henry ossian flipper- 第24部分

We　can　sometimes；　by　so　living　that　those　who　differ　from　us　in　opinion　respecting　any　thing　can　find　no　fault　with　us　or　our　creed；　influence　them　to　a　just　consideration　of　our　views；　and　perhaps　persuade　them　unconsciously　to　adopt　our　way　of　thinking。　　And　just　so　it　is；　I　think；　with　prejudice。　There　is　a　certain　dignity　in　enduring　it　which　always　evokes　praise　from　those　who　indulge　it；　and　also　often　discovers　to　them　their　error　and　its　injustice。

Knowing　that　it　would　be　unpleasant　to　my　junior　to　have　to　ask　my　permission　to　do　this　or　that；　and　not　wishing　to　subject　him　to　more　mortification　than　was　possible；　I　gave　him　all　the　latitude　I　could；　telling　him　to　use　his　own　discretion；　and　that　he　need　not　ask　my　permission　for　any　thing　unless　he　chose。

This　simple　act；　forgotten　almost　as　soon　as　done；　was　in　an　exceedingly　short　time　known　to　every　cadet　throughout　the　camp；　and　I　had　the　indescribable　pleasure；　some　days　after；　of　knowing　that　by　it　I　had　been　raised　many　degrees　in　the　estimation　of　the　corps。　Nor　did　this　knowledge　remain　in　camp。　It　was　spread　all　over　the　Point。　The　act　was　talked　of　and　praised　by　the　cadets　wherever　they　went；　and　their　conversations　were　repeated　to　me　many　times　by　different　persons。

When　on　guard　again　I　was　the　junior；　and　of　course　subject　to　the　orders　of　the　senior。　He　came　to　me　voluntarily；　and　in　almost　my　own　words　gave　me　exactly　the　same　privileges　I　had　given　my　junior；　who　was　a　chum　of　my　present　senior。　In　view　of　the　ostracism　and　isolation　to　which　I　had　been　subjected；　it　was　expected　that　I　would　be　severe；　and　use　my　authority　to　retaliate。　When；　however；　I　did　a　more　Christian　act；　did　to　others　as　I　would　have　them　do　to　me；　and　not　as　they　had　sometimes　done；　I　gave　cause　for　a　similar　act　of　good…will；　which　was　in　a　degree　beyond　all　expectation　accorded　me。

Indeed；　while　we　are　all　prone　to　err；　we　are　also　very　apt　to　do　to　others　as　they　really　do　to　us。　If　they　treat　us　well；　we　treat　them　well；　if　badly；　we　treat　them　so　also。　I　believe　such　to　be　in　accordance　with　our　nature；　and　if　we　do　not　always　do　so　our　failure　is　due　to　some　influence　apart　from　our　better　reason；　if　we　do　not　treat　them　well；　or　our　first　impulse　if　we　do。　If　now；　on　the　contrary；　I　had　been　severe　and　unnecessarily　imperious　because　of　my　power；　I　should　in　all　probability　have　been　treated　likewise；　and　would　have　fallen　and　not　have　risen　in　the　estimation　of　the　cadets。

It　has　often　occurred　to　me　that　the　terms　〃prejudice　of　race；　of　color；〃　etc。；　were　misnomers；　and　for　this　reason。　As　soon　as　I　show　that　I　have　some　good　qualities；　do　some　act　of　kindness　in　spite　of　insult；　my　color　is　forgotten　and　I　am　well　treated。　　Again；　I　have　observed　that　colored　men　of　character　and　intellectual　ability　have　been　treated　as　men　should　be　by　all；　whether　friends　or　enemies；　that　is　to　say；　no　prejudice　of　color　or　race　has　ever　been　manifested。

I　have　been　so　treated　by　men　I　knew　to　beto　use　a　political　term〃vile　democrats。〃　Unfortunately　a　bad　temper；　precipitation；　stubbornness；　and　like　qualities；　all　due　to　non…education；　are　too　often　attributes　of　colored　men　and　women。　These　characteristics　lower　the　race　in　the　estimation　of　the　whites；　and　produce；　I　think；　what　we　call　prejudice。　In　fact　I　believe　prejudice　is　due　solely　to　non…education　and　its　effects　in　one　or　perhaps　both　races。

Prejudice　ofwell；　any　word　that　will　express　these　several　characteristics　would　be　better；　as　it　would　be　nearer　the　truth。

There　is；　of　course；　a　very　large　class　of　ignorant　and　partially　cultured　whites　whose　conceptions　can　find　no　other　reason　for　prejudice　than　that　of　color。　I　doubt　very　much　whether　they　are　prejudiced　on　that　account　as　it　is。　I　rather　think　they　are　so　because　they　know　others　are　for　some　reason；　and　so　cringing　are　they　in　their　weakness　that　they　follow　like　so　many　trained　curs。　This　is　the　class　we　in　the　South　are　accustomed　to　call　the　〃poor　white　trash；〃　and　speaking　of　them　generally　I　can　neglect　them　in　this　discussion　of　my　treatment；　and　without　material　error。

In　camp　at　night　the　duties　of　the　officers　of　the　guard　are　discharged　part　of　the　night　by　the　senior　and　the　other　part　by　the　junior　officer。　As　soon　as　it　was　nightto　revert　to　the　subject　of　this　article　my　junior　came　to　me　and　asked　how　I　wished　to　divide　the　night　tour。

〃Just　suit　yourself。　If　you　have　any　reason　for　wanting　a　particular　part　of　the　night；　I　shall　be　pleased　to　have　you　take　it。〃

He　chose　the　latter　half　of　the　night；　and　asked　me　to　wake　him　at　a　specified　time。　After　this　he　discovered　a　reason　for　taking　the　first　half；　and　coming　to　me　said：

