The Colorado statesman., 1921-06-11

%ROM time immemOrial the soldier
has been the outstanding, heroic
Il figure of every age and every
cline and in the distinguished com
pany of the immortals of this class are
to be found many, very many, whose
bronzed and FURNISHED skins have been
the abiding place of n remarkable
courage and an unsurpassed genius i'll
the art and science of war.
But why should we marvel or rather
why should we be at pains to empha-
size or certify to facts which the world
acknowledges to have been picked out
in letters Of gold on the tablets of
time.
The list of commanders whom the
world appraises immortal would be
sadly incomplete that did not include
such mighty names as Hannibal and
Toussaint and such masters of mill
tary genius as Dodds of France, Maceo
! of Cuba and Henry Diaz of Brazil, who
with his regiment of blacks in bril-
liant strategy captured the fortress OF
, Cinco Pontas from the Dutch ana
raised the flag of Portugal to its tow
er. BY this act he accomplished in Il
few weeks that for which white regi-
ments had vainly struggled during
eight years of constant warfare.
= but III is not necessary ~ 90 dDlouu
for records of individual black heroes
or of regiments of such. The authen-
tic war records of the American Negro
y soldier are replete with notable in
stances of intrepid daring, splendid
courage and stOic's fortitude in cir
4 cumstances of the most cruel suffer-
ing. All the wars, from Independence
to that for World Defense, tell tale
of the heroism and devotion of Negro
soldiers from which may be selected
individuals in instances of valor and
sacrifice. than which the annals
tof any country can show nothing finer
or more glorious.
What more inspiring tale may we
'tell our boys than that of the black
heroes who were with Perry on Lake
Erie: or of those at Bunker Hill,
)where Independence, the spiritual OFF
spring of 4an Americanism that was
Black no less than White, was forever
pconsecrated and baptized in the life
blood of the hero and martyr Crispus
I6Attucks; and then have them write
SFort Wagner, Olustee, Millikens Bend
Port Hudson and Fort Pillow in such
radiant characters, that however swift
the flight of wears those names so
fredolent of tragedy and devotion, must
still shine on to reflect in dazzling
splendor the noblest virtues of the sol
Tdier'S art.
1t is so great pity that the cruel
bent of dominant America, which mugs
No its bosom n prejudice that is as un-
deserved as it is without justification,
does not permit widely published
and truthful estimate of the service
black men have rendered TO the nation
as its associate builders and defenders
THE text books note it but ind1ffefent-
1y or not at all, and yet this service
may be likened unto thread OF goid'
distinpuishable and unbroken, when
Amore than any other mark the pattern
of civilization accepted as a model lor
our western world.
, Clearly it is left to us, and we our
selves as generation follows generation
must see to it that the story OF the
service. suffering and sacrifice of black
Americans which reaches forward from
Jamestown shall be preserved ana
Transmitted to posterity who VIII
one day wonder how such things coulu
ever have been.
And now to this story of race, so
tragic so thrilling and so wonderful
in its accomplishments, is to be added
anotber CHAPTER which carries it for
3hrd long. long step in the pathway
of its destiny.
The fighting spirit OF the natioh Is
sapain aroused after outrage and insult
had been repeatedly been hurled IN
her teeth. The hordes of destruction