The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-03
"UNPATRIoTIC NEGROES.
A Spirited Defense of the Black Mar
and II Statement of Their Case.

and u Statement of Their Case.
Northwestern Advocate
The following comes from Washington to
one of the Chicago dailies
PRESIDENT Mckinley wants to get the
negroes of the United States into action
~ Is agreed py army men and those best
qualified to speak of the conditions of u
cuban campaign that negro troops would be
OF great value in the invasion of Cuba.
Up 70 TINS time the negroes of the South
nave shown no great display of patriotism
Ihey rave not tried to enlist; indeed, efforts
made in the different sections to raise reg
lments OF negroes have failed entirely be-
serve their country.
President Mckinley, 1t is said, proposes
a practical test Of negro patriotism. In
his second call for volunteers, to be issued
soon. it is said that he will ask for a spe-
o GIN dco number of negro troops. probably
Promising that four of the finest regi-
ments III our regular army are negroes, we
admit that nobody should wonder that more
regiments like them should be desired. Our
Two cavalry and two infantry regiments
both "of African descent" are excellent
soldiers. They are obedient. their sense of
rhythm gives snap to their manual of arms
negroes are proverbially fond Of horses
which is an excellent cavalry circumstance,
they magnify their military position, they
care for their military dress. they acquire
affection for their officers, and the statis-
tics of the service show that our negro regi-
ments are singularly free from assertions,
which is not so true of white regular regi-
ments That negroes will fight was fire.
quently proven during the civil war, and
that the troops of that race heroically
rushed into the deadly breach-as at Fort
wagner near Richmond-and in the face OF
almost certain DEATH was demonstrated
magnificently. In view of the fact that the
numbers of that race in this country are
more than half the population of Spain,
and that our AfricO-American citizens could
furnish half or three-quarters of million
troops, the day may come in which the Re-
pubic Will be glad to secure the military
help of its colored citizens.
hot Olfr nn1n rod
citizens have yet declined to enlist or that
1t has been declared that their services are
needed, we hold that the negro may plead
some peculiar, and peculiarly good, reasons
why he might now decline to enlist. The
history of the race in the United States for
the past thirty years does not include the
weightiest proofs of its obligation to the
Republic. State as intelligent and gen.
erous as Illinois has insisted that the
negro's children shall be segregated in sep
crate public schools, though colored parents
are taxed for schools as white people are
record that the offices are awarded almost
exclusively to whites after election. In more
than dozen States of the Union special
discriminating laws restrict the negro ballot
and measures are pending in other States to
rob him OF his vote altogether While the
colored man is warranted in his expectation
that he shall enjoy the immunitieS, protec-
ton and nondiscriminations of "a repub-
lican form of government" he has been
subjected to abuses. determinations, rob-
berry and outrages which, if directed against
any body of unnaturaliZed foreign residents
would have brought foreign punitive fleets
to our shores to avenge our American
breach of treaties While we admit that the
Republic has done very much indeed for the
colored man, and concede that perhaps the
large majority of our white citizens depre-
cate the wrongs still visited upon the negro
race in the United States we yet claim that
the unpatriotic white minority is so large
that one should not wonder when thousands
of negroes doubt that their share of the Re-
public is worth fighting for.
We suggest these unbeatable and not
NO
is just the time in which to regard them.
No one has the right to speak slightngly
enlist. At the same time, we hold that if
some future day of pressure comes upon
the land, in which troops will be needed
sorely, the negro-who often has been re-
preached because he forgets and forgives
an injury too freely-wil be prompt to en-
list and brave to fight for the land which
has abused him shamefuly. The above
quoted paragraph intimates that President
Mckinley proposed a practical test of
negro patriotism" In the name of all that
is magnanimous, fair, reasonable and just.
let. it be asked If any race or people on
this continent have ever been subjected to
more awful tests of patriotism" than has
the negro? The steadiness that makes the
regular army negro nondeserter, has made
him true to the country under many other
circumstances. He has never fired a shot
at the republics authority, unless under
compulsion. He has aided American prison
ers, wounded men and ragged fugitiVeS
from captivity. 1t would be but fair TO re-
verse the washington SuSBGSIOIl-anQ let
the negro propose test of patriotism" to
the white man and to the Republican party,
at the hands of the generous President who
is his party's head. We do not concede that
the presumption of unpatriotism Is against
the negro. One among a mans immensest
motives to fight for government is that
it will protect him when the war is closed.
The negro already has fought Tor the re-
public-aye, he fought in l06 and in 1872
and the Republic has been untrue to the
negro If he is again called upon to enlist
the muster roll should contain a pletTe and
guarantee that the Republic hereaft n will
he true to all it's citizens We doub that
the negro will insist upon such a condition,
and we therefore feel ALL the more free to
suggest it in his superforgiving behalf 1t
Is said that he has not enlisted in this war
because of "unwillingness to serve his coun-
try" His country. Can anyone in Washing
ton prove that? White men have labored
and sinned to disprove it. Now is good
time in which to reverse that wicked judg-
ment through fair treatment of ten millions
of our colored citizens.