The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-02-06
president LIFTS BAN
Off NEGRO SOLDIERS
Rsyokes Order Barring Them
From Civil Service.
MAINTAINS RIGHT TO. DISMISS
In Message Reasserts Soldiers Guilt
Of Brownsville Crime and Sends
Testimony to Prove It-Conyinc-
ing Exhibits Before Congress.

ing Exhibits Before Congress.
Washington, D. g. President
Roosevelt sent to the Senate a special
message regarding the discharge OF
the negro troops of the Twenty-ffth
Infantry, which gives the additional
evidence collected by Assistant Attor-
ney-General Purdy, and Major Block
som, who were sent to Texas by the
President to investigate the shooting
and killing at Brownsville.
The President stands pat on his Or
der dismissing the troops, but admits
as an error that part which bars the
coldiers from all civil employment
under the Government.
This section the President re7okes.
Concerning it he says: - i ~ s.
81 am now satisfied that the eff
feet of my order dismissin5 these
men without honor was not to bar
them from all civil employment un-,
der the Government, and therefore
that the part of the order which con-
sisted of a declaration to this effect
was lacking in validity, and I have d.
rected that such portion be revoked
Continuing President Roosevelt
says:
GAS. to the rest of the order. dis
missing the individuals in question
without honor, and declaring the
effect of such discharge under the law
and regulations to Be a bar to their
future re-enlistment either in the
army or navy, there is no doubt Of
my constitutional and legal power.
The order was within my discretion,
under the Constitution and the laws.
and cannot be reviewed or reversed
save by another executive order"
"The facts did not nnerelJ warrant
the action I took-they rendered such
action imperative unless / was to
prove false to my sworn duty.
IF any one of the men discharged
hereafter shows to my satisfaction
that he is clear of guilt, OF Of shield
ing the guilty, I will take what action
is warranted; but the circumstances
There detail most certainlyiputs upon
any such man the burden of thus
clearing himself"
Strong language is again used by
the President in dealing with The col
ored soldiers, he referring to the
guilty ones as midnight assassins."
The evidence shows beyond an
possibility of honest question that
some individuals among the colored
troops whom I have dismissed COM
mitted the 0utrages mentioned; I'D
that some or all of the other. indi-
viduals whom I dismissed had kncwl-
edge of the deed and shielded from
the law those who committed it.
"The only motive suggested as pos
sibly influencing any one else was a
desire to get rid of the colored troops,
so strong that it impelled the citizens
of Brownsville to shoot up their own
houses, to kill one of their own num-
Der, to assault theiT own police,
wounding the lieutenant, who had
been an officer for twenty years-all
with the purpose Of discrediting the
negro troops"
The President submitted with his
message various exhibits, including
maps of Brownsville and Tort Brown,
a bandoleer, thirty-three emrty
shells, seven ball cartridges picked
up in the streets a few hours after
the shooting, three steel-jacketed bull
lets and some scraps of the castings Of
other bullets picked out of the houses
into which they had been fired. y