The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-25

~ @s SPohNi GS IL kGAs oGc-
Icharge from the service was a pun
Eshment. / deny emphaticaliy tina
Isuch Is the case. because as punish
Iment it is utterly inadequate. The
punishment meet for mutineers and
imurderers such as those guilty of the
brownsville assault is death: and a
punishment only less severe ought To
be melted out 20 those who have aided
land abetted muttny and murder and
treason by refusing TO help in their
detection. / would that ii were posi-
bile for me to have punished the guilty
imen- regret most keenly that ! have
not been able to do so.
In going to the records TO show his
Authority TO ac1 as he did the presi-
dent quotes General Robert E. Lees
iorder made in 1864 dismissing from the
confederate army a battalion of troops
for cowardice. He also states that the
official records of the war department
show that for the fiscal year ending
June 30th last discharges were issued
by that department without trial ~
court-martial in the cases o. three
hundred and ffty-two enlisted men OF
the regular army, thirty-fye Of them
being on account Of having become
disqualified through their own miscon-
duet
The president chooses his message
with The following advice 10 the ne
sroes, which We think could be read
with profit by every negro in The
counJry n by a great many white
people also. OF course We do not en-
dorse what he says about appointing
negroes 70 office in the south. He
makes a grave mistake every time
Ihe makes such an appointment. That
lis Il false idea of the means Of en-
IcouraSement and advantage that should
be given the negro. 1t injuries him as
a race and tends to widen the breach
between the negro and the white man
In the south. He does not under
stand the situation at the south. In
this part of his message ne says:
50 much Tor the military side of thu.
lease. But / wish to say something ad-
i~dlt1Onal, from the standpoint OF the
race question. In my message at he
of the congress discussed the
matter OF lynchlng. In it 1 ave ut
iterance to the adherence which all
decent citizens should feel for the deeds
OF the men Gin almost all cases white
mem VINO take part in l~ynchingS and
at n same time l condemned, as all
decent men Of any olo should con
denim, the action of those colored men
VINO actively or paSsively shield the
tnnInrn9 rrJ ~ j ~ n I 700 ,I1 f,,,
lease OF these companies We had TO
Ideal with men h in the first place
were guilty of what was prac-
ideally h worst possible form
of lynching-for a lynching is in
its essence laWless and murderous ven
lgeance aiken by an armed mob for
real fancied wrongs-and who in
the second place covered up the crime
Iof lynching by standing with a vicious
solidarity to protect the criminals.
1t is Of the utmost Importance to all
Jour people that we shall deal with
leach man on his merits as a man, and
not deal with him merely as a m
lot q given race; that We shall Judge
leach man by his conduct and not his
lcolor. h is important for the
white man, and it is far more import
,ant for the colored man. More evil
land sinister counsel never wa given
to any people than hat given to color
ed men by those advisers, whether
black or white, who, by apology and
~Icondonatlon, encourage conduct such
Jas that of the three companies in ques-
ton. If the colored men elect to stand
by criminals of their own race be-
lcause they are of their own race they
iasSuredly lay up for themselves the
|most dreadful day of eckoning
Every farsighted friend of the colored
race in it's efforts to strive onward
land upward, should teach first, as the
most important lesson, alike to the
white man and the black, the duty of
Treating the individual man strictly on
his worth a. he shows it. Any con
Iduct by Colored people which tends to
substitute for this rule the rule Of
standing by and shielding an evil doer
ibecause he is a member Of their race,
means the inevitable degradation of
the colored race. It may and prOba-
bly, does mean damage to the white
race, but it means ruin to the black
race.
Throughout my term of service in
the presidency I have acted on the
principle thus advocated. In the north
as in the south. I have appointed col
iored Inen of high character to office.
utterly disregarding the protests of
those VINO would nave kept them out
Iof office because they were colored
imen. So far as was in my power, I
have sought to secure for the colored
lpeOple all their rights under the law.
[ have done all l could to secure them
equal school training when young,
teQual opportunity to earn their live
llihood, and achieve their happiness
when old [ ave striven to break up
Ipeonage; l have upheld the hands Of
Those who. like Judge Jones and Judge
,Speer, hav warred against this peon-
tage. because I would hold myself unfit
to be president if I did not feel the
same revolt at wrong done q coiored
imam as I feel at wrong done a white
imam. I have condemned in unstinted
terms the Crime of lynching perpe-
Itrated by white men and I should
take instant advantage of any oppor-
.tunity whereby l could bring to Justice
la mob Of l~ynchers. In precisely the
same spirit l have now acted with re-
ference to these colored men who
Ihave been guilty of a black and das-
hardly crime. In one policy, as in the
lother, I do not claim as a favor. but I
tchallenge as a right, the support of