The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-15
Long Speech Is Made on TrOu-
 be At Brownsville
NEGROES CROWD GALLERIES
Foraker Declares That Witnesses Against Negro Soldiers Were Un- reliable and the Blacks
 Were Treated Unjustly.

Washington, April 15.-Applause that smothered the pounding of the Vice Pres ident's gavel attested the warmth of the reception given by the crowded galleries of the Senate to the speech of Senator Foraker today in defense of the colored soldiers discharged without honor by the President because of their supposed con- nection with the Brownsville affair. The day was made notable in the annals of senatorial oratory. Never in the history of the Senate have the galleries been so fully surrendered to representatives of the negro race, more than half of the crowd that filled every available seat and stand ing room Qeing occupied by them. They came early and secured the points of vantage in all the galleries, except that reserved for members of the families of senators. The only seats unoecupied were in the section reserved for the use of the President.
 The Senator began by saying there evil dently was a misa pprehension concerning his speech and he read from a newspaper clipping to the effect that he was to de-
 
 of the President and the Secretary of War. He laughngly disavowed his n- tention to do either of the things charged against him. He proceeded to read his address, his voice ringing clear through out the chamber except that toward the end he showed slight signs of exhaus- ton. The utmost silence prevailed dur ing nearly three hours. His final refer tn ho taken in the military service of the coun- try called forth smothered applause and as he concluded there was resounding handclapping which defied the gavel of the Vice President and continued for several minutes.
 Foraker Congratulated.
 As the ovation ended Vice President Fairbanks made the usual announce ment about the rules of the Senate for bidding demonstrations in the galleries and the tardy restoration of order called forth general laughter. Colleagues of the Ohio senator crowded around him. Sen ator Warner, whose bill for the re-enlist- ment of the negro soldiers he had an- tagonized, being the first to grasp his hand One after another senators from both sides of the chamber congratulated him on his presentation of the subject.
 Toward the close of MT. Forakers ad- dress the Presidents secretary announced "A message in writing" but the attempt to read 1t after MT. Foraker concluded was made difficult, because of the con fusion and the rather unusual manner in which it was skinned through, so that only bare announcement of it's purpose was possible.
 Senator Hale came to the rescue of the Vice President. who was endeavoring to restore order by motion to adjourn.
 ofn,~ 1Hne l.; saying there was evidently a misappre- hension concerning his speech, and read from newspaper clipping to the effect that he was to deliver a three-days' de- nunciation of the President and the Sec retary of War. He laughingly dsavowed his intention to do either of the things charged against him.
 'The purpose of this investigation has not been to embarrass the President or anybody else," said MT. .Foralser, nor has it been to make any capital out of any one."
 Looking For. Facts.
 He continued to say that the investi- gation was to find the facts in the case as a guide to intelligent action. He re- viewed the incidents preceding the Sen ate investigation and said the soldiers gave "their evidence with such straight forward frankness and with such mani
 
 nothing remains to show their complete yindication except only the discovery of the real culprits which time will surely make unless the adage that murder will out has ceased to be a truth. He re- viewed the various incidents that led up to the discharge of the men without honor. Most of the witnesses against the soldiers, he said, tesl,ied four diff ferent times concerning the affray.
 .Their testimony so given is sufficiently contradictory to show that 1t is unre- liable," he said, but aside from the contradictions on account of the darkness of the night. many things that were ttes- tifled to by these witnesses could not pos sibly have been observed by them. Tt is unnecessary to go over this ev'- dence in detailed way, for, conceding for the sake of argument, that the wit nesses undertook to testify through the fully, the flmsy and unreliable character of the whole affair, is fairly indicated by the testimony of the four principal so- called eye witnesses
 No Credible Evidence.
 "Without their testimony there is no credible evidence whatever that supports the charge that the first shots were fired from the barracks or from any place with in the reservation or that there was any jumping over the wall by anybody.
 "Without the testimony of these four witnesses the testimony of the officers and men of the battalion that the shooting commenced at some point outside the res ervation stands practically uncontradict- ed''
 He concluded with complimentary ref erence to the coored soldiers.
 They are," he said, typical repre- sentatives of a race that has ever been loyal to America and American institu- At.- tile hand against our countrys flag: a race that has contributed to the nation tens of thousands of brave defenders, not one of whom has ever turned traitor and