New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-02
WEST POINT.

Board Of Visitors at West Point. The bov.
who go to that Academy are neither better nor
worse than other boys who 20 to school. Thers
is large class Of people who believe that some
supernatural agency hoverS around West Point
and that the scholars who have the advantae.
ofits tuition become by q mysterious process,
heroes and statesmen. The report shows tina,
West Point does not enjoy this blessed dispeu.
sation. 1t is simply an ordinary school. and ia
pupils are ordinary scholars. To be sure. Wet
Point gave us Sherman and Grant and Sheridan
but it also gave us Buell. and Mcclellan and
Fitz John Porter; and before we had West
Point, there were Casarand Bonaparte and Fred.
erick. We think will be found in this military
academy, as in other schools of learning. that Of
hundred!boys one or two may have genius. a
dozen talent, and the rest ability enough for
respectable mechanics. Education NAV im-
prove, but ii does not radically change them;
and, in looking at this school as O nat6na, in.
stitution, we must lay aside the absurd notions
that have been possessing our minds. West
Point is simply school of learning, speciality,
engineering and military tactics. The boys
who 90 there are merely boys. They swear,
and 'haze," and drink, and are not attentive to
morning prayers. In the war, they have shown
about as much ability as Harvard and Yale
bat with the exception in their favor that Ha-.
ward and Yale boys were sent into the ranks to
carry musket and rise, while the West Point
gentlemen were carefully uniformed. and
begrted with swords. and taught TO belieyet that
they belonged to a privileged class. They be-
gan with promotion. The Others ended wl.hit.
The war also has illustrated the fact that
West Point boys fight as well as any otiler boys,
but no better. The complaint we have 70 iiad
with il, therefore, is that our mitary rulers
have tendency to isolate, and elevate. md
make its scholarship the test of advancement,
military shibbolcth, without which no one IAN
pass into the road that leads to distinction. 1t
has large staff of offces-snug easy, attslc.
tive sinecures: and here all the military pe,s srs
sent to rusticate to draw large salaries, and
teach the young gentlemen around them that
the army is theirs; that they are born % com.
mand. Hence, West Point has become tbs
representative of all that is slow ami anti
progressive and decaying in our armies. Whea
it proposed to conquer the Rebellion. it gsvs
us to understand from the beginning that it
would conquer it in its own way; that
it was going to fight the South with gioTes;
that its wars were to be bookbattles, and Tat
the Southerners were gentlemen to be assail,d
tendcrly gently, and with purpose to kill as
few as possible, and, above all things, to hurt
nobody's feelings. SO West Point began 10y
forbidding the Hu;chnsons to sing Mr.. Whit
tiers songs, and placing guards around the Re.ei
corn and cattle. No one knows where wa
would be now ii a spirit greater than West
Point had not driven it to the very nont.
Sherman and Grant represent regcncratca West
Point. purified and strengthened by thc people.
We should be perfectly satisfied il, the West
Point buildings and grounds could be.conTcrted
into hospital or iniirmary, and efforts made
to induce our colleges to introduce the art Of
war among the arts and sciences they teach.
The idea that boys ofone school are permitted
TO form class ont of which all the officers Of
great army shall come-that. because they hap
pen TO be friends Of Congressman, they shall bs
educated for nothing and graduate into com.
mand, while Yale boys and Harvard boys ara
to go down into the ranks and serve.
is unjust. We maintain that it does
not Great. a military spirit. Il rather
creates a military CASA small, narrow
minded aristocracy-growng more and moU
ignorant and exclusive every year-and as apt
10 fail in the hour OF trial as remain true to
the country. We do not imagine, howevef
that any steps will be taken toward this end
We have got West Point, and must make the
best of it, and we do not see any better wag
than by following the report of the Committee
We do not indorse the recommendation TO in'
crease the number of cadets nor do we see any
proprety in raising the standard Of scholar
ship. If the Government is disposed 70 'eaca
the boys anything, it might as well teach them
grammar and geography. Grammar especiaHy
might be adyantagcously studied-ior Some@
the worst writing in the war has come from
West Point. sherman seems to be the Only
military man who has shown more than "'dr
nary powers in that respect Competitive eE
ominalions would make the appointments 'aIT"
but we have no idea that the Congressman ITO
coinr 10 surrender their patronage. We als"
agree that when students show themselves "''P'
lesSly stupid they should be dismissed. II InaA''
little difference whether the superlh'fH'e"'