The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-30

brownsville, Texas. November 2S-
Because Of the apparent ulsunder-
standing II portions Of the country Of
facts which called forth TIE order dis
charging three companies Gf cC.ored
troops recently stationed here. and IN
view OF the resultant criticism of the
Presidents ~Ourse in the matter the
citizen committee Of Brownsville re-
Gently requested General A. Il. Nettle-
ton, OF Chicago, former assistant. sec
Rotary OF the treasury. nov here ON
business, TO make in his own way a
thorough and disinterested invest;ga-
ton of the Brownsville riot of August
IL, n report his conclusions.
General Nettleton has embodied his
findings in a letter TO the secretary
of a He says in part:
A a citizen of Illinois, as an anti
slavery advocate when that phrase had
a meaning, and as a veteran who sery-
ed In the union army throughout the
civil war. | shall at least not be sus-
pected of prejudice against men OF
color.
Without rehearsing details | wish
TO assure you that this absolutely I'M
p~rejudiced investigation, made after
local excitement had subsidized. confirms
III every particular the conclusions
reached by the two army officers sent
here by the war department, on the
strength Of which the president took
his action, as well as the clear and tenn
perate statement published immediate
ly after the tragedy by Chairman Kelly
OF the Brownsville citizens committee
After summarizing facts hitherto
published as to the killing Of one citi
zen, the manning Of the chief Of police.
the firing of volleys into and through
hotels, saloons and many private resi-
dences, and Of terrorizing Of the entire
town, General Nettleton's letter con-
tinueS:
1T is we'll attested by evidence that
the cOlored troops were treated here
with the anne consideration with which
colored soldiers of like bearing are
treated in o garrison towns in the
northern states. That on the other hand
the street conduct of some of them was
often aggressiveiy and causelessly in
solent toward white men and women:
that there was no p~rOvocatlon for the
numerous raid by the soldiers. unless
1t can be called a p~royocation that the
drinkers among them were provided
with separate bars in certain saloons.
and but on two occasions individual
insolence was o resented by indi gidual
citizens, both of which happened to-
have been republican fedora officials.
There was no riot" and no street
rows" as many newspapers persist n
calling the occurrence. II was simply
a most r0wardly conspiracy TO terrify,
wound and kill ~uDoffending men, wo-
men and children al the hour OF mid
night, when defense or resistance was
Empracticable and was not even at
tempted. Evidently not an opposing
shot was fired"
General Nettletonis letter sharply
raises the question as TO what the white
officers Of the garrison were doing on
the night Of the raid. and closes thus:
in view Of the facts as I find them
here, the persistent attack on paTtcf
some TO make martyrs of any portion
of h discharged. would be appalling.
IL 1t were not grotesque. The conspir-
acy OF silence on he part OF all mem
bers of the battalion prevents the
government from Furnishing the pre-
vious conspiracy Of violence and mur-
der, and the separation of all alike from
III service which they have disgraced,
becomes inevitable. / believe no course
other than the one which the president
has pursued a or IS open To him, un-
less all Eemblance of a decent discip-
line in our army Is to be ended and m
less every American community, north
and south alike Is to be given cause TO
dread the proximity from the garrison
as II would that OF an encampmen. of