The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-01-15
A MESSAGE BY THE PsESIDENT.
Fun Information in Regard to the Me-
gro soldiers at Brownsville.

Washington, Jan. 15.-Taking but a
brief time to pass the legislative, exec
utive ard judicial appropriation bill,
carrying nearly $31,000,0O0, the senate
devoted the remainder of the session
to the Brownsville ARRAY.
President R9oseyelt's special mes
sage regarding his summary discharge
Of the negro soldiers after the rioting
in Brownsville, Tex, vigorously sup
ports his action in Diminishing the troop
ers, submits large amount of new
evidence gathered in Brownsville and
transmits very long additional report
from Secretary of War Taft tending
to show that the negro soldiers en-
gagged in cold blooded plot to shoot
up" the town
President Owns Up to Error.
In only one respect does the presi-
dent recede from his former position
He admits that he erred in stating in
the order dismissing the soldiers that
they would be barred henceforth from
all civil employment under the govern
ment. This part of the order, the pres
ident says, lacked validity and is re-
voked.
BY direction of the president Secreta-
ry Taft issued special order modify
ing the special order dismissing the
negro battalion of the Twenty-fifth in
fantry by striking out the clause relat-
ing to the exclusion of the discharged
soldiers from employment in the civil
service.
The secretary, now that the war de-
partment's investigation has closed,
will undertake TO pass separately upon
the applications for re-enlistment of the
discharged men wherever they are
supported by evidence of their non
completely in the ARRAY.
The president submitted with his
message various exhibits, including
maps Of Brownsville and Fort Brown
a bandoleer, thirty-three empty shells
and seven ball cartridges picked up
in the streets few hours after the
shooting and three steel jacketed bull
let's and some scraps of the castings Of
other bullets picked out of the houses
into which they had been fired.
All Members of Companies implicated.
The president declares that evidence
is positive that the outrages of Aug.
IS were committed by some of the col
ored troops that have been dismissed
and that some or all Of the members of
the three companies of the Twenty.
fifth infantry had knowledge of the
deed and have shielded the guilty ones.
The negro troops are referred to by the
president in his message as midnight
assassins," and he declares that very
few If any of the soldiers dismissed
without honor" could have been ig
norant of what had occurred.
The discharged troops will be forever
barred from re-enlistment in the army
or navy, and as to this the president
says that "there Is no doubt of my
constitutional and legal power"
Secretary Taft's report, giving the
sworn testimony of witnesses, is trans
mitted with the message. The testi-
mony of fourteen eyewitnesses is Civ.
en-, and the president declares that the
evidence is conclusive that the weapons
used were Springfield rifles now used
by United States troops, including the
negro troops who were in the garrison
at Brownsville.
Senator Tillman's Speech.
In his speech on the Brownsville af-
fair Senator Tillman Is. g. used pitch
fork methods in an effort to put the
controversy ON racial basis and accus-
ed President Roosevelt Of insincerity
in preaching racial equality.
The South Carolina senator demand
ed to know If the president would live
up to his teachings by willingness to
see his children marry persons Of other
races. This passage attracted special
interest because the presidents daugh-
ter, Mrs. Nicholas Longworth, accom-
panied by friend, was sitting in the
gallery.
The southern senator characterized
the presidents action in the matter "as
nothing more nor less than lynching."
He challenged any one to produce in
the army regulations or articles of war
any foundation for the charge of con-
spiracy of silence, mutiny and treason
made against the soldiers, although he
declared there was no doubt that the
soldiers were responsible for the "out-
rage at Brownsville"
Says Innocent Are Punished.
Mr.. Tillman held that it was contrary
to the fundamental principles of lib
erty of English and American law that
the innocent should suffer because of
the sins of the guilty; also he declared
that a man shall be considered inno-
cent until he is proved guilty. "In this
case" he said, "167 men have been
punished while not more than twenty
have been charged with participation
in the crime"
Mr.. Tillman maintained that the ne
gro troops should not have been sent to
Texas. They were sent there, he said,
"