The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-01-10
TOLD BY SLAYDEN.
Texas Congressman Relates Story OF
Brownsville Matter.

Brownsville Matter.
Washington, Jan. 10-on echo of the
assault of Brownsville by members OF
the Twenty-fifth infantry was heard
tuesday, in the hou: e. Representative
Slayden of Texas telling with consid
cradle detail the story of the night in
August when the troops shot up the
town of Brownsville in his state
Mr.. Slayden devotude much time to
a careful analysis of the conditions of
the white aud black races, and said
that race prejudice was at the bottom
of the assault.
In the history of negro troops in
the United States said Mr.. Slaydea
'one finds many chapters that tell If
violent breaches of disci Jline, of riot
GUS and mutinous conduct, OF murder
and race hostility
In declaring the negro race to be
unfit for American soldiers the Texas
congressman said he had viewed on V
the circumstances of their service. + e
did not impeach their physical courage
This is virtue he said, that be-
longs TO nearly all men, and If there
Is any difference between savage and
civilized man in this respect the su-
periority possibly lies with the saw
age, who is undeterred from rash ven
lures by thought OF the consequences. 4"
Mr.. Slayden spoke of the sympathy
that YIELDS people into homogeneous
present and social mass, but said that
II has never existed, nod never will
exist between negroes and whites"
Mr.. Siayden reviewed the history of
the Twentyfifth infantry, and said 1t
has a particularly vicious record. and
going into particulars. he said that
while stationed at Fort Meade, s. D.,
In the summer OF 1885, a corporal ct
that regiment murdered a citizen, and
the people of the community lynehsd
the murderer. About three weeks aft.
Ell the lynchfng fifteen or twenty ne
gro soldiers raided and shot up t. e
town Of Sturgis. which is only a mi
and half from the post, and at Win
namucka, New. was the next scene of
criminal outbreak by this regiment
Then came the outbreak at Fort Mo
brafa, Neb., where "wanton and cold.
blooded murder was committed.
Other instances of lawlessness by
negro troops We're also detailed. Speak
ing of the Brownsville shooting. Mr.
Slayden said:
1T seems absurd that at this late
day We should be asking who did the
shooting. | fail 10 see where there is
room for such doubt. Ii the soldiers
had been white, and the circumstances
the same: f the same mass of clear,
strong evidence against them had be, n
submitted, and if the president had
dismissed them from the service in
the same manner there would not only
have been no doubt as to who were
the murderers. but the action of the
president would have been almost
unanimously approved. But then the
whites were not available political as
set, handled in bulk, which explains
many things
Practically all of Tuesday was given
over by the senate leaders of both par
ties in an effort to bring about harmo-
ny between opposing views concern.
ing the proposed investigation of the
affray at Brownsville which amounts
to an agreement between Senators
Foraker and Lodge has been attained
by their friends, but inasmuch as it
was decided now to present the com
promise resolutions until all of the sen.
ators desiring to do SO had made
speeches on the subject of the dismiss
al of the negro troops it is not abso-
lutely certain that the peace plans will
not be upheld.