The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-12-17

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Washington, Dec. Ex-senator For
aker today introduced an amendment
to the bill providing for the re-enlist-
ment of negro troops discharged with
out honor because of alleged p%artici-
patton in the ARRAY at Brownsville,
Tex, and addressed the Senate con-
corning the The measure
is so drawn as to practically a k out
of the hands of the ~XecutiV and give
to a tribunal appointed by congress full
authority to consider the Brownsville
question, and by its findings to provide
for the re-enlistment of the discharged
negroes.
Upon the conclusion of Senator For
aker's remarks, Senator Culberson
asked that the presidents message on
the Brownsville affair be read. Vice
President Fairbanks directed that it
be done. all senators present listening
attenUiNely to the reading.
The Presidents Message.
The presidents message follows: l
inclose herewith a letter from the sec
rotary of war transmitting a report OF
the Investigation made by Mr.. Herbert
j. Browne. employed by the department
in conjunction with Captain w. G..
Baldwin to investigate as far as pos
sible what happened at Brownsville on
the 18th and 14th of August, 1906. The
report and documents contain some in
formation of great value, and some
statements LlEdl are OBVIOUSLY WORTH
less, but l submit them in their en-
tirety.
The report enables US to fix with
tolerable definiteness at least soI4 3 of
the criminals who took the lead in the
murderous shooting of private citizens
at Brownsville. 1t establishes clearly
the fact that the colored soldiers did
the shooting; but upon this point fur
tier record was unnecessary, as the
fact that the colored soldiers did the
rIrct;.r 1,~., 1,- t--. - u
beyond all possibility of doubt. The
investigation has not gone far enough
to enable us to determine all the facts.
and We will proceed with 1t: but it has
gone far enough to determine with Suf-
ficient accuracy certain facts of enough
Importance to make it advisable that I
PLACE the report before you. 1t appears
That almost all the members of Com
rany B must have been actively con-
cerned in the shooting. either to the
extent of being participants or to the
extent of virtually encouraging those
who were participants.
As to Companies G. and d. there can
be no question that practically every
man In them must have had knowledge
that the shooting was one by some of
the soldiers of B troop, and possibly by
one or two others in one of the other
troops. This concealment was itself a
grave o%ffense. which was greatly ag-
gravated by their testifying before the
lIldt lIleN were lIIlO-
rant of what they must have known.
Nevertheless, it is to be said in partial
e~Xtenuation that they We're probably
cowed by threats. made by the more
desperate of the men who had actually
been engaged in the shooting. as to
what would happen to any man who
failed to protect the w~rongdoers. More
over, there are circumstances tending
to show that these misguided men were
encouraged by outsiders to persist in
their course of concealment end de-
NAL. /!
Plans Reinstatement.
Il feel, therefore, that the guilt Of
the men who, after the event. thus
shielded the perpetrators of the wrong
by refusing to tell the truth about them.
though serious, was in part due to the
unwise and improper attitude Of 9TH
ers, and that some measure of allow
ance should be made for the miscon-
duct. In other words, l believe we can
afford to reinstate any of these men
h now truthfully tell what has han
pened, give all the aid they can to fix
the responsibility Upon those who are
really guilty, and show that they them
selves had no guilty knowledge before
hand and were In no way implicated in
the affair, save by having knowledge
of it afterwards and failing and refus-
ing to divulge it. Under the circum-
stances, and in view Of the length Of
time they have been out of the service,
oisd lliCiI IoSo VI llIe dement, Jlat would
have accrued to them by continuous
longtime service, we can afford to
treat the men who meet the require
ments given above as having been suf-'
hciently punished by the
they brought upon themselves when
they rendered necessary the exercise of
the disciplinary power.
| that a law be passed
allowing the secretary of war, within
a fixed period of time, say a year. to
reinstate any of these soldiers whom
he, after careful examination, finds to
have been innocent and whom he finds
to have done all in his power to help
bring to Justice the guilty.
Meanwhile the investigation will be
continued. The results have made it
obvious that only by carrying on the
investigation as the war department.
has actually carried it on is there the
slightest chance of bringing the Offend
ers to justice or of separating not the
innocent, for there were doubtless
hardly any innocent. but the less guilty
from those whose guilt was heinous.
Theodore Roosevelt.
The White House, December IA. 1905.
EDWARD IS BETTER.