The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-23
THE DISMISSED BATTALION.
The Presidents Action Declared 90 Have
Been Proper and Wise.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: In the
matter OF the dismissal OF the three COM
panies Of the Twenty-hfth Infantry without
honor all the indications up to the present
time are that the President is right and his
critics are wrong. Murder was committed
under circumstances which pointed unmis-
takably to the guilt Of some member or
members Of this body Of negro troops. An
Investigation was set on foot by the war
Department. That Investigation soon devel-
oped the existence Of a combination TO shield
the guilty by means of a refusal to TESTIFY
at all concerning the crime. In other words.
the inquiry to ascertain who was responsible
for an atrocious murderous outbreak was
stiied by a conspiracy Of silence. Every man
in the three companies stood mute; and thus
those who may have had no share in the crime
helped TO shield the guilty perpetrators.
Upon what principle this conduct can be
defended l am at a loss to understand. The
hea that a man Ii to be branded as an in
former because he truthfully denies his own
participation in a murder and gives informa-
ton tending to the detection OF the real Gull
prit is worthy only OF the savages Of Dahomey
or New Guinea. A soldier who will not TESTIFY
against a fellow soldier whom he knows 10
b. guilty Of the crime OF murder Is not Mt TO
wear the uniform of the United States army
for a minutes and a soldier who adopts a
policy Of silence for the purpose Of shielding
a murderer il equally unworthy TO be retained
in the service. The army, like the police
force, is organized and maintained primarily
for the protection Of the people. Can any one
doubt that IL the police force became so de-
moralized that IL was manifestly useless TOT
this purpose, the Legislature could prop
erly put an end to its existenoe? And so
why cannot the President, the Commander
in-Chief of the army. possessing the undues-
tionable power to dismiss troops from the
service, properly exercise that power to RID
the army OF a band OF conspirators who have
leag ued themselves together to protect the
perpetrators of a murderp
Such In undoubtedly the character or these
three companies OF the Twenty-hfth Infantry.
unless the President is misinformed as to the
facts. OF course, the propriety OF his action
depends upon the facts; but II 1t be true. as
the Inspector-Genera@ of the army declares,
that II was eviden from the first that the three
companies had entered into a compact to
give no information about the Brownsville
AFFAIR. then the President was amply justified
in his course. Such conspirators should have
no sympathy or support from the honest
negroes OF the Union.
The most surprising and melancholy fea-
ture Of this whole affair is the lack Of moral
sense which IL has revealed on the part OF
80 many newspapers and their correspond
ents. The concealmenJ of a murder by
United States soldiers seems to be regarded
as equivalent to the silence OF a college class
concerning some academic escapade. One
journal even goes 40 far as to denounce the
dismissal Of the three companies as a viola
lion Of the constitutional guaranty against
he deprivation OF life. liberty or property
without due process Of law; evidently being
ignorant Of the fact that this provision was
not designed 70 maintain men in any ofncial
status, but was aimed simply at the preser-
walton OF purely personal rights.
II the President IL right AZ to the facts. he
is absolutely right in having rid the army OF
these three companies Of the Twenty-ffth
Infantry. Il.
NEW YORK, November -.