"Without rehearsing details, I wish
to assure you that this absolutely un
prejudiced investigation, made after
local excitement has subsided, con
firms in every particular the conclu-'
sions reached by the two army officers
sent here by the war department on
the strength of which the president
took his action, as well as the very
clear and temperate statement pub
lished immediately after the tragedy
r by Chairman Early of the Brownsville
citizens' committee. That statement
probably constitutes the most con
clusive and damning indictment ever
found against soldiers of any race
wearing the uniform and wielding the
weapons of a civilized governraent."
After summarizing the facts hitherto
published as to the killing of one citi
zen, the killing of the chief of police,
the firing of volleys into hotels, sa
loons and many private residences,
and the terrorizing of the entire town,
the letter continues:
"The well attested evidence, contro
verted by none, is that the colored
troops were treated here with the same
consideration with which colored sol
diers of like bearing are treated in
most garrison towns of the northern
states. That on the other hand the
street conduet of some of them was
I often aggressively and causelessly in
solent toward white men and women;
that there was no provocation for the
murderous raid by the soldiers, unless
It can be called a provocation that
the drinkers among them were pro
vided with separate bars in certain
saloons, and that on two occasions in
dividual insolence was resented by in
- dividual citizens, both of whom hap
pened to be Republican federal of
ficials. There was no 'riot' and no
street 'rows,' as many newspapers per
sist in calling the occurrence. It was
simply a most cowardly conspiracy to
terrify, wound and kill unoffending.
