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ssman　in　the　front　rank。　It　was　his　duty　to　be　sure　about　it；　and　if　there　was　one　there　to　transfer　him　to　the　rear；　and　myself　to　the　front　rank。　In　not　doing　so　he　neglected　his　duty　and　imposed　upon　me　and　the　dignity　of　my　class。　I　was　therefore　entirely　justified　in　calling　his　attention　to　his　neglect。

This　is　a　little　thing；　but　it　should　be　borne　in　mind　that　it　is　nevertheless　of　the　greatest　importance。　We　know　what　effect　comity　or　international　politeness　has　on　the　relations　or　intercourse　between　nations。　The　most　trifling　acts；　such　as　congratulations　on　a　birth　or　marriage　in　the　reigning　family；　are　wonderfully　efficacious　in　keeping　up　that　feeling　of　amity　which　is　so　necessary　to　peace　and　continued　friendship　between　states。　To　disregard　these　little　things　is　considered　unfriendly；　and　may　be　the　cause　of　serious　consequences。

There　is　a　like　necessity；　I　think；　in　our　own　case。　Any　affront　to　me　which　is　also　an　affront　to　my　class　and　its　dignity　deserves　punishment　or　satisfaction。　To　demand　it；　then；　gives　my　class　a　better　opinion　of　me；　and　serves　to　keep　that　opinion　in　as　good　condition　as　possible。

I　knew　well　that　there　were　men　in　the　corps　who　would　readily　seize　any　possible　opportunity　to　report　me；　and　I　feared　at　the　time　that　I　might　be　reported　for　speaking　to　the　sergeant。　I　was　especially　careful　to　guard　against　anger　or　roughness　in　my　speech；　and　to　put　my　demand　in　the　politest　form　possible。　The　offence　was　removed。　I　received　no　demerits；　and　the　sergeant　had　the　pleasure　or　displeasure　of　grieving　at　the　failure　of　his　report。

I　am　sorry　to　know　that　I　have　been　charged；　by　some　not　so　well　acquainted　with　West　Point　and　life　there　as　they　should　be　to　criticise；　with　manifesting　a　lack　of　dignity　in　that　I　allowed　myself　to　be　insulted；　imposed　upon；　and　otherwise　ill…treated。　　There　appears　to　them　too　great　a　difference　between　the　treatment　of　former　colored　cadets　and　that　of　myself；　and　the　only　way　they　are　pleased　to　account　for　this　difference　is　to　say　that　my　good　treatment　was　due　to　want　of　〃spunk；〃　and　even　to　fear；　as　some　have　said。　It　evidently　never　occurred　to　them　that　my　own　conduct　determined　more　than　all　things　else　the　kind　of　treatment　I　would　receive。

Every　one　not　stubbornly　prejudiced　against　West　Point；　and　therefore　not　disposed　to　censure　or　criticise　every　thing　said　or　done　there；　knows　how　false　the　charge　is。　And　those　who　make　it　scarcely　deserve　my　notice。　I　would　say　to　them；　however；　that　true　dignity；　selon　nous；　consists　in　being　above　the　rabble　and　their　insults；　and　particularly　in　remaining　there。　To　stoop　to　retaliation　is　not　compatible　with　true　dignity；　nor　is　vindictiveness　manly。　Again；　the　experiment　suggested　by　my　accusers　has　been　abundantly　tried；　and　proved　a　most　ridiculous　failure；　while　my　own　led　to　a　glorious　success。

I　do　not　mean　to　boast　or　do　any　thing　of　the　kind；　but　I　would　suggest　to　all　future　colored　cadets　to　base　their　conduct　on　the　aristonmetpon；　the　golden　mean。　It　is　by　far　the　safer；　and　surely　the　most　Christian　course。

Before　closing　this　chapter　I　would　add　with　just　pride　that　I　have　ever　been　treated　by　all　other　persons　connected　with　the　Academy　not　officially；　as　becomes　one　gentleman　to　treat　another。　I　refer　to　servants；　soldiers；　other　enlisted　men；　and　employés。　　They　have　done　for　me　whatever　I　wished；　whenever　I　wished；　and　as　I　wished；　and　always　kindly　and　willingly。　They　have　even　done　things　for　me　to　the　exclusion　of　others。　This　is　important　when　it　is　remembered　that　the　employés；　with　one　exception；　are　white。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃NATIONAL　SCHOOLS　AND　SNOBOCRACY。

