henry ossian flipper- 第59部分

〃'It　was　this　way：　They　accused　him　of　talking　on　parade；　and；　while　trying　to　convict　him　out　of　his　own　mouth；　they　asked　him　〃If　on　a　certain　day　he　did　not　speak　to　a　certain　cadet　while　on　drill？〃　〃I　did　not　speak　to　this　cadet　while　on　drill　the　day　you　mention；〃　answered　Cadet　Smith；　〃for　the　cadet　was　not　in　the　parade　that　day。〃'

〃This　answer　startled　the　prosecutors；　and；　looking　over　the　diary　of　parade　days；　they　were　astonished　to　find　Cadet　Smith　correct。

〃'What　then？'　I　asked。

〃'Why　they　accuse　him　of　telling　a　lie　in　spirit；　though　not　in　form；　for　he　had　talked　on　a　previous　day。　Just　as　if　he　was　obliged　to　say　any　thing　to　assist　the　prosecutors　except　to　answer　their　questions。'

〃General　Howard　believes　Cadet　Smith　to　be　a　good；　honest　boy。　I　believe　the　same。

〃ELI　PERKINS。〃

　　　　　　　　（From　the　Savannah　（Ga。）　Morning…News。）

〃Lieutenant　Flipper　seems　to　have　gone　back　on　his　Atlanta　friends。　He　came　home　from　West　Point　with　a　good　Academy　record；　behaved　himself　with　becoming　dignity。　The　officers　at　the　barracks　treated　him　not　socially；　but　as　an　officer　of　the　armywith　due　respect；　as　did　the　citizens　of　Atlanta；　who　felt　that　he　had　won　credit　by　his　good　conduct　and　success。　But　in　an　evil　hour　the　colored　friends　（？）　of　Flipper　gave　him　a　reception；　and　in　full　uniform　he　made　them　a　speech。　Now　speech…making　is　a　dangerous　thing；　and　this　colored　warrior　seems　to　have　been　made　a　victim　of　it。　He　distorted　the　official　courtesies　of　the　officers　at　the　barracks　into　social　courtesies；　and　abused　the　white　people　of　the　South　because　they　did　not　give　him　and　his　race　social　equality。　Not　only　were　sensible　colored　people　displeased　with　his　remarks；　but　many　white　citizens　who　went　to　the　meeting　friendly　to　Flipper　left　disgusted　with　his　sentiments。〃*

*If　a　man　walks　on　the　streets　with　me；　invites　me　to　his　quarters；　introduces　me　to　his　comrades；　and　other　like　acts　of　courtesy；　ought　I　to　consider　him　treating　me　socially　or　officially？　I　went　to　the　garrison　in　Atlanta　to　pay　my　respects　to　the　commanding　officer。　I　expected　nothing。　I　met　an　officer；　who；　with　four　others；　had　introduced　himself　to　me　on　the　cars。　My　official　call　had　been　made。　He　took　me　around；　introduced　me　to　the　officers；　and　showed　me　all　possible　attention。　I　met　another　officer　in　the　city　several　days　after　this。　He　offered　cigars。　　We　walked　up　and　down　the　streets　together。　Many　times　did　we　hear　and　comment　upon　the　remarks　we　overheard：　〃Is　he　walking　with　that　nigger？〃　and　the　like。　He　invited　me　into　a　druggist's　to　take　some　soda…　water。　I　went　in　and　got　it；　although　it　was　never　sold　there　before　to　a　person　of　color。　We　rode　out　to　the　garrison　together；　and　every　attention　was　shown　me　by　all。　Another　officer　told　me　that　before　I　came　the　officers　of　the　garrison　assembled　to　consider　whether　or　not　they　should　recognize　me。　The　unanimous　vote　was　〃yes。〃　Was　all　this　official？　　No。　It　is　the　white　people；　the　disappointed　tyrants　of　Georgia；　who　try　to　distort　social　courtesies　in　official　ones。　The　〃many　white〃　people　were　some　half…dozen　newspaper　reporters；　whose　articles　doubtless　were　partly　written　when　they　came。　〃Old　Si〃　in　his　spectacles　was　prominently　conspicuous　among　them。

　　　　　　　　（From　the　Savannah　（Ga。）　Morning　News。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　COLORED　ARMY　OFFICER。

〃Lieutenant　Flipper　is　his　name。　He　is　a　living　result　of　the　policy　of　Radicalism　which　has　declared　from　the　first　its　determination　that；　under　any　circumstances；　the　American　citizen　of　African　descent　shall　enjoy　all　the　privileges　of　his　white　brethren。　Carrying　out　this　determination；　and　not　dismayed　at　the　fate　of　colored　cadet　Smith；　who　figured　so　largely　in　West　Point　annals　a　few　years　ago；　cadet　Flipper　was　sent　to　that　institution　to　try　his　hand。　He　has　graduated；　and　now　holds　the　commission　of　Second　Lieutenant　of　Cavalry　in　the　United　States　Army；　the　first　of　his　race　who　has　ever　attained　such　a　position。

