henry ossian flipper- 第23部分

〃Oh！　yes；〃　said　he；　〃I've　known　John　for　several　years。　He　used　to　peddle　newspapers　around　the　bank　here。　I　was　agreeably　surprised　when　I　heard　he　had　been　appointed　to　a　cadetship　at　West　Point。　The　boys　who　come　in　almost　every　morning　with　their　papers　told　me　John　was　to　sell　me　no　more　papers。　His　mother　has　scrubbed　out　the　office　here；　and　cleaned　up　daily　for　a　number　of　years。　John's　a　good　fellow　though；　and　I'm　glad　to　know　of　his　success。〃

This　information　was　to　me　most　startling。　There　certainly　was　nothing　dishonorable　in　that　sort　of　labornay；　even　there　was　much　in　it　that　deserved　our　highest　praise。　It　was　honest；　humble　work。　But　who　would　imagine　from　the　pompous　bearing　assumed　by　the　gentleman　that　he　ever　peddled　newspapers；　or　that　his　mother　earned　her　daily　bread　by　scrubbing　on　her　knees　office　floors？　And　how　does　this　compare　with　the　average　negro？

It　is　not　to　me　very　pleasant　to　thus　have　another's　private　history　revealed；　but　when　it　is　done　I　can't　help　feeling　myself　better　in　one　sense　at　least　than　my　self…styled　superiors。　I　certainly　am　not　really　one　thing　and　apparently　another。　The　distant　haughtiness　assumed　by　some　of　them；　and　the　constant　endeavor　to　avoid　me；　as　if　I　were　〃a　stick　or　a　stone；　the　veriest　poke　of　creation；〃　had　no　other　effect　than　to　make　me　feel　as　if　I　were　really　so；　and　to　discourage　and　dishearten　me。　I　hardly　know　how　I　endured　it　all　so　long。　If　I　were　asked　to　go　over　it　all　again；　even　with　the　experience　I　now　have；　I　fear　I　should　fail。　I　mean　of　course　the　strain　on　my　mind　and　sensitiveness　would　be　so　great　I'd　be　unable　to　endure　it。

There　is　that　in　every　man；　it　has　been　said；　either　good　or　bad；　which　will　manifest　itself　in　his　speech　or　acts。　Keeping　this　in　mind　while　I　constantly　study　those　around　me；　I　find　myself　at　times　driven　to　most　extraordinary　conclusions。　If　some　are　as　good　as　their　speech；　then；　if　I　may　be　permitted　to　judge；　they　have　most　devoutly　observed　that　blessed　commandment；　〃Honor　thy　father　and　thy　mother；　that　thy　days　may　be　long　upon　the　land　which　the　Lord　thy　God　giveth　thee；〃　in　that　they　have　profited　by　their　teaching　both　mentally　and　morally。

On　the　other　hand；　we　hear　from　many　the　very　worst　possible　language。　Some　make　pardonable　errors；　while　others　make　blunders　for　which　there　can　be　no　excuse　save　ignorance。　Judging　their　character　by　their　speech；　what　a　sad　condition　must　be　theirs；　and　more；　what　a　need　for　missionary　work！

This　state　of　affairs　gives　way　in　the　second；　and　often　in　the　first　year；　to　instruction　and　discipline。　West　Point's　greatest　glory　arises　from　her　unparalleled　success　in　polishing　these　rough　specimens　and　sending　them　forth　〃officers　and　gentlemen。〃　No　college　in　the　country　has　such　a　〃heterogeneous　conglomeration〃to　quote　Dr。　Johnsonof　classes。　The　highest　and　lowest　are　represented。　The　glory　of　free　America；　her　recognition　of　equality　of　all　men；　is　not　so　apparent　anywhere　else　as　at　West　Point。　And　were　prejudice　entirely　obliterated；　then　would　America　in　truth　be　that　Utopia　of　which　so　many　have　but　dreamed。　It　is　rapidly　giving　way　to　better　reason；　and　the　day　is　not　far　distant　when　West　Point　will　stand　forth　as　the　proud　exponent　of　absolute　social　equality。　Prejudice　weakens；　and　ere　long　will　fail　completely。　The　advent　of　general　education　sounds　its　death　knell。　And　may　the　day　be　not　afar　off　when　America　shall　proclaim　her　emancipation　from　the　basest　of　all　servitudes；　the　subservience　to　prejudice！

After　feeling　reasonably　sure　of　success；　I　have　often　thought　that　my　good　treatment　was　due　in　a　measure　to　a　sort　of　apprehension　on　the　part　of　the　cadets　that；　when　I　should　come　to　exercise　command　over　them；　I　would　use　my　authority　to　retaliate　for　any　ill…treatment　I　had　suffered。　I　have　thought　this　the　case　with　those　especially　who　have　been　reared　in　the　principles　of　prejudice；　and　often　in　none　other；　for　〃prejudices；　it　is　well　known；　are　the　most　difficult　to　eradicate　from　the　heart　whose　soil　has　never　been　loosened　or　fertilized　by　education。　They　grow　there　as　firm　as　weeds　among　rocks。〃

When　the　time　did　come；　and　I　proved　by　purely　gentlemanly　conduct　that　it　was　no　harder；　no　more　dishonorable；　to　be　under　me　than　under　others；　this　reserve　vanished　to　a　very　great　extent。　I　might　mention　instances　in　which　this　is　evident。

