The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-09
Letters Written in Defense of His Brownsville De- cision Create In-
 tense Feeling.
AFFIRMs HIS SUPREMACY
Declares That, as Commander in Chief of Army and Navy, His Decisions Art Not
 Subject to Appeal.

Washington, May S.-Three mem 'bers of the United States senate have received letters from President Roosevelt within the last few days. declaring his supremacy, as command CT in chief, in all matters of control of the army and the navy. The letters have created intense feeling in the senate and 1t is not unlikely that they will precipltate a conference of re- publican members. The letters in every case are In defense of his course in discharging without honor the ne- gro soldiers he believes were guilty of shooting up the town of Browns vile, Texas, and his action in banish- ing Col. William r. Stewart to an abandoned military post in 0 desert part of Arizona.
 The third letter came to-day to Sen ator Stewart of Vermont. A few days ago during the debate on the Browns lville case Senator Stewart asked a tquestlon indicating that he had doubt I as to the wisdom of granting the pres ident the power of passing on the Iinnocence or guilt of ex-soldiers apply ing for reinstatement in view of the 5ffact that 1t appeared that the presi- dent still believes all of the negroes stwere guilty of complicity in the af- 'ffray. The senator was surprised to- day to receive from the president a letter bearing on both the Colonel Stewart and the Brownsville cases Attached to the communication were N etters to Senators Rayner and Will r fam Alden Smith. The one to Mr. Rayner asserts chiefly the presidents { Fight to deal with an officer in such manner as ho pleases, as commander ( n chief, while the one to Mir. Smith ( as confined to the Brownsville affair l &nd reterates the presidents belief il hat he dealt with the case as condi- r ions demanded,
 ft The president goes further still ir t lis letter to Senator Stewart. He de- v lares that from the question ne ask. itg.d in the debate Senator Stewart ap. Q Tears to be proceeding under mis. r5 pprehension of the duties of the pres nsilent of the United States relative tc Nshe army and navy. He quotes tn, hsiw as he understands it. and denied lQs hat he Is under any obligation {, 'oKrant the discharged negro soldiers O Tsfolonel Stewart any court of inquiry &everal paragraphs are devoted to { yhiscussion of Colonel Stewards case @fnd his faults which have brough 1 Kim into disrepute in army circles kssho president adds that in every com / *Aunity there is maudlin sympath. 8ith murderers and the Thaw case h Flew York Is cited by him as an ex 1, 3Rnple.
 \ The senators who have received let Hrs from the White House have no 9ecided whether they will make then
 lblic. All have been asked to do sc
 enator Smith of Michigan decline, ih the ground that 1t would be i'm .1roper and Senator Rayner Is pre- aring to use the letter to him in
 3seech which he will make to the sen je, denouncing the action of the pres
 lent in banishing Colonel Stewart t 1 prt Grant, Ariz. Senator Stewar J1 lowed the letter he received to sev / al of his colleagues, but thus ia
 made no disposition of 1t. Severa
 nators said to-day that the letter 1puld have the effect of complicatin
 proposed legislation in the inter N of the innocent members of tn
 fttalion of negroes discharged O Fl count of the Brownsville affra!
 
 ere are two bills before the senat
 pking to that end It is general
 lieved that the republican senator
 Itl hold a caucus for the disoussio Y the entire question, including tn psident's letters early in the week.