Tri-weekly journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1847-188?, 1847-07-10
WEST POINT.

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The New York Courier publishes an elabo
rate vindication, by one of its correspondents,
of the Military Academy, at West Point, from
the aspersions heretofore cast upon it, as well
as full exposition of what it has already
done for the country. In the course of some
Introductory editorial comments, the Courier
remarks:
sit happens TO be a fact within our knowl-
edge that when the present Administration
had four hundred military appointments to
make under the ten regiment law, one half of
them might have been selected from graduates
of the military Academy. But such course
would not have given Mr.. Secretary Marcy
and the President an opportunity to reward
political partizans, and we know an instance
where a young gentleman who graduated at
the head ofhis class, entered the Engineer corps
served with distinction, and resigned to study
the law, impelled by feeling fpatriotism and
duty, offered his services asa Major in one of
the new regiments, accompanied with the de-
claratlon that under no circumstances did he
desire to remain in the service after the conclu-
sion of the war. He was willing to abandon
his profession temporarily, from sense of du-
ty; and what added in our opinion to the
character of the offer, was the fact that he is
member of the Episcopal Church and opposed
to the origin of the war and thus was prepar-
ed to demonstrate by his example, that in the
minds of Intelligent Christians, our duty to our
country is not incompatible with our duty to
God, and whatever may be the cause of war,
our country, once involved in contest, is en-
titled to the service of all her children, and the
government to all who have been educated by
the nation. But his offer was rejected; and a
clerk in a Brokers office, who had never seen
days service even in our militia, was appoint
ed to the Majority in his stead! So much for
the desire of the Secretary of War and Presi-
dent faithfully to discharge the duties of their
stations.
1--WE feel that we can add nothing to the fol-
lowing picture of what West Point has done
for the country; but it may be well for the
people to remember, that the annual cost of
sustaining this important institution is less
than the annual cost of a single Frigate afoat.
The correspondent Of the Courier epumerates
as among the strong points in favor of the
| Military Academy, the gallant bearing of the
officers of the regular army in Mexico, more
than nine-tenths of whom are graduates of West
Point; The moral restraint of discipline as
shown in the regular army; the value of the
Academy in furnishing officers, on the break
ing out of war, to skillfully lead the volun-
teers; the value of even the partial instruction
of those who resigned from the Academy before
srsdueting the patriotism Of the s,rsduates and
those who have resigned from the Academy,
who have rendered their services to the Govern
ment for the war; the advantages Of a scientific
and military education to the whole service
the efficiency of the graduates i'll every branch
ofthe service; the trihing cost of the institu-
ton; the great success we have achieved, with
an abundance of good officers, in the Mexican
war, as compared with the war of 1912, when,
in the invasion of Canada, during two and a
half years with larger forces than the enemy,
our defeats out numbered our victories; and
lastly the refutation of the slanderous charges
brought against the army, on the 9Th of jan
usry, lS46-a few months before the commence
ment Of the Mexican war-by the Committee
on Militia, in a report by the Hon. James A.
Black, South Carolina, afforded by every bat
tlefeld from Pale Alto to Cerro Gordo.-Balt.
Amer.