〃It　will　be　curious　to　watch　young　Flipper's　career　as　an　officer。　Time　was　when　army　officers　were　a　very　aristocratic　and　exclusive　set　of　gentlemen；　whether　they　still　hold　to　their　old　ideas；　or　not；　we　do　not　know。　There　seems　to　be　enough　of　the　old　feeling　left；　however；　to　justify　the　belief　that　until　some　other　descendants　of　African　parents　graduate　at　the　institution；　Flipper　will　have　a　lonely　time。　During　his　cadetship；　we　learn　from　no　less　an　authority　than　the　New　York　Tribune；　'the　paper　founded　by　Horace　Greeley；'　that　he　was　let　severely　alone　by　his　fellow…students。　According　to　that　paper；　one　of　the　cadets　said；　'We　have　no　feeling　against　him；　but　we　could　not　associate　with　him。　It　may　have　been　prejudice　but　still　we　couldn't　do　it。'　This　shows　very　clearly　the　animus　which　will　exist　in　the　army　against　the　colored　officer。　If　at　West　Point；　where　he　had　to　drill；　recite；　eat；　and　perhaps　sleep　with　his　white　brothers；　they　couldn't　associate　with　him　（notwithstanding　the　fact　that　the　majority　of　these　whites　were　Northern　men　and　ardent　advocates　of　Radicalism；　with　its　civil　rights　and　social　equality　record）；　how　can　it　be　expected　that　they　will　overcome　their　prejudices　any　more　readily　after　they　become　officers。　The　Tribune　thinks　they　will；　and　that　in　time　the　army　will　not　hesitate　to　receive　young　Flipper；　and　all　of　his　race　who　may　hereafter　graduate　at　West　Point；　with　open　arms；　but　the　chances　are　that　the　Tribune　is　wrong。　Your　model　Yankee　is　very　willing　to　use　the　negro　as　a　hobby…　horse　upon　which　to　ride　into　place　and　power；　but　when　it　comes　to　inviting　him　to　his　house　and　embracing　him　as　a　brother　he　is　very　apt　to　be　found　wanting。　The　only　society　Lieutenant　of　Cavalry　Flipper　can　ever　hope　to　enjoy　is　that　which　will　exist　when　there　are　enough　of　his　race　in　the　army　to　form　a　corps　d'Afrique；　and　by　that　time　he　will　be　too　old　to　delight　in　social　pleasures。　　Meanwhile　he　will　be　doomed　to　a　life　of　solitude　and　self…communings；　and　be　subjected　to　many　such　snubs　as　the　venerable　Frederick　Douglass　has　but　recently　received　at　the　hands　of　that　champion　mourner　for　the　poor　African　Rutherford　B；　Hayes。〃

The　New　York　Tribune　is　right。　The　army　is　officered　by　men；　not　by　West　Point　cadets；　who　are　only　students　and　boys。

　　　　　　　　（From　the　Savannah　（Ga。）　Morning　News。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHEERS　FOR　FLIPPER。

〃The　miscegenationists　and　social　equality　advocates　are　making　a　great　deal　of　noise　over　the　facts；　first；　that　a　negro　has　graduated　at　West　Point；　and　holds　to…day　a　commission　in　the　United　States　Army；　and　second；　that　when　he　went　up　to　receive　his　diploma；　he　was；　alone　of　all　the　members　of　his　class；　the　recipient　of　a　round　of　applause。　Great　things　are　augured　from　these　two　circumstances；　especially　the　latter。

〃It　is　reasoned　that　now；　that　a　negro　has　at　last　been　able　to　secure　a　commission　in　the　military　service　of　the　country；　the　first　step　towards　the　recognition　of　his　race　on　the　basis　of　social　equality　is　accomplished；　by　degrees　prejudice　will　wear　away；　and；　in　course　of　time；　black　and　white　citizens　of　this　republic　will　mingle　freely　and　without　reserve；　and　this；　it　is　claimed；　is　shown　by　the　applause　with　which　the　reception　into　the　army　of　this　African　pioneer　was　greeted。　For　our　part　we　don't　see　that　these　negro　devotees　and　miscegenationists　have　any　reason　to　rejoice。　It　is　just　as　impossible　to　establish　perfect　social　equality　between　the　Anglo…Saxon　and　African　races　as　it　is　to　make　oil　and　water　unite。　It　is　against　nature；　and　nowhere　in　the　world　is　the　antipathy　to　such　a　mingling　shown　more　than　in　the　North；　and　by　no　people　so　strongly　as　by　the　very　men　who　whine　so　incessantly　and　so　pretentiously　about　'men　and　brethren。'　The　negro　in　the　South　has　always　found　the　white　man　of　the　South　to　be　his　best　and　truest　friend；　and　such　will　always　be　the　case；　notwithstanding　that　the　Southern　white　will　never　consent　to　social　equality　with　his　fellow…citizen　of　African　descent。

〃As　to　the　applause　which　greeted　Flipper；　that　can　easily　be　accounted　for。　Nothing　is　more　likely　than　that　at　West　Point　there　should　have　been　gathered　together　a　lot　of　old…time　South…haters；　who　were　ready　to　applaud；　not　so　much　to　flatter　Flipper　as　to　show　that　they　were　happy　over　what　they　felt　to　be　a　still　further　humiliation　of　the　South。　That　is　all　there　is　in　that。

〃We　have　no　objections　to　such　demonstrations　of　delight。　As　far　as　we　are　concerned　they　may　be　indulged　in　to　the　heart's　content　by　those　who　so　desire。　But　one　piece　of　information　we　can　give　to　the　young　colored　Georgia　lieutenant。　If　he　thinks　those　who　applauded　him　are　going　to　invite　him　to　their　houses　he　will　be　greatly　disappointed。　And　if　he　does　not　die　of　overeating　until　those　invite　him　to　dine　with　them；　he　will　live　to　a　good　old　age。　Let　him　take　the　fate　of　the　recognized　leader　of　his　race；　Fred　Douglass；　as　an　example；　and　steer　clear　of　his　too　demonstrative　friends。　Experience　shows　that　so　long　as　they　can　use　him；　they　will　be　very　profuse　in　their　professions　of　friendship；　but　when　that　is　done　all　is　done；　and　he　will　find　himself　completely　cast　aside。　If　Flipper　sees　these　wo