New-York tribune., 1867-06-01

without going through course of military
study and practice at West Point. AS things
are at present, boys enter West Point between
the ages of 16 and 81 and, during all the years
of their stay they are cut off, almost entirely,
from all the influences that are acting upon
the outside world. They are not monks in
monastery but they have hardly any more con-
nection with their time, and share hardly more
in its growth, than if they were. 1t is just this
element of vitality, OF sympathy with their
time, wanting which, and sometimes, to their
discredit as men of education, taking pride in
the want of it-that made the popular clamor
against West Point during the late Rebellion,
reasonable Every soldier that is made there
is more soldier than he is citizen and, in
republic, this is an element of great
danger. We want man to be, first citizen,
and then a soldier, priest, or OF whatever pro-
fession. That is one of the principles which
ought to be deeply planted, firmly set III the
foundation Of our political and social system;
and it is not so founded in West Point.
We had evidences enough of this during
the war; and it was because the people came
to feel that it was SO that they leaned so
strongly to the voluntary system. In the be-
ginning, they believed in West Point. In the
end, they had lost faith and interest III 1t.
They came to the conclusion that, whatever It
might do for the intellectual education OF It's
pupils it did not turn out good serylceable
pattern of American citizen. And 1t was to get
such product that they had been paying out
money for so many years.
II NAV well be answered that the colleges
turn out young men as little ready for citizen
ship as West Point But this is only partly
true The boy who goes to college, to Har-
ward or Yale, learns a great deal beside his
Latin Greek and Mathematics. No doubt, he
learns many lessons that were as well un-
learned. But he gets a good deal of useful
experience; he comes in contact with his time,
and has an interest in events, and foresees
his share in what is being done to reshape the
world. Our colleges are, indeed, crude and
raw Just now, and the things they teach, and
the way in which they teach them, are of
little use to boys with brains, and OF no use
at all to boys without them; but The world
sees to it that her boys are taught III one way
or another, and angels and devils are busy II
the professors are not. No doubt, both these
classes of persons are to be found at West
Point and are duly industrious; but, they are
neither so many nor in such variety as are to be
met with outside. The Army needs broader
culture, and spirit of wider sympathy with
the people for whose service it exists and, so
long as it draws all its ideas and motives from
the teachings of a narrow, conservative, and
e-sided school like that of West Point, 1t
never will possess this culture nor share this
spirit.
The Army ought to be an open field, with all
its duties, pcrils, and honors free to any Anerl-
can who can perform, suffer, win them. Ample
provision ought to be made in all our colleges,
and that Immediately, for the education OF
those who are inclined that way in military
studies; and there ought to be generous
emulation among the colleges for excellence in
this kind of instruction. Let each OF our lead
ing colleges make itself as good military
school as West Point-it may easily make itself
a better-and then let Congress pass law that
any graduate of an American college who can
pass an examination in military science before
n competent board of soldiers, shall be admitted
to the army exactly as il he had graduated
from West Point. We believe that i'll propos-
ing this we shall give utterance to the wishes
of a great majority of our countTymen and we
believe that some such step is absolutely neces-
sary to neutralize the injurious influence and
break down the undeseryed prestige of West
Point.