Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-12-27
is CLAD He DID IT
The President Sends His Reply to
Senate Resolution Regarding
Discharge of Negro Troops.
HAD DISGRACED UNIFORM
Wns Well Within His Constitutional
Rights and Action Was Utterly
Inadequate as Punishment
for Their Conduct.

Washington, Dec. 2O.-In reply to
a resolution Of the senate dated De
cember 6, the president Wednesday
transmitted to that body the report
Of Secretary Taft regarding the dis
charge of three companies of negro
troops of the Twenty-fifth infantry for
completely In the Brownsville, Tex,
affair Of last August. The communi-
cation accompanying the report was
In part as follow:
I'm response to senate resolution
Of December addressed to me, and
to the two senate resolutions ad-
dressed to him, the secretary of war
has, by my direction, submitted to
me a report which | herewith send
to the senate, together with several
documents, including a letter of Gen.
Nettleton and memoranda as to pre-
cedents for the summary discharge
or mastering out Of regiments or
companies, some or all of the men,
bers of which had been guilty of mis-
conduct.
II ordered the discharge of nearly
all the members of companies B. G,
and d of the Twenty-fifth infantry
by name, In the exercise Of my con-
stitutional power and in pursuance
Of what, after full consideration, l
found to be my constitutional duty
as commander in chief of the United
States army am glad to avail my
self of the opportunity afforded by
these resolutions to lay before the
congress the following facts as to
the murderous conduct of certain
members of the companies In ques-
ton and as to the conspiracy by
which many of the other members
of these companies saved the GRIM
lnals from justice, to the disgrace of
the United States uniform.
by my direction every effort was
made to persuade those innocent of
murder among the troops to separate
themselves from the guilty by help
ing bring the criminals to justice.
They were warned that If they did
not take advantage Of the offer they
would all be discharged from the
service and forbidden again to enter
the employ of the government, They
refused to profit by the warning. l
accordingly had them discharged. If
any organization or troops In the
service, white or black, is guilty Of
similar conduct in the future | shall
follow precisely the same course.
Under no circumstances will / con-
sent to keep in the service bodies of
men whom the circumstances show
to be a menace to the country. Incl
dentally | may add that the soldiers
Of longest service and highest posi-
ton who suffered because of the or
der, SO far from being those who de-
serve most sympathy, deserve least,
for they are the very men upon
whom we should be able especially
to rely to prevent mutlny and muir
der.
People have spoken as II this dis
charge from the service was q pun
ishment l deny emphatically that
such is the case. because as punish
ment II IL utterly inadequate. The
punishment meet for mutineers and
murderers such as those guilty OF
the Brownsville assault IL death; and
q punishment oAly less severe ought
to be melted out to those who have
aided and sbbetted mutiny and muir
der and treason BY refusing TO help
IN their detection. I would that It
were possible for me 70 have pun
ished the guilty men. regret most
kssRly that I have not been able 70
% 90.
TT e Of the utmost importance to
en- people that We shan deal with
each man Is 4 nan, ana not deal
win HIN merely e. . member Of q
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