Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-07-16

E~NRs CAAN Guy IaAAIk lux VIC CulA1t-
ment OF Negroes. The patriotism Of
the Negroes was fully evinced by their
readiness and desire to join the ranks !;
but that patriotism, we contended,
would be better left in state OF quiz
escence, until there should come q cris-
is in the nations affairs demanding c
conversion OF Negro patriotic senti-
ment into action.
And again:
"But the enrolment of Negro regi-
ments went on all the same, some Of
them even with Negro officers, as IL
the authorities had never so much as
thought il possible that Inconvenience,
ret alone trouble. might arise from the
arrangement. The authorities merely
showed that in this matter. as in many
other things, they did not know or did
not much care what they were doing.
Some OF the trouble. which every body
who understands the sentiment OF the
white people OF the south in respect Of
mixing with Negroes was perfectly
well aware in advance must take place
has already taken place, although the
authorities have done everything in
their power to hush it up.
The inclusion of the Negroes in the
volunteer regiments has been the
cause OF rioting and bloodshed already
10 more than one part OF the union-ip
Chattanooga, Tenn, in Ebor City, Fla
where the colored soldiers were on the
verge OF sacking TIE place, and at San
Francisco. where quite en- inter-regi
mental: difficulty was created by the
proper refusal of white soldiers to ga
Lutte Negro officer"
In the cases cited the white men
were the aggressors. At Tampa, Fla,
June %. q body of them beat colored
driver nearly to death with bricks
He tainted from the loss of blood.
But the fight at Camp Alger, Va,
was between white troops as was the
disturbance at Fort Monroe. The
trouble with the Rough Riders al
Tampa, Fla, June %, was between
white people SIS was the row at Chicka-
manga, June 18th.
1t goes to show that trosble results
whether the troops be white or colored
when King Rum holds sway.
The TIMEs-DEMocRAr remarked:
1.-THE white people, and particularly
the white people of the south, have the
feeling that this placing of the Negroes
on footing of military equality with
the whites is but a preliminary and
first step toward pushing them into q
footing OF social equality as well and
this is q condition of affairs, as be-
tween the races, to which il 10 almost
unnecessary for as to say there is nc
compulsion in the United States which
will make the white people OF the
south submit"
In other words, the plain provisions
OF the Constitution of the United
States will be ignored and nullified
Although this moss-bsck, Negro-hat-
ing editor is sworn to recognize the
civil and political equality of all men
before the law, he declares that he and
his colleagues will violate their oaths
and disobey thesexpressed provisions OF
the Fourteenth Amendment. How is
this for Christian community ? To
what code of ethics does it subscribe ?
1t continues:
1T was an ill-advised act In our opin-
ion and as we have said on previous
occasions, to allow the enlistment of
colored volunteers at all there was no
urgent need for their enlistment, and
from the very nature of things, it was
bound TO lead to a clash between them
and the white volunteers, in which
they were certain to get the worst of IL
But II it was an ill-advised act to raise
Negro regiments at all, il was an act
or supreme folly TO put the colored
regiments in command OF colored off,
| GERS"
1t concludes as follows:
"The whole of this Negro-enlistment
business is the worst mistake that the
| government has made since it put the
Negroes on the same political status
with the whites, and we may be sure
THAT the end is not yet"
So much for the TlMEs-DEMocRAr
now let Us see the result of this so
called folly. In describing the attacl
at SANTIAGO DE CUBA July 1, 1898, al
eyewitness says:
"a detachment of 200 Cubans wen
forward from Ell Paso. and then Colo
mel Wood, with the Rough Riders, tn,
First and Tenth Cavalry started dow
the hillsides straight for the enemy
Notifications"
The Tenth Cavalry ID composed O
colored troopers,
Captain Grimes battery poured
steady fire into the Spaniards to pro
tect Colonel Woods advance. Tn
dismounted cavalry paused on thei
way through the tangled grass an,
underbrush, and halfway down tn
hillside selected q good spot to halt
and from there opened and maintaine,
for twenty minutes hot fire."
| Among those dismounted cavaIr
were the colored men.
Colonel Woods command behave,
with great bravery, firing steady an,
deadly volleys, with the enemy's she'll
screeching and bursting over thei
heads. Twenty minutes OF fearful no
work silenced the Spanish batteries
Ten shots were sent into them afte
they ceased firing, but there was n,
1 NJ ee -