Should the question be asked “how did the American Negroes act in the Spanish-American war?” the foregoing brief account of their conduct would furnish a satisfactory answer to any fair mind.  In testimony of their valiant conduct we have the evidence first, of competent eye witnesses; second, of men of the white race; and third, not only white race, but men of the Southern white race, in America, whose antipathy to the Negro “with a gun” is well known, it being related of the great George Washington, who, withal, was a slave owner, but mild in his views as to the harshness of that system—­that on his dying bed he called out to his good wife:  “Martha, Martha, let me charge you, dear, never to trust a ‘nigger’ with a gun.”  Again we have the testimony of men high in authority, competent to judge, and whose evidence ought to be received.  Such men as General Joseph Wheeler, Colonel Roosevelt, General Miles, President McKinley.  If on the testimony of such witnesses as these we have not “established our case,” there must be something wrong with the jury.  A good case has been established, however, for the colored soldier, out of the mouth of many witnesses.  The colored troopers just did so well that praise could not be withheld from them even by those whose education and training had bred in them prejudice against Negroes.  It can no longer be doubted that the Negro soldier will fight.  In fact such has been their record in past wars that no scruples should have been entertained on this point, but the (late) war was a fresh test, the result of which should be enough to convince the most incredulous “Doubting Thomases.”

[Illustration:  CONVENT AT CAVITE, WHERE AGUINALDO WAS PROCLAIMED PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC (JUNE, 1898).]

The greater portion of the American people have confidence in the Negro soldier.  This confidence is not misplaced—­the American government can, in the South, organize an army of Negro soldiers that will defy the combined forces of any nation of Europe.  The Negro can fight in any climate, and does not succumb to the hardships of camp life.  He makes a model soldier and is well nigh invincible.

The Negro race has a right to be proud of the achievements of the colored troopers in the late Spanish-American war.  They were the representatives of the whole race in that conflict; had they failed it would have been a calamity charged up to the whole race.  The race’s enemies would have used it with great effect.  They did not fail, but did their duty nobly—­a thousand hurrahs for the colored troopers of the Spanish-American war!!