The New York herald., 1870-06-08

couueolgnorsnce, ntoxtcston, Defect OF Understanding
.Arrss and Conenemsns OF Commissioned and Non.
Ioyd-cOns,a.lon and Composition Of Courts Martial
HuntDscusson OF The Seventh Eighth and Ninth Articles
Another Subject Of Examination Disposed OF
and No Cadet Yet "Found''-A bad Change
In the Spanish Course and the Reason Why
Troopers Drill and What II Looks Like
Arrival OF the Secretary of War and the
Congressional Committee.
WEST POINT, June I, 1870
The professors are getting along with the exami-
nations very rapidly, and the indications that by
the end OF this week the graduating class will have
passed its final academic ordeal in all the
branches OF study The class were examined
to-day In mneralogy and geology and every section
mad PAID Its recative compliments to the faculty by
noon, when Spanish came up for its DOSE The
study OF Spanish here is not az thorough as II might
be, but the sections examined so far show an as.
founding proficiency in the language After this
year Spanish will not be taught to the first class but
will be confined exclusively TO the third class, that Is
TO say to the class which has two years of cadet life
before 1t previous TO graduating. Attention has been
SO many times called to this
a4e VERY BAD CHANGE
from the arst moment II was proposed that IL seems
very much like repeating an old story to argue
against 1t now. The change Is very serious one,
the bad effects Of which viii be seen In few
years TO come. 1t requires very little argumen.
TO prove this. Take the present graduating
class for instance. They will leave the Academy in
week. They have studied Spanish during the past
year. In month or so many Of Them In all proba.
pify, viii be ordered TO Texas all along the bor
ders OF Mexico, where an acquaintance with the
Spanish language Is almost indispensable. Can
anybody oeny that, as far as these officers
VIII be concerned time has been IDLY spent
In teaching them the language Just before
they left the Academy Now, then. look at the
other side OF the question. The third class OF next
year VIII graduate two years from this June They will
be allowed very short time to study Spanish, and
before they graduate whole year will have elapsed
during which they Will not even be called upon 10
look into their Spanish books. They will during
that year have no occasion to practice the little they
have learned the year before and by the time they
do graduate they Will have forgotten at least nine
out OF ten OF the class will have forgotten what they
studied or as third class men. OF what value then
Is II fol the language to be taught at all II not In the
class, many OF whose members go from the instltu
ton lresh so to speak, from The Spanish recitatioL
rooms to the borders where the language has always
been found
sERvIcEABLE TO OUR ARMYp
Those WHO favor the change 20 not deny that
Spanish should be taught to the cadets. General
efforts to make the study OF the language OF the
very first in importance, and he almost succeeded
All this ne friends Of the change concede but they
retained in ihe first class on the ground
that that class has too many studies
not such terribly diiicult thing in itself to master
that its retention in the class would endanger the
proficiency OF any one man 1t. The present
method has had severe trial, and It has stood every
test well. The change can only do great harm and
no good whatever. There Is not an officer who has
been in garrison along the Mexican frontier but
knows that Captain Mayne Reid and many others
long ago lent the weight Of their influence against
the proposed change, and their arguments were
based upon experience. But the horse cannot be
made to drink when he don't want TO. There are
people mixed up In this change and VINO favor it,
who put Inc very much In mind oil the horse, as far
as blind stubbornness goes.
THE TROOPERS DRILL.
The frst class had magnificent drill In the riding
hall at five O'Clock to-day, at which the officers OF
the post, besides large number OF ladies aud gen.
was in command Of the twenty-five cadets VINO were
10 go through the exercise ne
Lot accustomed to Witnessing 1t it has something SO
positively wild and terrible about 1t that at first
imagine twenty-five cadets aiding on horses that
seem to do all that lies In their power to shake their
riders out OF their seats; horses that stand
upon their hind legs and delight to fall backwards
Just for the sake OF making
MESS HALL HASH
out of the cadet, who meanwhile doesn't appear to
be anywise apprehensive as to tile result. Horses
tnat have a notion that to turn a complete somer
4
IS the most beautiful equine feat to be Witnessed es
peciay II the cadet on his part happens to fall to
the ground just 10 make soft fall for his equine
self-imagine these animals rushing about with their
RIDERS dscharging their revolvers at imaginary ene-
mics and cutting at phantom and dead heads OF
wood with their broadswords as they whir by, and
you have faint idea Of the real excitement or the
thing. Talk about your tournaments where q rider
At aa SLOW saloP attempts to pierce ring
play as compared with one OF these cadet
affairs anal IN the riding har-a circus parade
tor, as rule, doesn't know exactly what to DO with
himself when the drill Is at It's height-whether 20
neck IN jump over the balcony to catch d horse
that has thrown his rider, for the joining In
TIE lray as long as ne can
STICK TO HIS SADDLE.
The riding OF the cadets on this particular occa
sion was splendid All OF the best riders Of the class
poorest ones, but Id defy the most most expe. i,ec
rlencsd eye TO have pointed out which man
sa aa the 1 eaSI seeY IN oyer s hs horse or
sight well worth seeing, ana / believe
General Pitcher would have done a great deal or
good mad he given timely notice OF the drill to one OF
the National Guard cavalry regiments In your city.
way as regiment mad they been present The fol.
lowing are the names OF the
TWENTY-FIVE TROOPERS
who took part IN the exercse:-Cadets Greene, Cha.
pm, Rockwell, Chaplin, Stevens Kerr, Edgerton,
Edgerly, Jerome Ward Price, Wieting, Carter, Tib.
belts, Kyle, Hodgson, Homer, BlrkMuier Milerman.
Fountain, Helm, Macdonald, Weir.
The following are the subjects upon which the
graduates were examined IN mineralogy and geo.
logy 10 day.
FIRST SECTION.
J. Burrows--Laws OF distribution OF organic refuains
2. Panrey-specimens- and copper ores.
3. Greene-Aericuiure and geology
q. Holden-In hospital, examined
5. Chapin-1hree first ages OF nature.
Weir Carbon erous age; Lyes and Tyndalrs theories
Chapn-Specimens Inestones sandstones and ipneous
rocks. - 'e'
.. Homer-Specinens--coa
q. Innan-- Classification of rocks.
TO- Rockwell -specmens-zinc lead ana copper ores,
SECOND sEcTION.
Wood-Specimens--iron ores.
Br0die-Last three ages Of nature.
Dennison-Four classes OF according To origin
er-Metsmorphism OF rocks.
Reed--C -Crystahzation.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. varieties of quartz.
Larned-speciinens-s -stratfed and retamorphic rocks
Neutrality-suspicious. ns-lavas and traps.
Dudey-Goid ana Sverheory OF the origin dis,ribu
uf gold. ~
Seyeps--Specimens-l! rocks, Gale spars.
THIRD sECTIoN
RanaoIph-srecimens,-g s,-granie--gnelss and syenites.
Brkhmer -Meamorphlsm of rocks
lves-specmens- -bornblende syenite, &C.
k!ngAbury +. rocks and trans
P0suey-Specimens compounds OF lime.
Edgerton--Depusation and Eject OF Ocean.
Carter-Four Glasses of Rocks, According to Origin,
Copbnauence OF Organic Agencies In Producing Geological
Changes
Pheps-Dykes, Veins and Uns,ra.iaed Rocks
Bomus-Temperaure OF the Earth.