The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-12-07
Gen. darlington Sustained by I
Gen. Nettleton, of Chicago.
AN INV VssslN lit ON
On the droand Convlhces fhe Old Vets
eran Of the Ualsn Army That the
Negro Soldiers Was GailiY Of
Conspiracy and was
Rightly Disnlssed

Because Of the apparant naisunder-
standing In portions OF she eouatry az
faots which osllsd forth the ordsr fiia.
charging the three eoRapaniSs OF COL
Grad eroop ssosa6ly stationed at.
Brownsville. Texas, and In view Of
she resultant oritioiara of the prssi.
fsns'B eourse In the matter, ehe citi.
zsnR' oOmmtttsa OF Brownsville re-.
GENTLY requested Gen. A. B. Netbloton
Of Chicago, former aahisBans secretary
Of the treasury. while on business ssd
Brownsville tie make In his own way q
thorough and diaint.rsst9d inyaafiga.
tion OF the Brownsville riot OF Aug.
l3 ana yeporG his conclusions. Cen.
Nettleton embodied hin dndings IN q
.etter to the secretary Of war. Hai
says IN pert, &
"As o elsizan of Illinois. az an an.
tislavesy advocate when that phrase
n8d o meaning and 40 o veteEan who
seryoa IN the UA,on army througoub
sde OWL wax, 1 shall at least not ba
'uaPeessd Of prsdjualce against men
Ut ea}eS.
"Wiehoue rshearsius details, L wisf,
30 asaare you thai this absolutely un-'
srajndieed inveatigs tion, made after
ios&l exSitement had B0bsidsd, con.
arhna IL every particular she eanola
ii0Szs reached by 6he two arms 6fflcsrs
isn't here by the waY dspar&ment, On.
she ss,0ngth of which the president
sock biB set1on, as well ag the clear
and temperate ststoment puolihed In.
@Sdis saly after the tragedy by Ohair.
saaa Kelley of the Brownsville clti.
z5nb' 90 earaittse."
AfeAr summarizing facts hitherto
subliahod ss ta killiag OF one ciSizsn,
she mstmisg OF ehlef OF polise, the
dr,Hg Of volleya into and through
hosels, saloons and many pYivabe resi-
dsnces and OF seyrorizing Of the entire
cown, Con. Nsteleton's letter oon.
6tnucB:
Ut 10 we'll attestsd by evidence
that the colored troaps wore created
nere With the sama courtesy that
folored soldier OF ike bearing are
Sreatad In most garrison towns OF the
NOrthsrn SSateB. Il 3lSs {. a = q aos
hand, the street eon6uSt OF GONE OF
6hem WAS often aggrsasivsly and
oausoleE8ly insolens toward white nasn
and women; tha6 there was no Or 3-
voeation for the murderous raid hy Gae
soldierB, unl1sB 1t can ba called O. pro
voeation thab tho drinkers amung
Shem were provided with separate
bars in certain saloons and that ON
two OCCASIONS Individual insolence was
resented by individual oitizSns, both
Of which happened tn hava bean Re.
publican federal cffloials.
There was no riot aEd no 'atroet
row. as mary newspspers psrslst In
calling the occurrence. 1t was SIM
ply q most cowar6ly opnsptraov TO tor.
rify, wound and Kill unit ffending men,
women and children at the hour OF
midnight, when defense or resistance
sas practicable and was not even.
Attempted. Evidently not an cppos.
ing shot Wac fred"
Gen Nettlaton'5 letter sharply
raises the QUESTION as to what the
white officers Of the garrison were do
Ing on the night of the raid and closes
thus:
In viaW Of tho facts as I find them
here, she perpistsn5 @ttampt or the
pars Of some 80 make sasr6yfa OF any
porti9n of tho discharged naen would
DO appalling, II ib wero not grcte& d ae
The conspiracy Of silence on the part
OF all members OF the battalion pre-
vents bhe governmeR6 from punhhing
the provieug conspiracy Of violence
and HAuYdor, and the sspeTation OF all
alike FROM hhs sarvieo which they
have disSraeod becameB Inevitable.
balievo no eoufaa other than the one
whioh bho preaidtnt has pursued, Was
or Ia open 10 him unless all Bem-
blenoe Of q decent dtsoipliae In our
army Is to be ended and unless svsry
A pnorloRn community, North and
South alike, 10 to be given cause to
dread the proximity frora the garrison
as ID would that OF an enoamprlSnt OF
armed and uniformed assaiianes. !
fsympathize deeply with the oolored
people In their upward struggle In
Amerroa; but believa the mos6 dam.
aging service that can be rendered
them as race In their period Of test
aud transition is that OF oasmpionirp
or exou0ing the criminal element III
their ranks.n