The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-27
Pointe FOR Yest PoInt.

49, &oAsAt1 Ats sNVoS Ohhes
The United States Military Acade7
my at West Point has just graduated
ffty-fve young men as bTevet second
hentenants in the army. These young
officers have had the advantages Of
four years thorough drill, mental
and manual and during that time
they have not only been educated,
but have been fed and clothed by the
people of the United States. The
actual advantages of such an institu-
tion, where the standard of study is
severe almost to rigor, and where
those who are able to complete the
course are necessarily well-titted for
the duties upon which they are to
enter, are invaluable to the cadets.
and should bring a remunerative re-
turn to the people who pay the bills.
For the fact may be plainly stated,
that these cadets are not educated ut
so much expense to be mere orna-
ments of society, but they are trained
to be public servants, and are even
liveried, as well as salaried, to mark
the special service to which they are
devoted. Theoretically, and some
times practically, the service is most
honorable, implying the devotion Of
the servants life to the defence of
the nation and the nations honor;
but we are bound to say, that those
who enter that service now can by
no means plume themselves upon
the prestige which once made the
service us reputable Us it was attract
i've. Disguise it as we may, it is
fact that yadicalism has degraded the
army to the dirty work of the radical
party. The officers who are stationed
in the satrapies Of the South are not
so much officers of the army as they
are policemen in blue clothes to pre-
vent white citizens from voting, and
to marshal blacks to the ballot-boxes.
Such statements arc disagreeable,
but they are not the less true. An
army marching under gallant leaders
to redeem Republic like Texas from
the grasp of Mexico is very differ
ent spectacle from an army stationed
in the State of Texas for the express
purpose of securing the return Of
carpet-bag Congressman in the radi-
cal interest. And so with the re-
naming Southern States now ruled
by military power-in every one of
them the army is used and devoted
to elect radical adventures and i'm
posters to Office by means of bayonet-
controlled ballots. Such service ne
cessarily degrades the army; the
officers of the army are lowered when
they become special policemen for q
party; the traditional theory that an
officer is necessarily gentleman suf-
fers q shock when the General of the
army stands charged with having de-
liberately deceived his superior
officer, and the charge is substanti-
ated by five members of the Presi-
dents Cabinet; and the moral stan
dard at West Point is lowered when
cadets see daily among their class
mates Vermonters and Oregonians
who are falsely entered upon the
books of the academy as cadets from
Texas and Louisiana. These un-
pleasant statements are unpleasant
facts; but they are facts to be con-
sidered, for they are faults as we'll as
facts which are not beyond remedy.
When the people no longer have use
for the radical party, that party will
have no use for the army, and the
officers in that service can rise from
their present occupation as party
policemen and be restored to their
normal positions, in which, as army
officers, they can reflect so much Gre
dit on their country and themselves.
NeU York World.
A WoNDER.-They have just re-
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