Restored to the Army

The Planet attributes the successful progress of the Brownsville affray to the fact that “when colored people stand solidly together, they can accomplish wonders.”

The report of the Committee on Military Affairs relative to the “shooting up” of Brownsville, Texas as made to the United States Senate Wednesday, March 11, 1908 was highly significant. President Roosevelt deemed it necessary to send a special message in connection there-with. This was unusual, for the reason that it does not appear why he should further interfere in the matter. It is admitted though that he has weakened in his attitude towards these colored soldiers in that he now virtually recommends that they be reinstated or rather that they be permitted to re-enlist in any way that the Congress sees fit to prescribe. Senator Warren speaking for the Committee, being chairman of the same stated that a bill permitting the re-enlistment of the soldiers would be introduced very soon, and that matters concerning their pay would have to be considered before the bill was put in. This means then that Senator Foraker has carried his point for the restoration of these men. He started out to secure for these men “their day in court.” He has succeeded in giving it to them and now the President of the United States recommends that they be reinstated. When colored people stand solidly together, they can accomplish wonders. It has been the united front presented by our people everywhere that has brought about this change. They should see to it too that vengeance is not wreaked upon Senator Foraker on their account. He stood by us and we should stand by him to the end of the chapter. President Roosevelt’s message to our mind does not show the proper spirit. Still it is a long stride in the right direction. We have wondered why the combined influence of the leading colored men of the country, including that of that distinguished educator, Dr. Booker T. Washington has not been powerful enough to cause him long before this to do simple justice to the 167 black men who have been so outrageously treated and so scandalously misrepresented.

“Restored to the Army,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 12, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/529.