Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-12-26
DISGRACE TO UNIFORM
President Says Negro Troops
Are Murderers

Are Murderers
In one of the most belligerent
state papers that has ever come
from his feverish pen, President
Roosevelt justified in every detail
his disnissal from the army with
out honor of the colored soldisrs Of
the Twenty. fifth Infantry charged
with taking part IN the Browns
Vile riot of August last.
Not the least remarkable of the
papers filed is copy of an order
ISSUED by General r. E. Lee, die
missing a battalion Of Confederate
troops, in which he said:
"The general commanding the
Army Of Northern Virginia regrets
that there are some brave officers
and men belonging to this oigani-
zaticn who must share in this cOm-
nou disgrace, but the good of the
services requires it, and they must
bear it as brave soldiers"
This action on the part OF Cen
eral Lee is noted as furnishing a
precedent to the President.
In his message the President
said. in part;
II ordered the discharge OF
nearly all the members Of Compa-
MES B, c and D, of the Twenty
fifth Infantry, by name, in the ex-
ereise of my constitutional power
aud in pursuance of what, after
full consideration, l found to be
my constitutional duty as COM
mander-in-chief Of the United
States Army. l am glad to avail
myself of the opportunity afforded
by these resolutions to lay before
the Congress the following facts as
ID the murderous conduct OF GER
tain mem bers of the companies in
question, and as to the conspiracy
by which many Of the other mta'
bers of these companies saved the
criminals from justice, to the dis
grace of the United States uniform
81 call your attention TO the re-
ports of Major Augustus 2. Block
SOLE, of Lieutenant-Colonel Leon
ard A. Lowering and Of Brigadier-
General Ernest a. Darlington, the
inspector-general of the United
States Army, of their investigation
into the conduct Of the troops in
question.
San effort has been made to dis.
credit the fairness of the investi'
CATION into the conduct of the col
Ored troops BY pointing out that
General Darlington lie Southern
er. Precisely the came action
would have been taken had th'
troops been whIte-indeed, the dis
charge would probably have been
made in more summary fashion
General Darlington 10 a native OF
South Carolina; Lieutenant-Colo
mel Lowering is a native Ct New
Hampshire; Major Blocksom is q
native Of Ohio. As it happens,
the disclosure of the guilt of the
troops was made in the report OF
the officer who comes from Ohio,
and the efforts Of the officer who
comes from South Carolina were
confined to the endeavor to shield
the innocent nen of the companies
in question, if any such there were,
by securing information which
would enable us adequately to pun
ish the guilty. But 1 wish it dis
tinctly understood that the fact oil
the birthplace of either officer Ii
one which | absolutely refuse tC
consider. The standard Of pro-
fessional honor and of loyalty tC
the flag and the service is the sam.
for all officers and all enlisted mer
of the United States Army, and
recent with tie keenest indignation
any effort to draw any line amcna
them based upon birthplace, creed
or any other consideration of the
kind. Ishould put the sane entire
faith in theee reports if it had hep
pened that they were all made by
men coming from some one State
whether in the South or the North
the East or the West, as now do
when, MS 1t happens, they were
made by officers born in differe nj
States"