henry ossian flipper- 第57部分

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CADET　SMITH'S　EXPULSION。

〃James　W。　Smith；　the　first　colored　cadet　appointed　to　the　Military　Academy　of　West　Point；　was　dismissed　after　the　June　examination；　having　failed　to　pass　an　examination　in　some　other　studies。　Recently　the　Sun　received　letters　from　South　Carolina　charging　that　the　prejudices　of　the　officers　of　the　Academy　led　to　the　dismissal；　and　to　ascertain　the　truth　a　Sun　reporter　went　to　West　Point　to　investigate　the　matter。　He　accosted　a　soldier　thus：

〃'Were　you　here　before　Smith　was　dismissed？'

〃'Yes；　sir；　I've　been　here　many　years。'

〃'Can　you　tell　me　why　he　was　dismissed？'

〃'Well；　I　believe　he　didn't　pass　in　philosophy　and　some　other　studies。'

〃'What　kind　of　a　fellow　was　he？'

〃'The　soldiers　thought　well　of　him；　but　the　cadets　didn't。　They　used　to　laugh　and　poke　fun　at　him　in　Riding　Hall；　and　in　the　artillery　drill　all　of　them　refused　to　join　hands　with　him　when　the　cannoneers　were　ordered　to　mount。　This　is　dangerous　once　in　a　while；　for　sometimes　they　mount　when　the　horses　are　on　a　fast　trot。　But　he　used　to　run　on　as　plucky　as　you　please；　and　always　got　into　his　seat　without　help。　Some　of　the　officers　used　to　try　to　make　them　carry　out　the　drill；　but　it　was　no　use。　I　never　saw　one　of　the　young　fellows　give　him　a　hand　to　make　a　mount。　He　was　a　proud　negro；　and　had　good　pluck。　I　never　heard　him　complain；　but　his　black　eyes　used　to　flash　when　he　was　insulted；　and　you　could　see　easy　enough　that　he　was　in　a　killin'　humor。　But　after　the　first　year　he　kept　his　temper　pretty　well；　though　he　fought　hard　to　do　it。'

〃Captain　Robert　H。　Hall；　the　post　adjutant；　said：　'Young　Smith　was　a　bad　boy。'

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NATURALLY　BAD

His　temper　was　hot；　and　his　disposition　not　honorable。　I　can　assure　you　that　the　officers　at　this　post　did　every　thing　in　their　power　to　help　him　along　in　his　studies；　as　well　as　to　improve　his　standing　with　his　comrades。　But　his　temper　interfered　with　their　efforts　in　the　latter　direction；　while　his　dulness　precluded　his　passing　through　the　course　of　studies　prescribed。

〃REPORTER'He　was　always　spoken　of　as　a　very　bright　lad。'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'He　was　not　bright　or　ready。　He　lacked　comprehension。　In　his　first　year　he　was　very　troublesome。　First　came　his　assault　upon；　or　affray　with；　another　young　gentleman　（Cadet　Wilson）；　but　the　Court　of　Inquiry　deemed　it　inadvisable　to　court…martial　either　of　them。　Then　he　was　insolent　to　his　superior　on　drill；　and　being　called　upon　for　an　explanation　he　wrote　a　deliberate　falsehood。　For　this　he　was　court…martialled　and　sentenced　to　dismissal；　but　subsequently　the　findings　of　the　committee　were　reversed；　and　Cadet　Smith　was　put　back　one　year。　This　fact　accounts　for　his　good　standing　on　the　examination　next　before　the　last。　You　see　he　went　over　the　same　studies　twice。'

〃REPORTER'What　was　Cadet　Smith　found　deficient　in？'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'HIS　worst　failure　was　in　natural　and　experimental　philosophy；　which　embraces　the　higher　mathematics；　dynamics；　optics；　mechanics；　and　other　studies。　He　missed　a　very　simple　question　in　optics；　and　the　examiners；　who　were　extremely　lenient　with　him；　chiefly；　I　believe；　because　he　was　colored　and　not　white；　tried　him　with　another；　which　was　also　missed。'

