Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-05
NEGRO OFFICERS.

/
All the fighting that has been done In
this country by colored soldiers has been
done under white officers. That such
soldiers proved serviceable to the
Federal Government during the 1875
period, and have done we'll In some oil
our recent Indian wars. we are reaoy
to concede, from the information In our
possession. But they are yet to be tried
as fighters under officers OF their own
| color.
The United States Government, with
four negro regiments in Its service mas
never yet thought proper 70 officer them
| otherwise than with whites. Why not?
| The Chicago Tribune answers the ques-
| ton quite candidly when II says. tine
| whites have not much confidence in the
| natural ability OF blacks to command
troops In war"
That is n fact. II is further fact that
white officers do not wish TO mess or club
with colored officers. and white privates
| do not wish 10 have to salute colored
| officers. In short, the presence or
| shoulder-strapped negroes in our army
| would be n constant source Of embar-
rassment and weakness, and we are
forced to the conclusion that II would be
better TO do without the aid OF the color
ed troops altogether than to send them
to the front Differed by men OF their own
race.
Practically speaking. the United States
Government has always taken this view
OF the matter in appointing officers for
our army and navy. 1t is known to be
the unvritten law that no negro can
pass through the Annapolis Academy. A
few have been permitted to enter West
Point and graduate therefrom, but they
have found themselves very uncomforta-
BILE in the army. And now, so far as our
information extends. ther' is only one
negro officer in our regular army, and.
we guess he IS with a colored regi-
ment. We think he is on duty as
quartermaster; but no matter where he |
is or what he is doing. we do not hest |
tate to say his presence is Objectionable |
TO the white officers whose equal and |
associate he is supposed 10 be.
question frankly. As far as we can do |
so, we desire to avoid any harsh ex-
pressions, but Il is due to justice and /
truth and to our dear boys who have en-
listed in Virginia regiments that we
should state the case as IL is.
When the United States Government,
with all Of its advantages, has declined |
to experiment with offering black com
panies with black men, we cannot see
how Virginia is under any obligations
to do So Let US make haste slowly
After the General Government has made
the experiment, and after that expert
ment has proved successful, it will be
time enough for us to talk about differing
with colored men companies that Vir-
ginia Is to send to the front.
The objections we have noted are Of
such empowering weight as TO crowd
out Of sight the pleas that are made as
to tho status of the officers in the exist
ing organizations. The paramount con-
are overwhelmingly against
employing negro officers in our army. for
no man knows at what hour the eXigen-
cies Of the service may give them au-
thority over white men.
II is for the Governor Of each State TO
say whether he will appoint white or
black officers for colored companies and
battalions. 1t is for colored men to vol
unteer or not as they please. There the
matter stands.