〃'Cadet　Smith　has　arrived　in　Columbia。　He　did　not　〃pass。〃'　Phoenix

〃'Alexander　Bouchet；　a　young　man　of　color；　graduates　from　Yale　College；　holding　the　fifth　place　in　the　largest　class　graduated　from　that　ancient　institution。'　Exchange。

〃These　simple　announcements　from　different　papers　tersely　sum　up　the　distinction　between　the　military　and　civil　education　of　this　country。　One　is　exclusive；　snobbish；　and　narrow；　the　other　is　liberal　and　democratic。

〃No　one　who　has　watched　the　course　of　Cadet　Smith　and　the　undemocratic；　selfish；　and　snobbish　treatment　he　has　experienced　from　the　martinets　of　West　Point；　men　educated　at　the　expense　of　the　government；　supported　by　negro　taxes；　as　well　as　white；　who　attempt　to　dictate　who　shall　receive　the　benefits　of　an　education　in　our　national　charity　schoolsno　one　who　has　read　of　his　court…martialings；　the　degradations　and　the　petty　insults　inflicted　upon　him　can　help　feeling　that　he　returns　home　to…day；　in　spite　of　the　Phoenix's　sneers；　a　young　hero　who　has　'passed'　in　grit；　pluck；　perseverance；　and　all　the　better　qualities　which　go　to　make　up　true　manhood；　and　only　has　been　'found'　because　rebel　sympathizers　at　West　Point；　the　fledglings　of　caste；　and　the　Secretary　of　War；　do　not　intend　to　allow；　if　they　can　prevent　it；　a　negro　to　graduate　at　West　Point　or　Annapolis；　if　he　is　known　to　be　a　negro。

〃Any　one　conversant　with　educational　matters　who　has　examined　the　examinations　for　entrance；　or　the　curriculum　of　the　naval　and　military　academies；　will　not　for　a　moment　believe　that　their　requirements；　not　as　high　as　those　demanded　for　an　ordinary　New　England　high　school；　and　by　no　means　equal　in　thoroughness；　quantity；　or　quality　to　that　demanded　for　entrance　at　Yale；　Amherst；　Dartmouth；　or　Brown；　are　too　high　or　abstruse　to　be　compassed　by　negroes；　some　of　whom　have　successfully　stood　all　these；　and　are　now　pursuing　their　studies　in　the　best　institutions　of　the　North。

〃No　fair…minded　man　believes　that　Smith；　Napier　and　Williams；　Conyers　and　McClellan；　have　had　impartial　treatment。　The　government　itself　has　been　remiss　in　not　throwing　about　them　the　protection　of　its　authority。　Had　these　colored　boys　been　students　at　St。　Cyr；　in　Paris；　or　Woolwich；　in　England；　under　despotic　France　and　aristocratic　England；　they　would　have　been　treated　with　that　courtesy　and　justice　of　which　the　average　white　American　has　no　idea。　The　South　once　ruled　West　Point；　much　to　its　detriment　in　loyalty；　however　much；　by　reason　of　sending　boys　more　than　prepared。　It　dominated　in　scholarship。　It　seeks　to　recover　the　lost　ground；　and　rightly　fears　to　meet　on　terms　of　equality　in　the　camp　the　sons　of　fathers　to　whom　it　refused　quarter　in　the　war　and　butchered　in　cold　blood　at　Fort　Pillow。　We　cannot　expect　the　sons　to　forget　the　lessons　of　the　sires；　but　we　have　a　right　to　demand　from　the　general　government　the　rooting　out　of　all　snobbery　at　West　Point；　whether　it　is　of　that　kind　which　sends　poor　white　boys　to　Coventry；　because　they　haven't　a　family　name　or　wealth；　or　whether　it　be　that　smallest；　meanest；　and　shallowest　of　all　aristocraciesthe　one　founded　upon　color。