〃REPORTER'Is　optical　science　deemed　an　absolutely　essential　branch　of　learning　for　an　officer　in　the　army？'

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DEFICIENT　IN　HIS　STUDIES。

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'It　is　useful　to　engineers；　for　instance。　But　that　is　not　the　question。　In　most　educational　institutions　of　the　grade　of　West　Point；　the　standing　of　a　student　in　his　studies　is　decided　by　a　general　average　of　all　studies　in　which　he　is　examined。　　Here　each　branch　is　considered　separately；　and　if　the　cadet　fails　in　any　one　he　cannot　pass。　I　will　assure　you　once　more　that　in　my　opinion　Cadet　Smith　received　as　fair　an　examination　as　was　ever　given　to　any　student。　If　anything；　he　was　a　little　more　favored。'

〃REPORTER'What　was　his　conduct　in　the　last　year　of　his　stay　at　the　Academy？'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'Good。　He　ranked　twenty　in　a　class　of　forty　in　discipline。　Discipline　is　decided　by　the　number　of　marks　a　cadet　receives　in　the　term。　If　he　goes　beyond　a　certain　number　he　is　expelled。'

〃REPORTER'This　record　seems　hardly　consistent　with　his　previous　turbulent　career。'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'Oh！　in　the　last　years　of　his　service　he　learned　to　control　his　temper；　but　he　never　seemed　happy　unless　in　some　trouble。'

〃REPORTER'Have　you　any　more　colored　cadets？'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'Only　oneHenry　O。　Flipper；　of　Georgia。　He　is　a　well…built　lad；　a　mulatto；　and　is　bright；　intelligent；　and　studious。'

〃REPORTER'Do　the　cadets　dislike　him　as　much　as　they　did　Smith？'

〃CAPTAIN　HALL'No；　Sir；　I　am　told　that　he　is　more　popular。　I　have　heard　of　no　doubt　he　will　get　through　all　right。　And　here　I　will　say；　that　had　Mr。　Smith　been　white　he　would　not　have　gone　so　far　as　he　did。'

〃Other　officers　of　the　post　concur　with　Captain　Hall；　but　the　enlisted　men　seem　to　sympathize　with　Smith。　One　of　them　said；　'I　don't　believe　the　officers　will　ever　let　a　negro　get　through。　They　don't　want　them　in　the　army。'

〃Cadet　Smith's　career　for　the　three　years　of　his　service　was　indeed　a　most　unhappy　one；　but　whether　that　unhappiness　arose　from

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　INFIRMITIES　OF　TEMPER

or　from　the　persistent　persecutions　of　his　comrades　cannot　be　authoritatively　said。　One　officer　attributed　much　of　the　pugnacity　which　Smith　exhibited　early　in　his　course　to　the　injudicious　letters　sent　him　by　his　friends。　In　some　of　these　he　was　advised　to　'fight　for　the　honor　of　his　race；'　and　others　urged　him　to　brook　no　insult　at　the　hands　of　the　white　cadets。　The　menial　duties　which　the　'plebes'　are　called　upon　to　do　in　their　first　summer　encampment　were　looked　upon　by　Smith　as　personal　insults　thrust　upon　him；　althought　his　comrades　made　no　complaint。　Then　the　social　ostracism　to　a　lad　of　his　sensitive　nature　was　almost　unbearable；　and　an　occasional　outbreak　is　not　to　be　wondered　at。

〃Before　he　had　been　in　the　Academy　a　week　he　wrote　to　a　friend　complaining　of　the　treatment　he　received　from　his　fellows；　and　this　letter　being　published　intensified　the　hostility　of　the　other　cadets。　Soon　after　this　he　had　a　fight　with　Cadet　Wilson　and　cut　his　face　with　a　dipper。　Then　followed　the　breach　of　discipline　on　drill；　the　court…martial　and　sentence；　and　finally　the　Congressional　investigation；　which　did　not　effect　any　good。　Smith　says　that　frequently　on　squad　drill　he　was　detached　from　the　squad　by　the　cadet　corporal；　and　told　that　he　was　not　to　stand　side　by　side　with　white　men。