〃If　it　makes　no　difference　to　you　I　will　take　the　first　half　of　the　night。〃

〃As　you　like；〃　was　my　reply。

〃You　'pile　in'　then；　and　I'll　wake　you　in　time；〃　was　his　reply。

Observe　the　familiarity　in　this　rejoinder。

The　guard　was　turned　out　and　inspected　by　the　officer　of　the　day　at　about　12。20　P。M。　After　the　inspection　I　retired；　and　was　awakened　between　1　and　2　P。M。　by　my　junior；　who　then　retired　for　the　night。

The　officer　in　charge　turned　out　and　inspected　the　guard　between　2　and　3　p。m。

Several　of　the　cadets　were　reported　to　me　by　the　corporals　for　violating　regulations。　The　reports　were　duly　recorded　in　the　guard　report　for　the　day。　I　myself　reported　but　one　cadet；　and　his　offence　was　〃Absence　from　tattoo　roll…call　of　guard。〃

These　reports　were　put　in　under　my　signature；　though　not　at　all　made　by　me；　as　also　was　another　of　a　very　grave　nature。

It　seemsfor　I　didn't　know　the　initial　circumstances　of　the　casethat　a　citizen　visiting　at　West　Point　asked　a　cadet　if　he　could　see　a　friend　of　his　who　was　a　member　of　the　corps。　The　cadet　at　once　sought　out　the　corporal　then　on　duty；　and　asked　him　to　go　to　camp　and　turn　out　this　friend。　The　corporal　did　not　go。　The　cadet　who　requested　him　to　do　so　reported　the　fact　to　the　officer　of　the　day。　The　latter　came　at　once　to　me　and　directed　me；　as　officer　of　the　guard；　to　order　him　to　go　and　turn　out　the　cadet；　and　to　see　that　he　did　it。　I　did　as　ordered。　The　corporal　replied；　〃I　have　turned　him　out。〃　As　the　cadet　did　not　make　his　appearance　the　officer　of　the　day　himself　went　into　camp；　brought　him　out　to　his　citizen　friend；　and　then　ordered　me　in　positive　terms　to　report　the　corporal　for　gross　disobedience　of　orders。　I　communicated　to　him　the　corporal's　reply；　and　received　a　repetition　of　his　order。　I　obeyed　it；　entering　on　my　guard　report　the　following：

〃；　disobedience　of　orders；　not　turning　out　a　cadet　for　citizen　when　ordered　to　do　so　by　the　officer　of　the　guard。〃

The　commandant　sent　for　me；　and　learned　from　me　all　the　circumstances　of　the　case　as　far　as　I　knew　them。　He　made　similar　requirements　of　the　corporal　himself。

Connected　with　this　case　is　another；　which；　I　think；　should　be　recorded；　to　show　how　some　have　been　disposed　to　act　and　think　concerning　myself。　At　the　dinner　table；　and　on　the　very　day　this　affair　above　mentioned　occurred；　a　cadet　asked　another　if　he　had　heard　about；　mentioning　the　name　of　the　cadet　corporal。

〃No；　I　haven't；〃　he　replied；　〃what's　the　matter　with　him？〃

〃Why；　the　officer　of　the　day　ordered　him　reported　for　disobedience　of　orders；　and　served　him　right　too。〃

〃What　was　it？　Whose　orders　did　he　disobey？〃

〃Some　cit　wanted　to　see　a　cadet　and　asked　Cif　he　could　do　so。　Casked；　who　was　then　on　duty；　to　go　to　camp　and　turn　him　out。　He　didn't　do　it；　but　went　off　and　began　talking　with　some　ladies。　The　officer　of　the　day　directed　the　senior　officer　of　the　guard　to　order　him　to　go。　He　did　order　him　to　go　and　replied；　〃I　have　turned　him　out；〃　and　didn't　go。　The　officer　of　the　day　then　turned　him　out；　and　ordered　him　to　be　reported　for　disobedience　of　orders；　and　I　say　served　him　right。〃

〃I　don't　see　it；〃　was　the　reply。

〃Don'　t　see　it？　Why's　relief　was　on　post；　and　it　was　his　duty　to　attend　to　all　such　calls　during　his　tour；　and　besides；　I　think　ordinary　politeness　would　have　been　sufficient　to　make　him　go。〃

〃Well；　I　can　sympathize　with　him　anyhow。〃

〃Sympathize　with　him！　How　so？〃

〃Because　he's　on　guard　to…day。〃　What　an　excellent　reason！　〃Because　he's　on　guard　to…day；〃　or；　in　other　words；　because　I　was　in　command　of　the　guard。

He　then　went　on　to　speak　of　the　injustice　of　the　report；　the　malice　and　spirit　of　retaliation　shown　in　giving　it；　and　hoped　that　the　report　would　not　be　the　cause　of　any　punishment。　And　all　this　because　the　report　was　under　my　signature。

When　the　corporal　replied　to　me　that　he　had　turned　out　the　cadet；　I　considered　it　a　satisfactory　answer；　supposing　the　cadet's　non…appearance　was　due　to　delay　in　arranging　his　toilet。　I　had　no　intention　of　reporting　him；　and　did　so　only　in　obedience　to　positive　orders。　There　surely　was　nothing　malicious　or　retaliatory　in　that；　and　to　condemn　me　for　discharging　the　first　of　all　military　dutiesviz。；　obedience　of　ordersis　but　to　prove　the　narrowness　of　the　intellect　and　the　baseness　of　the　character　which　are　vaunted　as　so　far　superior　to　those　of　the　〃negro　cadet；〃　and　which　condemn　him　and　his　actions　for　no　other　reason　than　that　they　are　his。　How　could　it　be　otherwise　than　that　he　be　isolated　and　persecuted　when　s