〃If　the　government　is　not　able　to　root　out　these　unrepublican　seeds　in　these　hot…beds　of　disloyalty　and　snobbery；　then　let　Congress　shut　up　the　useless　and　expensive　appendages　and　educate　its　officers　at　the　colleges　of　the　country；　where　they　may　learn　lessons　in　true　republican　equality　and　nationality。　The　remedy　lies　with　Congress。　A　remonstrance　at　least　should　be　heard　from　the　colored　members　of　Congress；　who　are　insulted　whenever　a　colored　boy　is　ill…treated　by　the　students　or　the　officers　of　these　institutions。　So　far　from　being　discouraged　by　defeats；　the　unjust　treatment　meted　out　to　these　young　men　should　redouble　the　efforts　of　others　of　their　class　to　carry　this　new　Bastile　by　storm。　It　should　lead　every　colored　Congressman　to　make　sure　that　he　either　sends　a　colored　applicant　or　a　white　one　who　has　not　the　seeds　of　snobbery　and　caste　in　his　soul。　Smith；　after　four　years　of　torture；　comes　home；　is　driven　home；　because；　forsooth；　he　might　attend　the　ball　next　year！　He　is　hounded　out　of　the　Academy　because　he　would　have　to　be　assigned　to　a　white　regiment！　There　are　some　negroes　who　feel　that　their　rights　in　the　land　of　their　birth　are　superior　to　the　prejudices　of　the　enemies　of　the　Union；　and　who　dare　to　speak　and　write　in　behalf　of　these　rights；　as　their　fathers　dared　to　fight　for　them　a　very　few　years　ago。

〃Bouchet；　under　civil　rule；　enters　Yale　College　the　best　prepared　student　of　one　hundred　and　thirty　freshmen；　and　all　through　his　course　is　treated　like　a　gentleman；　both　by　the　faculty　and　the　students；　men　who　know　what　justice　means；　and　have　some　adequate　idea　of　the　true　theory　of　education　and　gentlemanly　conduct。　Two　freed　boys；　from　North　Carolina　and　South　Carolina；　slaves　during　the　war；　prepare　at　the　best　Northern　academics；　and　enter；　without　remonstrance；　Amherst　and　Dartmouth。　What　divinity；　then；　hedges　West　Point　and　Annapolis？　What　but　the　old　rebel　spirit；　which　seeks　again　to　control　them　for　use　in　future　rebellions　as　it　did　in　the　past。　The　war　developed　some　unwelcome　truths　with　regard　to　this　snobbish　and　disloyal　spirit　of　our　national　institutions；　and　the　exploits　of　some　volunteer　officers　showed　that　all　manhood；　bravery；　skill；　and　energy　were　not　contained　in　West　Point　or　Annapolis；　or；　if　there；　did　not　pertain　solely　to　the　petty　cliques　that　aim　to　give　tone　to　those　academies。　It　is　not　for　any　officer；　the　creature　of　the　government　it　is　not　for　any　student；　the　willing　ward　of　that　governmentto　say　who　shall　enter　the　national　schools　and　be　the　recipients　of　my　bounty。　It　is　the　duty　of　every　member　of　Congress　to　see　that　the　government　sanctions　no　such　spirit；　and　it　becomes　every　loyal　citizen　who　wishes　to　avoid　the　mistakes　of　the　former　war　to　see　to　it　that　no　class　be　excluded；　and　that　every　boy；　once　admitted；　shall　have　the　strictest　justice　dealt　out　to　him；　a　thing　which；　thus　far；　has　not　been　done　in　the　case　of　the　colored　cadets。

〃The　true　remedy　lies　in　the　feelings　and　sympathies　of　the　officers　of　these　academies；　in　the　ability　and　fair　investigations　of　the　board　of　examiners；　not　from　such　gentlemen　as　at　present　seem　to　rule　these　institutions。

〃NIGER　NIGRORUM。〃

This　article　was　taken　from　some　South　Carolina　paper　during　the　summer　of　'74。　Its　tone　is　in　accordance　with　the　multitude　of　articles　upon　the　same　subject　which　occurred　about　the　same　time；　and；　like　them　all；　or　most　of　them；　is　rather　farfetched。　It　is　too　broad。　Its　denun