〃WEST　POINT；　June　19。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COLORED　CADET。

HIS　TRIALS　AND　PERSECUTIONSTHREE　YEARS　OF　ABUSE　　　　SETTLED　AT　LAST〃ELI　PERKINS〃　TELLS　THE　STORY。

To　the　Editor　of　the　Daily　Graphic：

About　the　20th　of　May；　1870；　I　saw　the　colored　Cadet；　James　W。　Smith　land　at　the　West　Point　Dock。　He　was　appointed　by　a　personal　friend　of　mine；　Judge　Hoge；　Member　of　Congress　from　Columbia；　South　Carolina。　The　mulatto　boy　was　about　five　feet　eight　inches　high；　with　olive　complexion　and　freckles。　Being　hungry　he　tipped　his　hat　to　a　cadet　as　he　jumped　from　the　ferry　…boat　and　asked　him　the　way　to　the　hotel。

〃'Over　there；　boy；'　replied　the　cadet；　pointing　to　the　Rose　Hotel　owned　by　the　government。

〃On　arriving　there　the　colored　boy　laid　down　his　carpet…　bag；　registered　his　name；　and　asked　for　something　to　eat。

〃'What！　A　meal　of　victuals　for　a　nigger？'　asked　the　clerk。

〃'Yes；　Sir；　I'm　hungry　and　I　should　like　to　buy　something　to　eat。'

〃'Well；　you'll　have　to　be　hungry　a　good　while　if　you　wait　to　get　something　to　eat　here；'　and　the　clerk　of　the　government　hotel　pushed　the　colored　boy's　carpet　…bag　off　upon　the　floor。

〃Jimmy　Smith's　father；　who　fought　with　General　Sherman；　and　came　back　to　become　an　alderman　in　Columbia；　had　told　the　boy　that　when　he　got　to　West　Point　among　soldiers　he　would　be　treated　justly；　and　you　can　imagine　how　the　hungry　boy　felt　when　he　trudged　back　over　the　hot　campus　to　see　Colonel　Black　and　General　Schriver；　who　was　then　Superintendent　of　the　Academy。

〃The　black　boy　came　and　stood　before　the　commandant　and　handed　him　his　appointment　papers　and　asked　him　to　read　them。　　Colonel　Black；　Colonel　Boynton；　and　other　officers　looked　around　inquiringly。　Then　they　got　up　to　take　a　good　look　at；　the　first　colored　cadet。　The　colonel；　red　in　the　face；　waved　the　boy　away　with　his　hand；　and；　one　by　one；　the　officers　departed；　speechless　with　amazement。

〃In　a　few　moments　the　news　spread　through　the　Academy。　The　white　cadets　seemed　paralyzed。

〃Several　cadets　threatened　to　resign；　some　advocated　maiming　him　for　life；　and　a　Democratic　'pleb'　from　Illinois　exclaimed；　'I'd　rather　die　than　drill　with　the　black　devil。'　But　wiser　counsels　prevailed；　and　the　cadets　consented　to　tolerate　Jimmy　Smith　and　not　drown　or　kill　him　for　four　weeks；　when　it　was　thought　the　examiners　would　'bilge'　him。

〃On　the　16th　of　June；　1870；　I　saw　Jimmy　Smith　again　at　West　Point　and　wrote　out　my　experiences。　He　was　the　victim　of　great　annoyance。

〃At　these　insults　the　colored　cadet　showed　a　suppressed　emotion。　He　could　not　break　the　ranks　to　chastise　his　assaulter。　　Then　if　he　had　fought　with　every　cadet　who　called　him　a　'black…hearted　nigger；'　he