Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-03-08


Sir-In obedience 10 a resolution Oh
House of Representatives. of the 18Th INST M
rectinr the Secretary Of War 20 furnish q hs'
of tie Cadets now at West Point, their Names
the States and Counties, or Congressional DIS
,ricts. from whence they were sent, ana 'h'
dates when thew were received aud appo'h'e"'
also statement showing the former and pr
sent rule of The Dep rtment, as praoused 'e'"
tive to the manner Of filing up vac ane'es'
have he honor Of submitting the accompany!
ing statement marked "A.
In tx lsnation Of this documen', 1t Is proPe,c
10 remark, thu, from thu date oil adm $50" VI
many OF the Cadets, j, might be l'ierrro c"a'
they had been appointed ny me-. hr 'a'',
however, is, tha, my predt cessor app ih'e"
1873 for 1925, "a for 1926, and Tor 1927, as
will appear by the accompanying list, marked
B. From courtesy TO him, and Difference t"
he persons appointed, and their friends, Tor,
bore 10 INTERFERE; and the appoin'ces were all
permitted to enter the Academy; as though
they had been regularly appointed.
When, Fl. allv, it became my duty 20 act
de rmiued, wi h the appreciation OF The fiesi'
dent, to whom thu power Of appointing be-
longs, to distribue the appointments equally
lhroug bout he United States, in the Country -
well as the populous CT ies-the latter having
heretofore had an undue share.
The representation in both houses o. Con-
eress having been already established as The
rule of Distribution among the States, deer
mined To appoint Cadet from every Con-
cressional district, ans two from each STATE,
vii out gard 10 the loo al position of the Ia'
ter in tht Safe. lime, h we'er. was neces'
sary to Garry this determination into tfe't as
those who had been appointed were to retain
their situations for four y ars.
It's believed that EVIL y district in he Un>
ion has, or will have IN June next, aC"de, II a
warran, is applied for.
|, SO happe rs that ,hr number Of Cadets au-
rhorsed bv law corresponds nearly with the to-
tai number of the two Houses; bat as the fx-
perieRce Of ma years has shown thai CON
siderable number of hose appointed, from
some cause, either napti,ude or irreguar con
duct, are dismissea, i, has bren found necessa-
nv, TO keep un he establishment 10 the num-
Der prrso ribed by law, To make some app"in' :
ments in anlicipa,i n to meet those CASUALTIES.
These are reserved for extraordinary Cases, and
are made promiscuously Throughout, the Cn
ion. .
In making apponlmsn!s P one # IS The
Claim 1T II applicants on the ground o! pub
ht services rendered by til ir a"oes ors ca
debt Of gratitude by The appointment of
the descendants of those who have been DIS
tingu,shrd BY such services; civil or military
And although poverty, the res: be'pc equal,
has decided preference, yet l have not
thought il just or polite to onhne appoints
menus exclusively 10 III poor The mere cir
cumsta Of wealth, is not an insuperable bar
10 appointment.
The institution is supported mainly bv con-
liibutons derived from the wealthy To ex>
clude . youth otherwise meritorious, simply
because he or his friends are wealthy, is there.
fore believed to be un iust. i is deemed poll.
tic tha, some OF the officers ola standing army,
in a republican govern nen,, Shouldn't in heir
civil interests guarantee to their fidelity &
dev oion to the oi,i authority; and i is apprs-
hended that were appointments exclusively
confined to The poor, an Impression NIGH be
produced that i, WAS IN elimo,ynlry establish
men,, whose fec, is somewhat aba>ng. On
the contrary, where the rich and poor are min>
gled together, fed at the same table, dressed in
the same manner, and in ali things made eq"al
we have practical illustration Of hat qraty
which is TIE true basis of our republican ins,i-
buttons, and VIII re rfft C, cannot bur be propi-
tious to their dula i'm. In making sci, Lotions,
| have received and treated with g.e4t r. specr
the Recommendations al mtmDtrN OF Cbnpr' SIS
as well as respectable private ci,iz ms, have
endeavored to confer :he appoin'm hts on those
who presented the best promise OF jIstifying
this mark OF their coun'ry'> confidence.
PrcsLmiug that therule by which am gov
erned in selecting persons to superin,enG the
annual examination, from its intimate connex-
ion with the Information called for would not
be unacceptable, ask the favor Of the House
TO communicate that also.
Heretofore the number Of visitors lad been
small and they prinoi paly officers OF the army
| was sensible that strong objections exis ed in
remure parts Of the Union agains, the i"sll,u
ton and indeed suspit ions were INDUCED &
ut cred that sectional p rtialtie, prevailed with
ITS officers. Bel wing the su ces, of ,he ins,i
tuition as essentially identified with thu prospe
rity Of the republic, it was most desirable that
those, il unloundcd, might be removed knew
Of no plan which, p omised more successfully to
attain this desirable ohj,t, than that Of uniting
d citlzens from different sections
CT the Union, who NIGH annually inspect every
branch Of the administration of This highly |
establishment. IL there were faults
Of any kl, d tina, they might be Doin ed out and |