New-York daily tribune., 1843-03-03

cenno, do il without the Professor permission
., wha, is the same thing the latter has the right
10 object TO any question which he conees1es to
be improper. In short he has the absolute power
Of blasting for life the prospects and reputation
of any one Of his pupils who may fall under his
dsplessure.
Though all the Professors at the Military Acad-
emy have this power, they do not all make such
use of ii: there are many honorable exceptions.
But if only single instance can be found, surely
that one would be sufficient to condemn law
which even indirectly authorizes such oppression.
The whole genius and economy of our CoAstitu-
tisn is directly opposed to the exercise OF Unrc-
strained power; and ought not that principle TO
be as ;ealously observed and strictly enforcct'
in every organization under the Government as II
is in the administration Of the Government itself!
Bu, tie most fruitful source Of persecution at
the Military Academy, by Which The honorable ars-
bition of many a promising lad has been c:ishcd
| in the bud, is law which gives to she Command
ant the sole and unrestricted power of appointing
from the corp. of Cadets certain number OF petty
officers, who are generally selected from that spe-
cies OF the genus homo dt0lecto loci termed boot
licks,' So far as these appointments have ten
dsncy to excite emulation among the young men,
/, seems mos. @ise and excellent arrangement.
but when is reflected that of these Cade. OF.
| ticers he's it in his power TO ruin The reputation
and 10 drive from the instit"t:cn in di.gust any
| ono Of his comrades against whom he may enter
tain suficic,t degree of i'll will no honest rund
can hesitate to pronounce that regulation disgrace
ful aud unjust. These young officers orc required
| to report 10 the Conmandant tho source fror,
which they derive their auhori,yI every dc!n
quspcy which may come under their csservalon
! If erery individual was so c..orabe and Just as to
discharge this duty literally, there weud OF course
/ Al. ,k tl,
| bitter apimosites weud exist among the young
men >yhen it ought ts be the particular duty OF
| the officers 10 encourage amity and good will by
every means in their power. 1t will readily be
| believed that this power may cfcn be inludciously
exercised when it is understood that instend OF be-
| ing given with careful consideration and certain
| necessary limitations TO of we'll known homo.
| and mpartiay, it is committed to the hands Of
| mere boys, whose uniformed minds, guided BY no
| fixed principle and susceptible 10 every accidental
impression, are encouraged to indulge in the bare
full desire for revenge by the ample means for graft
| flying it which constantly witkA their reach,
and thus acted upon unconsrieusly oy these infln
ences, however they may have been intended by
nature, they soon become mean and overbearing.
| But the injury done to The reputation bv these ere
ports is not the only evil which the Corporal has
it in his power to innc,: each report counts cer-
tain number Of "denncrt, and when the against
| an individual amovnts to two hundred in one year,
| he is dismissed from The service in disgrace. This
| regulation would be very proper one if the pe-
racity of the reporter could always be depended
upon, 6mt instances arc constantly occurring IN
vb!ch these young Corporals guilty of positive
falsehood, apparently for other reason than TO
| manifest their power some individual whose
| self respect would not permit him to show tina,
| difference which these young Napoleons conceived
TO be due to their superior rank is this proper
| feeling to encourage among those youth who are
to be tho resentatives of the national honor,
| and to whom may one day be committed the de.
fence of American hberty7 This system Of nstruc
ton is directly opposed to that we'll known mill
tary aphorisrn, shc truth of which has been recog-
nsed in al civilized na,iens, that soldier, in
| der to be qualified to command, should first be
taugh to oJcy.
But what renders this regulation particularly OBJ
noxious to youth who has any degree of manly
spirit is the fact that therc is no redress. When
these reports are published. as they are weekly,
the supposed delinquent is allowed to submit TO
| the Commandant written excuse, in which the
! only plea admitted is that of justification III
he can make i, appear that his offence was IN.
avoidabe his excuse is admitted, and the detaerit
attached TO his name is renewed. Butit ne states,
what very often true. that the charge is the pare
| invention OF malignant mind, his excuse-ls re-
turned with severe repimand for daring to inn
| peach the rcrdcity Of +" an officer words which
have been used by atlea,t one Csmmendant of the
Corps of Cadets, whose hcnsrable mnd could not
understand the deceit which was practised upon
him, and whose greatest fault, while living, was
the too great confidence which he rePoscd IN those
who succeeded, often artfully, in gaining his good
will. If his noble spirit had been aware ol but
one half the injustice which he so unconsclousy
did to those whose honorable exertons merted his
encouragement and protection, he would have been
the srst to acknowledge hi. errc-. and the most
eager to make reparstion. Requiescatin pace ;
In case like tie above, The ,nlnred party has
either to submit qui.tl! 10 the most positive i'Jus
tice, attempt to Justify an ect which bis cen
science ecquits him of ever baying ccnr,tted. IL
is true that certain hoydsy, when discipline is
temporarily relaxed, it is very common thing for
a Cadet who has been treated in this manner to
assume the responsibility of thrashng his coward
y prosecutor; but the idea Of having inflicted man
ual chastisemen, upon his opprcssor, though very
satisfactova the moment, is in reality but poor
consolction for the iueparable injury done to his
reputsEion by the number of reports which have
been ru, ,lished against him, and the consequent
number of demer,s which have been added to his
name The course which self.respect would pre-
scribe te young man Of any spirit would be to
leave the institution; but if it is not in his power
do 10 Immediately, the recollection of the injus
tce continues TO rankle at his heart, and far
from being alleviated, he finds himself constantly
subjected to fresh inis.y and inssli; and at last
urged to despair, he is either forced the com.
mission of the very errors with which he has been
So unjustly charged or is driven in disgust and
adherence from an Institution whose laws he can
neither respect obey In short, the above joined
20 few minor causes is sufficient to explain what