The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-12-08
ROOSEVELT SUSTAINED.
GEN. a. b. Nett1eton, Citizen Of Illinois,
Antf-slavery Advocate and Consist
emit Republican, Endorses Pres
tdent's Action in Dismiss
ing Negro Troops.

Because OF the apparent mlsunder-
standing OF the facts which called forth
the order for the discharge Of the three
companies Of colored troops recently
stationed at Brownsville. Texas and
In view OF the resulting criticism OF
the presidents course in the matter,
the citizens committee of Brownsville
requested General a. B. Nettleton Of
Chicago. former assistant secretary OF
the treasury, who visited Brownsville
recently On business, to make il his
own way thorough and disinterested
investigation of the Brownsville
tragedy Of Aug. 13 and report his con-
clusions.
General Nettleton has embodied his
findings in letter to the secretary Of
war. from which the following extracts
are made:
.As citizen OF Illinois, as an anti
slavery advocate when that phrase
had meaning and as lifelong Re
publican who served il the Union
army throughout the civil War,I shall
Ut least not be suspected Of prejudice
against men Of color as such.
q feel sure that only carefully dis
semfnated misinformation as TO the
facts can account for the present gross
apprehension on the part OF many
persons and journals.
Without rehearsing details, I wish
to assure you that this absolutely I'M
preiudieed investigation, made after
local excitement has subsidized, con-
firms il every particular the conclu-'
sions reached by the two army officers
sent here by the war department. on
the strength Of which the president
took his action, as we'll as the very
clear and temperate statement pub
lished Immediately after the tragedy
by Chairman Early Of the Brownsville
citizens committee. That statement
probably constitutes the most con-
elusive and damning Indictment ever
found against soldiers OF any race
wearing the uniform and welding the
weapons OF q civilized government. =
After SUNNI arizing the facts hitherto
published as to the killing OF one citi-
zen, the killing of the chief of police,
the firing OF volleys into hotels, sa-
looms and many private residences,
and the terrorizing Of the entire town.
the letter continues:
stThe we'll attested evidence, eontro-
verted by none, is that the colored
troops were treated here with the same
consideration with which colored sol
diers OF like bearing are treated in
most garrison towns Of the northern
states. That on the other hand the
street conduct of some OF them was
often aggressively and eauselessly in
solent toward white men and women;
that there was no provocation for the
murderous raid by the soldiers, unless
it can be called d provocabion that
the drinkers among them were pro-
vided with separate bars il certain
saloons, and that on two occasions in
dividual insoienee was resented by in
diVidnal citizens, both Of whom hap
pened TO be Republican federal Of
fieials. There was no riot and no
street rows, as many newspapers per-
sist il calling the occurrence. It was
simply . most coWardly conspiracy TO
terribly, wound and kill unoffending
men, women and children at the hour
OF midnight, when defense or resistance
was impossible, and was not even at
tempted. Evidently not an opposing
shot was fred
Gen. Nettleton sharply raises the
question as to what were the white Of
fieers OF the garrison doing on the
night OF the raid, and closes his letter
thus:
I'm view Of the facts as I find them
here, the present attempt on the part
Of some TO make martyrs OF any por-
ton of the discharged men would be
appalling, il it were not grotesque.
The conspiracy Of silence on the part
OF Ill members OF the battalion pre-
vents the government from Furnishing
the previous conspiracy Of violence
and murder, and the separation OF all
alike from the service which they have
disgraeed becomes inevitable. / be-
lieve no course other than the one
which the president has pursued was
or Is open to him, unless all substance
of decent discipline in our army il
to be ended and unless every Ameri-
can community, north and south alike,
is to be given cause to dread the
proximity OF the negro garrison as il
would thatof an encampment OF armed
and uniformed assassins. I sympa-
shize deeply with the colored people
ID their upward struggle il America
against fearful odds, but believe the
most damaging service that can be
rendered them as a race in their !
period of test and transition is that I'll
or excuslng the Grimm al
element in their ranks
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