New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
NEGRO TROOPS BLAMED
THE BROWNSVILLE RIOT.
President Calls Act Worst Form of
LynchiHg-NOt Effected be- Color.
IFrom The Tri5une nureau. !


marked that the President had made "a very
strong case" dealing with the subject with
characteristic force and courage"
After the reading Senator Foraker offered .
resolution providing that the message be printed
and referred TO the Committee on Military AZ
fairs, and that that committee be authorized 20
conduct an investigation of the incident IL tho
facts given were regarded by it as insufficient.
Objection was entered by Senator Lodge. who
suggested that the motion be divided. This was
done and Mr.. Foraker's motion that il be re-
ferred and printed carried. His resolution au-
thorizing an Investigation met with objection and
went over He viii undertake to secure its
adoption tomorrow. but may find the Senate
without quorum
Opinion in the Senate is divided regarding
both the facts and the legal phases of the action
OF the Executive with regard TO the Browns
vile case. Generally speaking. Senators believe
that the President has established the facts and
that he has demonstrated the legality of the
order dismissing without honor the three COM
panies Of the 2jth Infantry, but they dis
posed to question the legality Of that provisO I'm
the order Of dismissal which declares the dis
missed men ineligible to civil office
Those who think with Senator Foraker ques-
ton not only the legality of the Presidents ac-
ton, but the facts. They doubt the proof that
the shooting up of Brownsville committed
by the troops that the Chief of Police was in
tured or that he injured by the troops, and
question the charge that one man was nur-
dered Those who hold this radical view are.
however, decidedly in the minority and it Is
even difficult to how Mr. Foraker can in
duce a majority of the Committee on Military
Affairs to vote for any further investigation OF
the subject. It is morally certain that every
Democrat on that committee will vote against
further investigation Of the incident. and that
Senator Warren. the chairman and Senator
Lodge will vote with the Democrats, while it is
regarded entirely likely that some other OF
the Republican members. who include Senators
Scott, AIger. Hemenway. BulkeIey and Warner.
may vote with the chairman. In any case. Sem
ators Warren and Lodge with the five Demo-
Gratis would constitute majority of the
mittee.
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
The Presidents message was as follows:
To the Senate
In response To Senate resolution OF December
q addressed to me, and TO the two Senate reso-
lutOns addressed him, the Secretary of War
has. by my direction. submitted me a report
which herewith send TO the Senate. together
WIN several documents, including letter OF
General NettletOn and memoranda as to prece-
dents for the summary discharge mastering
out OF regiments or companies some all Uf
the members of which had been guilty of mis-
conduct
/ ordered the discharge of nearly all the mem
hers of Companies r. G. and ID of the 18th In
fantry by name. in the exercise of my constttu-
tonal power and in pursuance OF what, after full
consideration 1 found be my constitutional
duty as commander in chief of the United States
army. l am glad to avail myself of the oppOr-
tunty afforded by these resolutions to lay before
the Congress the following facts as to the muir
derOus conduct of certain members of the COM
panies in question and as To the conspiracy by
Which many OF the other members of these COM
panies saved the criminals from justice. to the
disgrace of the United States uniform
/ call your attention to the accompanying re-
ports of Major Augustus T. BlOCksOm, of Lieu
tenant Colonel Leonard a. Lowering. and OF
Brigadier General Ernest A Darlington the
inspector general of the United States armv OF
their investigation into the conduct the troops
in question. An effort has been made to dis
credit the fairness of the inveStiga tiOn into the
conduct of these COlOTed troops by pointing out
that General Darlington is a SOutherner Pre-
cisely the same action would have been taken
had the troops been white-indeed the discharss
would probably have been made in more sum
mary fashion. General Darlington is a native
or south Carolina; Lieutenant Colonel Lowering
is native of New Hampshire: Major BIockson
is a native of Ohio As il happens the dis
closure OF the quit OF the troops was made in
the report of the officer who comes from Ohio.
and the efforts of the officer who comes from
South Carolina were confined To the endeavOr to
shield the innocent men of the companies in
question, if any such there were by securing
information which would enable us adeouateiT
to punish the guilty. But l wish il distinctly
understood that the fact of the birthplace Of
either officer is one which 1 absolutely refuse
10 consider The standard of professional honor
and of loyalty to the flag and the service is the
same for all officers and all enlisted men of the
Unlted states army and l resent with the keen
est Indignation any effort 20 draw any line
among them based upon birthplace. creed. or
any other consideration of the kind I should
put the same entire faith in these reports il IL
had happened that they all made by men
coming from one state, whether in the South or
the North. the East the West. as I now do.
when, as it happens. they We're made by officers
born in different states.
FACTS OF THE CASE
Majer BIocksom's report is most careful is
based upon the testimony of scores Of eyewft-
neSSeS-teStimOny which cOnfiicted only in non
essentials and which established the essential
facts beyond chance of successful contradiction.
Not only has no successful effort been made to
traverse his findings in any essential particular,
but as a matter of fact. every trustworthy re-
port from outsiders amply cOrrObOrates them bv
far the best of these outside reports being that
General "A. b. NettIetOn, made in a letter to the
Secretary of War which herewith append: Cen
eral NettletOn being an eX-UniOn soldier. con-
siStent friend Of the cOlOred man throughout
his life lifelong Republican, a citizen Of nH-
nOis and Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury
under President Harrison.
Il appears that in Brownsville. the city i'm
mediately beside which Fort Brown is situated
there had been considerable feeling between the
citizens and the cOlOred troops Of the garrison
companies. Difficulties had occurred there be-
ing a conflict of evidence To whether the citi-
zens or the cOOred troops were to blame NV
impression is that, matter Of fact in these
difficulties there blame attached To both
sides; but this is wholly UnimpOrtant matter
CURED offered in any shape way an excuse
or Justification for the atrocioUs conduct Of tho
troops when. in lawless and murderOus spirir
and under cover OF the night, they made their
attack upon the citizens.
The attack was made near midnight on August
Is The following facts as 10 this attack ave
made clear by Major BlOcksOm's Investigation
and have not been. and in my Judgment. cannot
be. successfully cOntrOverted. From nine 20
part in the attack. They leaped over the walls
from the barracks and hurried through Tho