The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-20
DEATH WAS
DESERVED
Message on Dismissal Of Ne.
gro Troops.
BLACKLIST ARMY ANNALS
President Condemns in foreible
Terms Raid by CoIOred Troops
On Brownsville. Tex.
BLACKLIST ARMY ANNALS

WASHINGTON. Dec. 20. President
Rooscyclrs message dealing with hls
action In dsmisslng from the army
the negro troops N the three companies
OF the Twenty nth Infantry furnished
the one great topic OF interest In the
scnnto'r session.
A lively debate followed the reading
OF the message NJ 10 what should h.
done with II. Mr. Foraker wanted Il
sent O. the military committee with
instructions TO make further inycstlga'
ton should the committee deem II
necessary. lie said that In reality
much that appeared Go be- testimony
was really not testimony. Ms much Of
II was not under oath. on objection
from Senator Clay the senate posipon-
Cd action.
The pension calendar was cleared by
the passage Of more than zoo private
pension bills.
At the suggestion Of Senator Lodge,
President Roosevclt's Panama message
will be- reprinted Tor the senate 10
normal" spelling
The question whether the senate
should make an independent inyrstira.
ton OF the Brownsville raid was rails.
cd by Senator Foraker Immediately
after the reading of the presidents
message. lie offered resolution Civ
Ing the committee ON military affairs
authority 20 make such AN inycstigi
sidcration n the testimony presented
10y the president
COrdcmning in most forcblc terms
the raid on tho town OF Brownsville
Tex. by negro soldiers aud the sub
segment conspiracy OF silence" among
the troopers OF that command 10 shield
the guilty. President Roosevelt sent 20
the senate his reply 10 a resolution
Of inquiry from that body. I'm which he
reiterated his judgment In dlscharging
the three companies.
Denying that their discharge was or.
dered as n punishment. the president
asserts that the only adequate punish
ment was death. He declares his keen
regret at not being able TO inAlct that
penalty.
That the shooting mp OF Brownsville
was done by party of from nine TO
fifteen negro soldiers the president
says there can be no doubt whatever.
and he brands their act as one "un.
paralleled for lnfamy in the annals OF
the United States army"
President Roosevelt's message says
in part:
Il ordered the discharge of nearly
all the members of Companies Il. G
and d Of the Twenty infantry by
name in the exercise OF my constitu.
tional power and in pursuance Of what.
after full consideration, found to be
my constitutional duty as commander
in chief Of the United States army.
II call your attention to the accom-. |
reports of Major Augustus +. |
Blocksom, of Lieutenant Colonel Leon |
ard \. Lowering and of Brlgadler Gen. |
eral Ernest a. Darlington, the inspector
of the United States army. of |
their investigation into the conduct of !
the troops in question
An effort has been made TO discredlt |
the fairness Of the investigation into |
the conduct Of these colored troons Inv |
pointing out that General Darlington
is southerner. Precisely the same nc.
ton would have been taken had the
troops been white-indeed. the dis.
charge would probably have been made
IN more summary fashion. General
is a native of South Caro-
lima, Lieutenant Colonel Lowering is
native of New Hampshire and Major
Blocksom Is a native of Ohio. As II
happens, the disclosure of the guilt of
The troops was made in the report of
The officer who comes from Ohio. and
The efforts of the officer who comes
rom South Carolina were confined 70
he endeavor TO shield the innocent
men of the companies in question, if
my such there were, by securing in
which would enable us ade.
luately to punish the guilty.
But l wish it distinctly understood
hat the fact Of the birthplace of either
'fficer Is one which / absolutely refuse
o consider. The standard of profes-
'ional honor and of loyalty to the flag
md the service is the same for all off,
'ers and all enlisted men of the Unit.
a states army, and l resent with the
leenest indignation any effort to draw
my line among them based upon birth.
'lace, creed or any other consideration
# the kind. / should put the same en-
ire faith in these reports if 1t had
appened that they were all made by
,... A,.,,,l,, 4 80. ZEN EygYsy