the war both at home and on the battlefield, should now pay its debt toward the colored people and reward them to the extent that the best of the nearly one thousand officers now serving in the National Army be transferred to the Regular army, and assigned to duty in the four Colored regiments, and that these be from colonel down to second lieutenants.  We also believe that in the future West Point and Annapolis should ‘lend a little colour’ to their graduation exercises in the presence of Colored graduates.

“No doubt legislation will be needed to this end.  At present commissions are granted first to the graduates of West Point, and even a fair and more liberal policy in this regard in the future will not meet present needs.  What is needed now is legislation providing for the transfer (or at least the opportunity to enter) into the regular army of a sufficient number of our Colored Officers now with commissions to officer in toto the four Colored regiments we now have.

“Commissions are also granted at present to a limited number of enlisted men who are recommended for these examinations, and who succeed in passing.  The candidates must be under 27 years of age and unmarried.  They must have had a certain amount of secondary school, or college education which few privates or non com’s (colored) have had.  This is the case because few young Colored men with the necessary growth ‘single blessedness,’ and college training, feel, or have heretofore felt that the door of ’equal opportunity’ announced by Mr. Roosevelt stands open to them in the regular army.  To trust the officering of four Colored Regiments to this second mode of selecting and commissioning officers, would prove fatal to our hopes and fail of accomplishment.

“The third method of selecting officers at present is by examinations of civilians, certain college presidents and other civilians being permitted to recommend certain civilians, (students and others) for examination for second lieutenants.

“In this regard Negroes have met the same difficulties that they have encountered in the past 32 years in their efforts to gain admission to West Point.  At best only a small percent of each year’s graduating class from West Point can get commissions in this manner.  Those selected have been white men, what we are after now is a present day, practical way of utilizing the best material we now have, holding commissions and making secure the opportunity for other Colored men to enter the army as second lieutenants and by dint of industry, close application, obedience, brains and time gain their promotion step by step, just as white men have been doing and can do now.  This is the American—­democratic, fair play, reward and justice we seek for the twelve million Negro citizens of our great republic.  Congress could if it would, provide for the present by an appropriate measure giving the right and opportunity