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；　and　when　a　visitor　came　he　sent　in　his　card　by　one　of　the　sentinels；　while　the　other　remained　at　the　door；　and　was　admitted　or　not　at　the　discretion　of　the　superintendent。　It　is　said　that　this　precaution　was　taken　because　the　visitors　disturbed　the　members　of　the　Academic　Board　by　walking　across　the　floor。　Very　good　excuse；　for　the　floor　was　covered　with　a　very　thick　carpet。　We　must　surely　give　the　Academic　Board　credit　for　so　much　good　judgment　and　foresight；　for　it　would　have　been　a　very　sad　affair；　indeed；　for　those　gentlemen　to　have　been　made　so　nervous　（especially　the　Professor　of　Philosophy）　as　to　be　unable　to　see　how　'manifestly　incompetent'　Cadet　Smith　was；　and　it　would　have　deprived　the　Secretary　of　War　of　the　blissful　consciousness　that　'he　did　for　him　what　had　never　been　done　for　a　white　boy　in　like　circumstances；'　besides　losing　the　privilege　of　handing　down　to　future　generations　the　record　of　his　extreme　liberality　'in　his　interpretation　of　the　regulations　on　behalf　of　Cadet　Smith。'

〃Oh；　that　this　mighty　deed　might　be　inscribed　on　a　lasting　leather　medal　and　adorn　the　walls　of　the　War　Department；　that　it　might　act　as　an　incentive　to　some　future　occupant　of　that　lofty　station！　I　advise　the　use　of　leather；　because　if　we　used　any　metal　it　might　convey　to　our　minds　the　idea　of　'a　sounding　brass　or　a　tinkling　cymbal。'

〃Respectfully　yours；

〃J。　W。　SMITH；　〃Late　Cadet　U。S。M。A。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　NEGRO　CADETS。

〃We　publish　this　morning　an　account　of　Cadet　Smith's　standing　at　West　Point；　which　should　be　taken　with　a　few　grains　of　allowance。　The　embryo　colored　soldier　and　all　his　friendsblack；　white　and　tanbelieve　that　the　administrationists　have　used　him　shamefully；　especially　in　view　of　their　professions　and　of　the　chief　source　of　their　political　strength。　Grant　went　into　the　White　House　by　means　of　colored　votes；　and　his　shabby　treatment　of　the　first　member　of　the　dusky　army　who　reached　the　point　of　graduation　in　the　country's　military　school；　is　a　sore　disappointment　to　them。

〃Cadet　Smith　has　been　a　thorn　in　the　side　of　the　Administration　from　the　start。　He　could　not　be　bullied　out　or　persecuted　out　of　the　institution　by　the　insults　or　menaces　of　those　who；　for　consistency's　sake；　should　have　folded　him　to　their　bosoms。　He　stood　his　ground　bravely；　and　much　against　the　will　of　its　rulers。　West　Point　was　forced　to　endure　his　unwelcome　presence　up　to　the　time　of　graduation。　At　that　point　a　crisis　was　reached。　If　the　odious　cadet　were　allowed　to　graduate；　his　commission　would　entitle　him　to　assignment　in　our　much…officered　army；　which　contains　Colonel　Fred　Grant　and　a　host　of　other　favorites　whose　only　service　has　been　of　the　Captain　Jinks　order。　The　army　revolted　at　the　idea。　Theoretically　they　were　and　are　sound　on　the　nigger；　but　they　respectfully　and　firmly　objected　to　a　practical　illustration。　The　Radical　General　Belknap　was　easily　convinced　that　the　assignment　of　the　unoffending　Smith　to　duty　would　cause　a　lack　of　discipline　in　any　regiment　that　would　be　fearful　to　contemplate。

〃Something　must　be　done；　and　that　something　was　quickly　accomplished。　They　saved　the　army　and　the　dignity　of　the　horse　marines　by　sacrificing　the　cadet。　To　do　so；　some　tangible　cause　must　be　alleged；　and　a　deficiency　in　'philosophy'　was　hit　upon。

〃In　vain　did　Smith　appeal　to　the　Secretary　of　War　for　an　opportunity　to　be　re…examined；　in　vain　did　he　ask　permission　to　go　back　and　join　the　class　belowall　appeals　were　in　vain。　'Gentlemen；'　says　the　secretary；　'I　don't　wish　to　be　misquoted　as　saying　that　I　can't　give　Mr。　Smith　a　re…examination；　for　I　say　I　won't　do　it。'　The　victim　of　the　army　has　since　published　a　three…　column　card　in　Fred　Douglass's　paper；　in　which　he　says　he　was　dropped　for　politico…military　reasons；　and　in　the　course　of　which　he　makes　an　almost　unanswerable　case　for　himself；　but　the　Radicals　have　dropped　him　in　his　hour　of　necessity；　and　he　must　submit。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　New　York　Sun。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　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；