The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-29
of it's kind, such as the Washington
Artillery. Respectfully,
AN Active Artilleryman.

1
i An Active Artilleryman.
The situation in New orIesans.
The Picayune in it's discussion of
the possibility of racial association
admits that its correspondents views
| are to large extent correct and
then it emphasizes the fact that the
organized militia which comes into al
lance with the regulars is amenable
to the same laws, regulations and or
ders and that when acting with negro
| troops, something that is at sometime
likely to occur. there will be no es-
| cape from obedience. 1t is pointed out,
however that the Southern militia is
! not likely at an early date to be sent
| out of the several states, while
| Northern companies would be ordered
TO the South to suppress disorder and
/ frequently to protect negro criminals
| This picture is admitted by the painter
to be an extreme view, but still pos
| sessing the quality of the possible.
The Picayune proceeds to describe the
/ policy of the Roman Empire holding
! down the nations of Europe, Northern
Africa and Western Asia and later
! when Spanish soldiers We're sent to
| Britain British troops to Greece, Ital-
ians to Germany and Gallo troops to
| Italy so that the soldiery would pos
sess no sympathy for those whose
whole world was kept in subjection
! The Picayune continues: Doubtless it
! will be long time before such tactics
| are adopted in this country but what
! has been done in the past may be done
again when conditions shall seem to
make it desirable. At the presen. slime
| there are no organized and armed ne
] gro military companies in this state
and few, If any, in the Southern states.
! AS soon the Dick law shall be accept
ed by the states and become firmly es-
/ tablished there will be United States
officers in all the Southern states look
| ing after the organization of negro
companies. This is something to be
| looked for.
IL What May Be Expected.
~ "Of course if this is the Southern
! militiaman's view we may expect con-
fusion; if not mutinous defiance when
lit happens, as rs very likely in time of
war, that regimental command is
composed of Southern white companies
! and Northern negro companies 1t may
be necessary for military success to
, maintain Just such "oontiguity OF the
races, ai1d 1t is just as we'll that this
more thatisp possibility should be under
stood now by niilitiamen of every Sec
ton OF the country The law cannot
be very wen changed to confine its
benefits to militia commands made up
of white men. A federal strike can
| hardly make a distinction in recogni-
| ton of local prejudice. If militia com
panies are composed of negroes they
must necessarily be taken into the body
of national organization and support
to the same impartial extent as militia
comp anieS composed of white soldiers
otherwise, the sectional sentiment
might go so far as to prevail to the
same effect Of exclusion against sol
diers of nationalizSG citizenship with
special animadVersion of those, say, of
German or italian, or Irish descents, or,
pursuing the same line of thought,
there might be equal prejudice in a
Republican state against miltiamen
who would on occasion vote the Demo-
cratic ticket, or, again, at the instance
of soldiers who belong to labor organi-
cations, against their fellows who have
not, for one reason or another, joined
the ranks of self-protected industry. 1t
will be seen that the alarm expressed
by the New Orleans artilleryman might
with equal obedience to the sense of
apprehension be entertained in other
places of those possessed of other forms
of prejudice.
Mixed Regiments.
III is difficult to understand why
prejudice against the blacks should go
so far as to make ii the occasion of
aDlOTfe0Ce ana resentment DIS ueStTlDeQ
by the New Orleans alarmist when
Southern white companies find them
selves in a regiment with Northern ne
gro companies. The same sort of dis
tress OF mind would make it impossible
in a public parade of any sort for
such sensitive soldiers TO appear in
line with negro troops, and. If there is
objection to the latter, 1t must, in all
consistency, extend to those persons in
another regiment or another corps or
within the same general army The
regular organization has been free of
disturbance as the result of having,
say in one division white and colored
troops. They are sometimes stationed
at the same post, and it is not uncom-
mon at such places to see a guard
made up of men of both races, or a
squad of white soldiers under command
of a negro corporal or a detachment of
negro priVates under command of a
white sergeant, yet this does not i'm
peril the peace of the locality. 1t is
difficult to understand why this same