New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-16
WEST POINT.
MITIGATION OF CADET sMITHs sENTBNCE-HE is
PUT BACK YEAR IN HIS ACADEMIC COURSE
HISTORY OF HIS PROSECUTIONS.

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PUT BACK YEAR IN HIS ACADEMIC COURSE
HISTORY OF HIS PROSECUTIONS.
WRsr POINT, June 16.--The placidity just
settling on the place. with the departure Of the Pres
Dental party and the withdrawal OF the First Class, was
greatly disturbed to-day by the order from Secretary
Belknap affirming the finding In the coiored cadets
courtmartial but RENTING the punishment to"a re-
ducton OF a years standing in the ecaaeinic COURSE
Perhaps however, for the better UNDERSTANDING Oh Ae
case Il NAV be well to repeat the order as Issued:
Tn conformity with the 65th OF the rules and articles OF
war, the proceedings OF the general ~
War for the action OF the President Of the United
The proceedings findings, and sentence are III,
case and believing that the ends OF public Justice wiz "
better subseryed, and the policy Of the
which the presence of this cadet In the Military hcanoy
is signal illustration, be better maintained by eon .h
tatiOn OF the sentence than by Its rgid
dismissal from the service Of the United States redne
ton in his academy standing one year Of
the next academic year. The sentence, as GUsne''
will be duly executed ": W. DIi"a ~ w.
II NAV be recoected that Cadet Smith, the first repre-
sentative OF his color, admitted into the Academy
year. and for time was subjected TO annoyance anu
persecution unparalleled IN the worst days OF hazihs
He is resoue, wellbehaved boy, and bore inc htern
able cruetes with forude II not resignation Inc boys
were mag grant and unrcasonng In their preudlces INC
officers not wholly impartial and as consequence Coor
stood at bay before the combined prosecutions OF Blood
The issue was at best mean and cowardy. All boys
at the age Of these cadets are OF the stun puihes
and towards are made Of, 80 1t h no wonder tna''
losing sight OF the unmanlfness OF whoe legion
against one, the young fellows, with thoughtiess
zeal Joined hands TO run him out" But he pre-
sented an inyincible front to all the sngs and arrows
of this outrageous fortune met disdan with silence,
abuse with scorn, and ostracsm with contempt. Even
the Caucasian spirit cannot brook indifference; ana
that friendless lad should quietly pursue the dutfui
tenor Of his way, apparently unvexed by these
ingenious prosecutions filed the souls OF his tormentors
with maevOlent amazement and they redoupled Ien
acts Of spite and abuse.
The poor lad beset ON all sides, with never friendly
soul TO take counsel O semblance OF justice
as arber at last gave way TO temper ana attempted 10
return the calow rbaldry pentifuy flung upon him.
Unfortunate lad Here was just the preext that ha
been sought He was IL is alleged guilty OF breach OF
military decorum-guty OF conduct "unbecoming an
officer and gentleman" and the same thoughtless mis-"
chieyous boys who had driven the poor haunted Lad to
this heinous ofense the witnesses and accusers
The advent independent lad OF Smiths color In
any assembage OF boys would breed disorder. aud IL
would perhaps be unreasonable to expect hgn-
spirited boys to settle down into philo-
sophie Iuiescenee and acceptance OF such
situation Cadet Smith Is unfortunately not only
odous on account of his color but repant because Of
an unhappy manner which not unnaturaly excites the
aversion OF dads deemng themselves mentally ana
socially his superior. He Is too exceeding ptter OF
speech, and retaate with full force when at
tackled by his enemies. All these things explain
while they do not justify the strong antpathy felt to-
ward him. In Justice the cadets Oo it is but fair to
saw that they treat the cOlored Lad kindly
indeed with ostentatous courtesy, hoping thereby to
tantaze Smith.
The months Of excitement and controversy, when the
general courmartia convened there Is no need to
recall At the Academy 1t never felt that he had been
fairly acquitted from the Howard trial. and the next op
portunty was eagerly seized to test the question before an
academic courtmaial The details of the trial must be
familiar to the counry-they certainly took up enough
space in the public prints at the time All the preeedents
and formaties OF military Jurisprudence were called ON
to convict this boy OF conduct unbecomng an officer
and q gentemanp The findings and sentence, sub
scrbed to by the court went to Washington last Winter,
and no word has been heard of the result until this
order OF Secretary Belknap. Meantime, public atten
tion fastened for time the Smith episode, fell of on
the expusionproceedngs Of the upper classes in which
two OF the junior class Cadets were driven out OF their
BEDS the barracks out Of the camp into the night
and the Storm they had fallen into the
Of their coOred brother, and lapsed into conduct
"unbecoming officer and gentleman" And
all the time the judges in this novel perse-
cution the lads who tortured Smith in
to madness by acts which with the most liberal lax
ty Of discretion could not consrue as being genemanly
or chiyarc Forty OF these young gentlemen who aided
u
uated with the highest honors OF the place, and de-
servedy too. No one can find stain upon them that
materially affects their character; bat 1t would seem
that Justice might be served better than by making this
boy fall back year in that Is at best unspeak
ably trying and wearing. There Is strong reason to
believe, however, that good purpose is intended to be
subseryed in this peculiar sentence Had Cadet Smith
gone on with his class, he would have been gradu-
ated a year before the colored cadet and 1t Is
suggested that his punishment is really intended to give
both lads better chance, which, to say the least,
rather whimsical Justice The lad himself asserted
is more firmly bent than resignng, and II his
friends do not find arguments to convince him he will
give up the fight and leave the victory and triumph In
the hands of his more sangune companion, Napier,
who has Just achieved entrance, who declares his
purpose OF Fighting it out on this line no matter
what the consequences. Smith has been cut" during
his entire term here he Is never spoken to save ON duty
and in the heart Of lively army OF boys really suffers
the abomnation OF desoaton. For him and toward him
blood is thinner than water and the icy side Of human
ity is ever toward him. He had just been felictatng
ARRIVAL Of ~ comrade when this last blow fell It is but
just that the authorities look upon the sentence
surprisingly enent expulsion was confidently ex-
P'' THE BALL AT "CozzENss."
Half the gories OF the Cadet Hop omitted in the
hasty dispatch OF last night It still forms the topic of
conversation The hotel which is Of the most com
modious In the country, filed, and the spacious
drawingroom magnificent with the wealth and fashion
of New-York. At midnight the dancing ceased for q
time and a limitless banquet was spread before the
throng. The class In whose honor the feast and ball
had been given were constrained by pledge from wine
or liquor and, as a consequence, there was tenn
perapce and discretion in all thingsLsaye, perhaps,
dancing which only ceased when daylight stole softly In
upon the exhausted jewellers The cadets OF the First
Glass; to-day denuded Of the bravery OF gray and gold In
the mild habiments OF the civilian, broke up in groups,
separating north and SOUTH east and west to come to-
eether again only when the country her armies
en- uasse Every OF the phaanx Of 40 have applied
cavalry vacancies and as there are nothing like that
number the present forces some must down
TO some less ambitious branch OF the service.
The Alumni Of the Academy are in expectation Of o
grand reunion saturday at which Gems Grant Sher
man, Meade, Mcclellan, and nearly 100 other distn-
gushed graduates, will be present The grand dinner
will be given at "CozZenss" and the occasion made