At　practical　engineering；　one　day；　three　of　us　were　making　a　gabion。　One　was　putting　in　the　watling；　another　keeping　it　firmly　down；　while　I　was　preparing　it。　I　had　had　some　instruction　on　a　previous　day　as　to　how　it　should　be　made；　but　the　two　others　had　not。　When　they　had　put　in　the　watling　to　within　the　proper　distance　of　the　top　they　began　trimming　off　the　twigs　and　butt　ends　of　the　withes。　I　happened　to　turn　toward　the　gabion　and　observed　what　they　were　doing。　In　a　tone　of　voice；　and　with　a　familiarity　that　surprised　my　own　self；　I　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　don't　do　that。　Don't　you　see　if　you　cut　those　off　before　sewing；　the　whole　thing　will　come　to　pieces？　Secure　the　ends　first　and　then　cut　off　the　twigs。〃

They　stopped　working；　listened　attentively；　and　one　of　them　replied；　〃Yes；　that　would　be　the　most　sensible　way。〃　I　proceeded　to　show　them　how　to　sew　the　watling　and　to　secure　the　ends。　They　were　classmates。　They　listened　to　my　voluntary　instruction　and　followed　it　without　a　thought　of　who　gave　it；　or　any　feeling　of　prejudice。

At　foot　battery　drill　one　day　I　was　chief　of　piece。　After　a　time　the　instructor　rested　the　battery。　The　cannoneers　at　my　piece；　instead　of　going　off　and　sitting　down；　gathered　around　me　and　asked　questions　about　the　nomenclature　of　the　piece　and　its　carriage。　〃What　is　this？〃　〃What　is　it　for？〃　and　many　others。　They　were　third…classmen。　Certainly　there　was　no　prejudice　in　this。　　Certainly；　too；　it　could　only　be　due　to　good　conduct　on　my　part。　And　here　is　another。

Just　after　taps　on　the　night　of　July　12th；　1876；　while　lying　in　my　tent　studying　the　stars；　I　happened　to　overhear　a　rather　angry　conversation　concerning　my　unfortunate　self。

It　seems　the　cadet　speaking　had　learned　beforehand　that　he　and　myself　would　be　on　duty　a　few　days　hence；　myself　as　senior　and　he　as　junior　officer　of　the　guard。　His　chums　were　teasing　him　on　his　misfortune　of　being　under　me　as　junior；　which　act　caused　him　to　enter　into　a　violent　panegyric　upon　me。　He　began　by　criticising　my　military　aptitude　and　the　manner　in　which　I　was　treated　by　the　authorities；　that　is；　by　the　cadet　officers；　as　is　apparent　from　what　follows：

〃That　nigger；〃　said　he；　〃don't　keep　dressed。　Sometimes　he's　'way　head　of　the　line。　He　swings　his　arms；　and　does　other　things　not　half　as　well　as　other　'devils；'　and　yet　he's　not　'skinned'　for　it。〃

What　a　severe　comment　upon　the　way　in　which　the　file…　closers　discharge　their　duties！　Severe；　indeed；　it　would　be　were　it　true。　It　is　hardly　reasonable；　I　think；　to　suppose　the　file…closers；　in　the　face　of　prejudice　and　the　probability　of　being　〃cut；〃　would　permit　me　to　do　the　things　mentioned　with　impunity；　while　they　reported　even　their　own　classmates　for　them。

And　here　again　we　see　the　fox　and　sour　grapes。　The　gentleman　who　so　honored　me　with　his　criticism　was　junior　to　me　in　every　branch　of　study　we　had　taken　up　to　that　time　except　in　French。　I　was　his　senior　in　tactics　by　well；　to　give　the　number　of　files　would　be　to　specify　him　too　closely　and　make　my　narrative　too　personal。　Suffice　it　to　say　I　ranked　him；　and　I　rather　fancy；　as　I　did　not　gain　that　position　by　favoritism；　but　by　study　and　proficiency；　he　should　not　venture　to　criticise。　But　so　it　is　all　through　life；　at　West　Point　as　well　as　elsewhere。　Malcontents　are　ever　finding　faults　in　others　which　they　never　think　of　discovering　in　themselves。

When　the　time　came　the　detail　was　published　at　parade；　and　next　day　we　duly　marched　on　guard。　When　I　appeared　on　the　general　parade　in　full　dress；　I　noticed　mischievous　smiles　on　more　than　one　face；　for　the　majority　of　the　corps　had　turned　out　to　see　me。　I　walked　along；　proudly　unconscious　of　their　presence。

Although　I　went　through　the　ceremony　of　guard　mounting　without　a　single　blunder；　I　was　not　at　all　at　ease。　I　inspected　the　front　rank；　while　my　junior　inspected　the　rear。　I　was　sorely　displeased　to　observe　some　of　the　cadets　change　color　as　they　tossed　up　their　pieces　for　my　inspection；　and　that　they　watched　me　as　I　went　through　that　operation。　Some　of　them　were　from　the　South；　and　educated　to　consider　themselves　far　superior　to　those　of　whom　they　once　claimed　the　right　of　possession。　I　know　it　was　to　them　most　galling；　and　although　I　fully　felt　the　responsibility　and　honor　of　commanding　the　guard；　I　frankly　and　candidly　confess　that　I　found　no　pleasure　in　their　apparent　humiliation。

I　am　as　a　matter　of　course　opposed　to　prejudice；

but　I　nevertheless　hold　that　those　who　are　not　have　just　as　much　right　to　their　opinions　on　the　matter　as　they　would　have　to　any　one　of　the　various　religious　creeds。　We　in　free　America　at　least　would　not　be　justified　in　forcing　them　to　renounce　their　views　or　beliefs　on　race　and　color　any　more　than　those　on　religion。

We　can　sometimes；　by　so　living　that　those　who　differ　from　us　in　opinion　respecting　any　thing　can　find　no　fault　w