%images;]>LCRBMRP-T2114Additional regiments of artillery : speech of Hon. George H. White, of North Carolina, in the House of Representatives, Monday, March 7, 1898.: a machine-readable transcription. Collection: African-American Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection, 1820-1920; American Memory, Library of Congress. Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.

Washington, 1994.

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 91-898505Daniel Murray Pamphlet Collection, 1860-1920, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress. Copyright status not determined.
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ADDITIONAL REGIMENTS OF ARTILLERY.SPEECHOFHON. GEORGE H. WHITE,OF NORTH CAROLINA,IN THEHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1898.WASHINGTON.1898.

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SPEECH OF HON. GEORGE H. WHITE.

The House having under consideration the bill (S.2640) to authorize two additional regiments of artillery--

Mr. WHITE of North Carolina said:Mr. SPEAKER: I regret exceedingly that under the rules, as I am informed, I have not the privilege of offering an amendment to this bill. There are now in the United States Army, so far as I have been able to learn, no artillerymen whatever enlisted from my race. The troops of the line of the Army as at present constituted consist of 10 regiments of cavalry, 25 regiments of infantry, and 5 regiments of artillery. Section 1104, Revised Statutes, provides that "the enlisted men of two regiments of cavalry shall be colored men," and section 1108, Revised Statutes, provides that "the enlisted men of two regiments of infantry shall be colored men." But there is no corresponding provision regarding any regiment or battery of artillery. In the absence of any specific provision of statute, the uniform custom of the Army has been to bar colored men from enlisting in the artillery. I regret that this is so, and if opportunity afforded I would be glad to offer an amendment to meet this case, as follows:

After "regiments," in line 4, add "one of which may be colored;" so that the section may read:

"That the artillery of the Army shall consist of seven regiments, one of which may be colored, and that the total number of enlisted men in the Army of the United States, including Indian scouts and the hospital corps, shall be increased 1,610, the increase to be exclusively for the artillery arm."

It is a sad commentary that an amendment such as the one I propose is necessary to enforce justice to be done to my people in one of the departments of our great Government. The last amendments to the Constitution guarantee to us all the rights of American citizenship, and it is reasonable to suppose that those rights would be accorded to us without any specific statute designating that such should be the case.

That we are capable and worthy of any place in our Army was evidenced in the recent rebellion by the enlistment and patriotic action of thousands of negroes in the infantry, cavalry, and artillery service of the United States Army. No one familiar with the facts will dare say that the negro did not do his whole duty to perpetuate the nation and maintain the honor of our flag in our late war. Is it not, therefore, strange that he should be denied a portion of his rights to serve his country after a lapse of thirty-five years, and that this very unjust discrimination should be made against him by "his comrades in arms"?

We have always endeavored to be loyal to every trust imposed in us. In our Southland, when the master and son went forth to 00034battle to perpetuate our bonds, we protected, revered, and held intact the honor of the wife and daughter who remained at home, and history fails to record a single instance where that trust was betrayed. When we were called upon to take up arms and go forth to battle and save the Union, we never faltered, but bared our breasts to the enemy and at each roll call answered. "Here." When peace was proclaimed, we settled down to our fate and began the arduous duties of American citizens under circumstances and disadvantages not easily surmounted by anyone. We began with nothing, but by dint of hard work, strict economy, and the exercise of a little common sense we have acquired over $400,000,000 worth of property.

As laborers our places can not be filled in the South by any class of people. Among us there are no strikes; no tumults or riots; no labor organizations to bar the white man from making an honest living; no tramps; but humble, faithful citizens, ever true to the trust imposed in us by the proclamation of the lamented Lincoln. We are grateful to all benefactors. We remember with keenest appreciation of gratitude those who constructed the meandering underground railroad in our behalf, and in our minds will ever be found indelibly written the names of Garrison, Garnett, Wendell Phillips, William Wells Brown, Charles Sumner, Frederick Douglass, William Still, Dr. E.H. Magill, Langston, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Purvis, and the long line of patriots who so nobly espoused our cause, and we will ever revert to their memories as the traveler to the green oasis in the barren desert.

We regret to say that the nation has not at all times given us that protect on to which our loyalty has entitled us. This is painfully evidenced by the almost daily outrages chronicled, showing lynchings, murders, assassinations, and even cremations of our people all over the Southland; and when we protest against this inhuman conduct toward us, we are quietly told that our redress is relegated to the several States and their governments and that the nation has no power to interfere in the premises. Still, if some half-breed foreigner claiming allegiance to our Government is insulted, by any foreign country, redress for him is at once demanded, and in most cases large indemnities are given. These words may sound harsh, but they are nevertheless true, and I very much regret that there is excuse for making these declarations.

But, regardless of the faults of this grand old Union of ours, we love her still, and if the nation should find it necessary to resort to arms and our present strained relations with Spain should develop into a war, I pledge you that the black phalanx is ready to be mustered in, one-half million strong. [Loud applause.]

Mr. Speaker, my plea is not for special privileges for my people, but what we want and have a right to expect is a man's chance, a man's protection; in fact, all the privileges of an American citizen. We will be content with nothing less.

We appeal to American patriots to remove all statutory barriers now prescribed against us. You have two hundred and fifty years the start of us; and if you are honest, if you are fair, if you are not cowards, and of course you are not, you certainly will be willing to accord to us at this late day all the rights of American citizenship enjoyed by you. An even chance in the race of life is all that we ask; and then if we can not reach the goal, let the devil take the hindmost one! [Loud and prolonged applause.]