Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-10-01
AFR0-AMER|CAN CULL|NCS

= correspondent OF the New Yor
Evening Mail writes As follows:
! read with interest In the Evenin
Mail the proposal Of the "compulsor.
enlistment OF Negroes In huge stand
ing army" primarily to WELD tn
shovel and incidentally to defend tn,
country. and this, too. offered as |
solution Of the Negro problem. O
all flights OF the imagination this Il
the worst. o.
The Negro has always been fore
most In the defense of his country
and always among the first to an
swer his country's call. viii men
ton Crispus Attacks. the Negro
whose blood was the first shed in the
War OF the Revolution in calling the
citi1ens Of Boston to resent the at
tacks Of the British; the conduct Of
the black troops in the Civil war, es
pecially the men Of the Massachusetts
Il and Illinois regiments, who fought
throughout the war without murmur.
ing. although their families were with.
out support because secretary OF
war refused to pay them because their
faces were black. Though these men
didn't receive their pay until seven
years after the war, there was no
thought of mutiny or of quitting.
When Gen. Benjamin Butler sent
his famous message to headquarters,
If you don't send me re-enforcemeuts
by tomorrow win carry the war into
Africa" time has shown he made no
mistake In 30 doing.
OF the conduct Of the Negroes in
the Spanish-American war, those who
we're at Ell Caney and San Juan Hill
can hear witness. The president of
the United States has seen fit to con-
graduate the black men of the bor-
der patrols for their splendid dis
cipline and efficiency between a rain
Of lead in front of them and storm
of prejudice behind them Then why
this compulsory enlistment of race
that never in the history of this coun-
try has been weighed in the balance
and found wanting?
The Negro does not have to be
driven to serve his country, but he
does ask that he be allowed to serve
his country as man. The only place
the Negro race, or any other race, has
Is that to which by merit it is en-
titled. The time has long since passed
since the Negro was only a newer
of wood and a drawer of water In
mt of he hryt ha
people and for the people, the Negro
asks only an equal opportunity for his
lawyers, his doctors, his business men,
etc. A race that can produce such
concededly efficient fighters surely
can and has produced men capable of
acting as officers. Then why white"
officers?
MI regret not having been able, as
the writer, ito have done my full duty
to my country" but that wasn't my
fault Perhaps my experiences in that
direction might be interesting. When
. student at the Boys High school
of Brooklyn representatives from sew
eral Brooklyn regiments called at the
school to interest students in high
school companies of those regiments.
Every man in my class was ap-
preached but myself Having learned
OF the part Negroes had played in
the wars Ct the United States and
being ambitious to do my share,
presented myself at certain armory
near the school. l was informed that
thew had M ooynpantoS for ooIorcd
men.
Later on in life as student in a
university up state which has COM
pulsory freshmen military training un-
der the control of an officer of the
United States army, was told by