fer to this coincidence with great pleasure。
Gentlemen of the Graduating Class： I am not qualified to instruct you in your duties as soldiers； but these is one thing I may say to you； because it ought to be said to every graduating class； and to all young men about to enter upon the active duties of life； and that is； that the profession does not ennoble the man； but the man ennobles the profession Behind the soldier is the man。
Character； young men； is every thing； without it； your education is nothing； without it； your country will be disappointed in you。 Go forth into life； then； firmly resolved to be true； not only to the flag of your country； not only to the institutions of the land； not only to the Union which our fathers established； and which the blood of our countrymen has cemented； but to be true to yourselves and the principles of honor； of rectitude； of temperance； of virtue； which have always characterized the great and successful soldier； and must always characterize such a soldier in the future。
ADDRESS BY MAJOR…GENERAL JOHN M。 SCHOFIELD； Superintendent U。 S。 Military Academy。
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRADUATING CLASS： The agreeable duty now devolves upon me of delivering to you the diplomas which the Academic Board have awarded you as Graduates of the Military Academy。
These diplomas you have fairly won by your ability； your industry； and your obedience to discipline。 You receive them； not as favors from any body； but as the just and lawful reward of honest and persistent effort。
You have merited； and are about to receive； the highest honors attainable by young men in our country。 You have won these honors by hard work and patient endurance； and you are thus prepared to prize them highly。 Unless thus fairly won； honors； like riches； are of little value。
As you learn； with advancing years； to more fully appreciate the value in life of the habits you have acquired of self…reliance； long…sustained effort； obedience to discipline； and respect for lawful authority； a value greater even than that of the scientific knowledge you have gained； you will more and more highly prize the just reward which you are to…day found worthy to receive。
You are now prepared to enter upon an honorable career in the great arena of the world。 The West Point Diploma has ever been a passport to public respect； and to the confidence of government。 But such respect and confidence imply corresponding responsibilities。 The honor of West Point and that of the army are now in your keeping； and your country is entitled to the best services； intellectual； moral； and physical； which it may be in your power to render。
That you may render such services； do not fail to pursue your scientific studies； that you may know the laws of nature； and make her forces subservient to the public welfare。 Study carefully the history； institutions； and laws of your country； that you may be able to see and to defend what is lawful and right in every emergency。 Study not only the details of your profession； but the highest principles of the art of war； You may one day be called to the highest responsibility。 And； above all； be governed in all things by those great moral principles which have been the guide of great and good men in all ages and in all countries。 Without such guide the greatest genius can do only evil to mankind。
One of your number； under temptation which has sometimes proved too great for even much older soldiers； committed A breach of discipline for which he was suspended。 The Honorable Secretary of War has been kindly pleased to remit the penalty； so that your classmate may take his place among you according to his academic rank。
You have to regret the absence of one of your number； who has been prevented by extreme illness from pursuing the studies of the last year。 But I am glad to say that Mr。 Barnett has so far recovered that he will be able to return to the Academy； and take his place in the next class。
Another member of the class has been called away by the death of his father； but he had passed his examination； and will graduate with you。 His diploma will be sent to him。
With the single exception； then； above mentioned； I have the satisfaction of informing you that you graduate with the ranks of your class unbroken。
We take leave of you； gentlemen； not only with hope； but with full confidence that you will acquit yourselves well in the honorable career now before you。 We give you our parental blessing； with fervent wishes for your prosperity； happiness； and honor。
Loud applause greeted the close of the general's speech； and the graduates were then called up one by one and Their diplomas delivered to them。 The first to step forward was Mr。 William M。 Black； of Lancaster； Penn。； whose career at the Academy has been remarkable。 He has stood at the head of his class for the whole four years； actually distancing all competitors。 He is a young man of signal ability； won his appointment in a competitive examination； and has borne himself with singular modesty and good sense。 During the past year he has occupied the position of Adjutant of the Corps of Cadetsthe highest post which can be held。 General Sherman shook hands with the father of the young cadeta grand…looking old gentleman； and very proud of his son； as he has a right to beand warmly congratulated him on the brilliant career which was before the young man。 The next on the list was Mr。 Walter F。 Fisk。 When Mr。 Flipper； the colored cadet； stepped forward； and received the reward of four years of as hard work and unflinching courage and perseverance as any young man could be called upon to go through； the crowd of spectators gave him a round of hearty applause。 He deserves it。 Any one who knows how quietly and bravely this young manthe first of his despised race to graduate at West Pointhas borne the difficulties of his position； how for four years he has had to stand apart from his classmates as one with them but not of them； and to all the severe work of academic official life has had added the yet more severe mental strain which bearing up against a cruel social ostracism puts on any man； and knowing that he has done this without getting soured； or losing courage for a dayany one； I say； who knows all this would be inclined to say that the young man deserved to be well taken care of by the government he is bound to serve。 Everybody here who has watched his course speaks in terms of admiration of the unflinching courage he has shown。 No cadet will go away with heartier wishes for his future welfare。
When the last of the diplomas had been given； the line reformed； the band struck up a lively tune； the cadets marched to the front of the barracks； and there Cadet Black； the Adjutant； read the orders of the day； they being the standing of the students in their various classes； the list of new officers； etc。 This occupied some time； and at its conclusion Colonel Neil； Commandant of Cadets； spoke a few kind words to the First Class； wished them all success in life； and then formally dismissed them。
At the close of the addresses the Superintendent of the Academy delivered the diplomas to the following cadets； members of the Graduating Class。 The names are alphabetically arranged：
Ammon A。 Augur； William H。 Baldwin； Thomas H。 Barry； George W。 Baxter； John Baxter； Jr。； John Bigelow； Jr。； William M。 Black； Francis P。 Blair； Augustus P。 Blocksom； Charles A。 Bradley； John J。 Brereton； Oscar J。 Brown； William C。 Brown； Ben。 I。 Butler； George N。 Chase； Edward Chynoweth； Wallis O。 Clark； Charles J。 Crane； Heber M。 Creel； Matthias W。 Day； Millard F。 Eggleston； Robert T。 Emmet； Calvin Esterly； Walter L。 Fisk； Henry O。 Flipper； Fred。 W。 Foster； Daniel A。 Frederick； F。 Halverson French； Jacob G。 Galbraith； William W。 Galbraith； Charles B。 Gatewood； Edwin F。 Glenn； Henry J。 Goldman； William B。 Gordon； John F。 Guilfoyle； John J。 Haden； Harry T。 Hammond； John F。 C。 Hegewald； Curtis B。 Hoppin； George K。 Hunter； James B。 Jackson； Henry Kirby； Samuel H。 Loder； James A。 Maney； James D。 Mann； Frederick Marsh； Medad C。 Martin； Solon F。 Massey； Ariosto McCrimmon； David N。 McDonald； John McMartin； Stephen C。 Mills； Cunliffe H。 Murray； James V。 S。 Paddock； Theophilus Parker； Alexander M。 Patch； Francis J。 Patten； Thomas C。 Patterson； John H。 Philbrick； Edward H。 Plummer； David Price； Jr。； Robert D。 Read； Jr。； Solomon W。 Roessler； Robert E。 Safford； James C。 Shofner； Adam Slaker； Howard A。 Springett； Robert R。 Stevens； Monroe P。 Thorington； Albert Todd； Samuel P。 Wayman； John V。 White； Wilber E。 Wilder； Richard H。 Wilson； William T。 Wood； Charles G。 Woodward。
CHAPTER XIII。
FURLOUGH。
OF all privileges or sources of pleasure which tend to remove the monotony of military life； there are none to which the stripling soldier looks forward with mo