlist
ment. Gen. Hazen then reiterates that he
/ was not in error in stating what the Gus.
| toms Of the service were. and that. exceDt-
! ing the fourregiments named, all branches
have been closed to colored men. He pro-
ceeds:
did not deem it in the province of the chief
| or any enc OF these branches of the army to
| depart from that general rule any more than
| Tor the Colonel of any one of the thirty six
| white regiments to have done So but publica-
| tlons lead to the Inference that | by narrow
| prejudice had gratutOusv taken adverse ac-
| ton IN Greene's case. The appointment of
cOlOred civil officers and OF cOlored officers to
the four colored regiments referred 10 in the
Secretary's Endorsement are not of the class
of cases to which this question applies The
affirmative legislation, creating the four col
ored regiments, has always been construed to
exclude colored enlisted men from other por-
tlons of the army, and this construction has
always governed enlistments.
HAZEN AGAINST THE BLACKS.
If it is intended that the Signal Corps shall
be singled out as a separate branch of the
army, where mixed enlstments may take
place, feel it my duty, TO the best interests
OF the corps and the service, to recommend
that this be not done. 1t is due Greene to say
that his preliminary examination papers
place him near the head Of all the applicants
Tor enlistment TO The Signal Corps
In his Endorsement upon this letter
secretary Lincoln says that he
sees no reason to modify his
former views concerning the enlistment Of
colored men into the signal corps.
1t is not considered necessary to discuss the
proprety of assigning cOlored recruits of
the line of the army to other organiza-
tions of the line than the four regiments
required by law to be composed of colOred
men. The reasons which might be good
against such action would not apply to the
employment OF colOred men of good character
and sufficient attainments in any other posi-
tion under the War Department any more
than to their employment under other de-
partments. There is certainly not, in
the view of the Secretary. ANYTHING pe-
cullar IN the character of the organization
or in the duties of ordnance detach-
ment hospital stewards, Commissarv SER
geants, ordnance sergeants or the Signal
Service, or of the clerical force of the War
Department, which makes it proper to ex-
clude competent colored men from employ
ment IN thes organizations, and he knows of
no law, regulation or decision by which any
Of them have been, as stated within. closed to
colored men. 1t is thought proper to say also
that even If in these branches OF the public
service under the War Department, which
are esentially military, there were valid
reasons for the exclusion of cOlored men, the
Secretary does not think that these reasons
would apply to the Signal Service.
IT'S ATTACHES CIVILIANS.
In his opinion, its military name and its
military methods of administration do not af-
feet the fact that all o, the work done by its
the clerks of the War Department. Indeed
with the exception of few telegraph opera
tors at military posts, they have, in fact, as
little to do with any branch of military duty
as II they did not exist.
To this Gen. Hazen answered that the
Secretary lndOrsement aid not overcome
the diflicultysaying hat the Signal Corps and
other organizations mentioned are all equally
legal parts OF the army. The men are ali
similarly enlisted, ind the fact that no
colored men have ever been enlisted,
while four other regiments are exclusively
cOored Is. OF itself, proof that there is either
law, or In place of 1t the custom of the service,
which up to this time has exclusively con-
trolled the subject and prevented mixed en-
lIPtmPntS The rpCVuiIiup oflirpr Ia "a inf
me that from this fact he does not feel au-
thoriZed to enlist Greene, eXcept upon
order of the Secretary OF War. In view of
the foregoing Endorsement of the Secretary of
war, withdraw all objections, if / ever had
anv, to Greene's enlistment in the service
The next Endorsement is as follows:
If the recruiting officer referred to in tee
preceding Endorsement has been advised o.
the views of the Secretary OF War in this
matter, and he declines to act in accordance
herewith, his name will be reported to the
department to be relieved by an officer who
will act in accordance with the views of the
Secretary.
By order Of the Secretary of War
(Si9ned) JOHN TwEEDALE,
Chief Clerk War Department.
Ang. 20, 1884. - 49, 0''
A DISTASTEFUL TASK.
The correspondence was then referred to
the recruiting officer Interested, Lieut..
Hursell. of the Signal Corps, who contributed
to the series as follows: ''The recruiting
officer has been fully advised OF the views Of
the Honorable Secretary of w ar at each stage
OF this correspondence. The recruiting
officers personal feelings and sympathIes are
all In favor of allowing Greene to enlist in the
Signal Corps or any other corps or regiment
OF the army, but he does not believe he has the
authority of the law. custom or precedent to
make the enlistment. He tthe recruiting
oficer) Will with pleasure enlist Greene at
any time, provided he be authorized by the
Honorable Secretary of war to write on the
enlistment papers the words: Enlisted by
authority of the Secretary Of War; and
respectfully ask that he be authorized"
Gen. HaZen writes under this that he
believes that the position taken by the re-
cruiting officer is correct.
Secretary Lincoln closed the matter up
with the following:
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, Sept. u.
The Chief Signal officer of the army is
hereby ordered to give such orders and in
structlOns to officers now or hereafter serving
under him as recruiting officers for the Signal
Corps of the army will prohibit the rejec-
tion as recruit by any such recruiting
officers of any applicant for enlistment in the
Signal Corps on account Of color or on account
of the African descent Of such applicant.
The Chief Signal Officer will report to the
Secretary of War the action taken under
this order with special reference to the ap-
plication Of William Hallet Greene.
ROBERT I. LINCOLN,
Secretary of War.
WIND AND RAIN.
Great Damage Done by ClOud-Burst