Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-06-06

Indeed. the fuller details as es-
tablished 10y the additional evidence
taken since 7 last communicated with
the Senate make IL likely that there
were very few, If any. of the soldiers
dismissed VINO could have been ig-
norant of what occurred. It is we'll
nigh impossible that any Of the non
commissioned officers who were at
the barracks should not have known
what occurred.
While these assertions. repeated
over and over again in the most ex-
travagant language, show after all
as General Darlington reported. that
there was no evidence to establish
conspiracy eff silence. and that the
charges and assertions that there was
such a conspiracy rested only on de-
auctions that there must have been
such a ogspiracy because nobody
would tell Of that about which All
claimed 10 have no knowledge. vet
mat very fact but emphasizes the
PRESIDENTS unfit state of mind TO act
Juolcialiy IN passing upon the appli-
cauons OF these men TO reenlist as
proposed in the bill introduced bv the
senator from Missouri
II these men are innocent. as they
cIaiin and as / believe. what else
could they -63ve said or doneq vvfu
s 80 man please tell what word any
OF them has uttered or what tbing
any one OF them has done fncorefe
tent with the innocence they aesert
ana yet because they have said ana
zone precisely what as fDnocart 49,,
tney should have said and done for
tual very reason they are arrafgner5
su"ly OF conspiracy and denoun-
Seu IN terms harsh enough to rn.,,-
rest evaporation because tbev -rsIi
noI confirm the charges against tbo,,
ana thereby establish an evc,,eo g..
tne crime that has been So i1.oor,
slueFately committed against fbor,
ana their rights. IL they are in foct
innocent as they claim to be-
would seem that we are 10 no
.eu PACK IN the administration 81
s-seioe 70 the days when men ana
go, put on trial for witchcraff
fs,,,,- no avenue OF escape from puD-
ce.,,t -. -, ~ ulailty, and execution. ey-|
when II man but stood -.
was liable 10 be put to 5e.tb - ~
Inc President gives no iDtf,,,..s-,
Acept as already indicated tbet 49,
-IIHG mas undergone any chance -
oulu therefore become Judge 81 a.
~ 1Hi ess or these men 10 raaniist
We should pass the bin introdncoS
- Cne senator from Missouri e..
- possessed OF the convictIon -.
seIy Few, II any OF them. were go
rom quit. In other words r,ra.,t
Vaiiy every man OF the bat,a1te.-
would nave TO prove his innoco-.-
before one who has over and over
again formally and publicly ari iu,ire5
nm guilty and denounced him ss
guilty In the severest LANGUAGE 90
oensure and condemnation.
Ahother reason why this dr.-
snouIo not be intrusted TO the Presi-
- IS mat II would be impossfhIa|
oi MN 10 act upon all these csees
n Se'ali' giving 20 the testimony OF
80. oL the l64 men, IL all shouId
ersti,,, ISenilst, that careful consid-
quire. would re-
II may be assumed tbst M
would expect him TO personsiI,- ~
"Illhe the testimony in each cas- 90
pdss judgment as the bin Cont.
piaOes: He would Of necessity 49,.
1917 al some one 10 his assistance 20
aillhe the testimony and adviso
st i DuC VINO would that be? PoS-
sIolS the Secretary OF War nh -
TTApressed his agreement with e.
Iesioent In all he has said ana a.
~ the whole matter, and In 60.
otner matter Laughter. m ~.
,oo, Is busy man. and wouI5 5o,ht
less require the help of a sDftabIa 80
CCoIuIhate, and thus in all prohsbiijr,,
neTai darlington, as the InsronsSryy
oS neIai OF the Army. and one ~ tba
ers VINO made a special inros.,v
saIioh' would again come to the So.
80 10 know his unfitness for snct =
1870 We nave but TO recall that ha
$50, eeu before the Committee on N1Ii
10y Analrs that he would NOT h.
l S, anything anyone OF these SOL
~ might say about this mater
An go " odth, unless corroborated
~ some satisfactory way
But II none of these sbouyd h. -,
cd upon to assist the Presi.lart al
somebody else-nobodv Inouls ~, slIei
would become the judicial aSviSa,
70 the satisfaction of whose ,.bSr,
she men would have to prove the3-
innocence. F''e 'heir
moreover, how would such a nro-
ceeding be conducted? Would n he
puOhc or private? 1t is a consfitn-
Lonai right OF the most important
cHai ae'er That all trials upon indict-
ments involving criminal cbarces
ana convictions shall be public to
the end that tie public NAV see to
~ through the power OF public son
ument' that no man shall be mn
iairly condemned. This trial wonId
not be within the letter, but il wouId
De within the spirit OF the Constitu-
tion' Tor these men are not now SOL
dlers TO be dealt with arbitrarily but
plain American citizens, invested with
all the rights of citizenship. who are
seeking not only a restoration OF their
good names, but also OF valuable pro-
perry rights, TO al of which they are
ccnfessedly entitled, If not found guiI
" OF crime. They should not be
dealt with, therefore, in the dark. as
though lot of chattels, for that day
for the American Negro has forever
passed, but as American citizens. en-
titled 70 the same rights white men
would have under the same condi-
tions.
In so far as we are to be governed
by the fact that they were soldiers
~, a - -