Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-11-29
ANOTHER REPORT
|Says President is Justi-
fled Discharging Troops,
CoIored Soldiers to Blame
Says General Nstt|etcn.
Makes Personal Investigation Of
Brownsville Affair.

BROWNSVILLE Tex. Nov 2S.-Bccausc
of the apparent misunderstanding in
portions of the country of the facts
which called for the ordered discharg-
inr TIE .!r,-. companies of colOred
tIo:,S recently stationed here, and in
View nf Tn" i. .;!:itant criticism of the
PRESIDENTS ,our.'r iii the matter. the
citizens coumittSS of Brownsville re-
Gently requested Gen. n. h. NettlctDn
of Chicago, former assistant secretary
"f the treasury, now here on business
20 max" i'll his own way "a thorough
ana IiSiu crested investigation of the
Brownsville lot of Aug. Is and report
his conclusions.
General NettlctCn has embodied his
findings in Il letter to the secretary OF
war He says in part:
AS Il citizen of Illinois. as an anti
slavery advocate when that phrase had
a meaning and as q veteran who ScrV-
ed in the Union army throughout the
Civil War, | shall at least not be Sus-
pected of prejudice against men OF
color.
without rchcarsing details. I wish
to assure you that this absolutely
n-prcjudiced investigation, made af-
ter local excitement had subsidized, con-
firms in every particular the conclu-
siOnS reached by the two army officers
sent here by the war department Oh
the strength of what the President took
his action, as well as the clear and
temperate statement published imme-
diately after the tragedy by Chairman
Kelly of the brownsville citizens com
mittee.
1T is well utteSted by evidence thai
the colOrod troops were treated here
with the SAM consideration with which
colOred soldiers OF like bearing arr
treated i'll most garrison towns of III"
Northern states. That. on the other
hand. tire street conduct of some OF
them was often aggressiyely AMI C aus =
lcssly irsolent toward white men and
women; That there was no prOVOcatiD.l
for the murderous raid hv the soldiers,
unless; it can be called ii provocatiOn
that The drinkers among them were
provided with separate bars in certain
saloons and thar. on two occasions.
individual insoience was resented by
individual! citizens. both of which hap
pcned to have been Republican federal
officials.
mere NttS ilt ii't anu Nv NtINtl
rows as many newspapers persist in
calling the occurrence. 1t was simply
most cowardly conspiracy to terrify.
owund and kill u1offcnding men. wom-
en- and chi dren at the hour of mi mi ght
when defence or resistance was iinp0S-
siblc, ami was no: even attempted
Evidently not an opposing shot was
fred
General Ncttleton's letter sharply
raised the question as to what the
white officers of the garrison were do
ing on the night Of the raid, and closes
thus:
In view of the facts as l find them
here, the persistent attempt on the
part of some to make martyrs Of por-
tionS of the discharged men would be
appcaling if it was not grotcsquc.
Il believe TO course other than tho
one which the President mas pursued
was. or is open t. him, unless all SEM
blancc of Il decent discipline" in our
army is to he ended and unless every
American community, North and South
alike. is to be given cause t" decide the
proximity from the garrison rs IL
would tina. of an encainpment of armed
and uniformed asS;tilancs.
ct syrnpathiZc deeply with the color
cd people in tbcir upward struggle IN
=, mass. hut | believe the most daInag-
ing services that could y" rendered
them US u rae" in their period of test
and transition. is that of ch"mrl"ninS
or excusing the criminal element III
their ranks.