Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-08-02
That Young Niger Again.

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before stated in these columns, that
Smith has an unpleasant habit oi
battering the heads of his fellow ca
dets of the Caucasian race with tin
dippers, pokers, broomsticks, and
ether available implements Of assault
which turn up handy when the wrath
of this martial child of Guinea chances
to be reused. Should these indignities
bc repaid in kind, as sometimes
happens, Smith has, Of course, q tfe-
mendous advantage overhis opponents
inasmuch as timers have never fabri-
Gated cup nor blacksmith forged a
poker hard or heavy enough to i'm.
press his pondcrous skull. 1t is bullet.
proof 1t is chronological Gibrater.
You might as well attempt to riddle
the ,turret OF q monitor with q pea.
shooter as to concuss the Smith brain
by pounding on the Smith skull.
The young darkoy is immensely
vain of this superiority over the white
trash at the Point whose heads he
regards as mere egg shells which he
thinks it fine sport to crack. His
skull and power at butting are also
remarkable. Before he went into
training as warrior he used to win
grind d-stone chccscs on the wharf at
Now Orleans by executing flying
leap through their middle. The boy
that can butt his way through a
grind stone cheese is not pleasant
adversary. His head and energies
directed against tho pit of a brother
cadets stomach are apt to induce
asthmatic symptoms in the victim.
Indeed young Fred Grant only saved
himself from one of those fearful
attacks sometime ago by deity step
ping behind Old Dennis Mahan (the
Professor of Mathamatics) just in time
TO substitute the Prof's abdomen for
his own, When Old Dennis recovered
his breath (Which he did on the fourth
day aiter) he was puzzled to know
what to do. He couldn't punish Fred
because he was the son of the Prcsi.
dent nor Smith because he was the
son of niger And so Old Denny
pocketed the affront as best he could.
He still eats badly and complains of
frequent collie. The cadets, who are
heartlcss dogs, declare that il comes
of taking too much "butter" into his
stomach.
But, added to Smiths physical ex.
ploits and peculiarities arc some moral
oddities not altogether becoming a
gentleman of chivalry, although quite
in place and altogether to be expected
in gentleman of Africa, The young
niggcr lies uutrugcvusiy uui pospv,a-
ally. If he chances, now and then, to
tell the truth by accident, he is seized
with romorse, grows gloomy and sulky
and is not himself again until he has
brought forth a fresh batch of lies
meet for repentance. 1t is believed
that he steals chickens at night not so
much from q preternatural love of
poultry as for the pleasure of swearing
himself white in the face that he didn't
steal them. 1t is needless to say that
Master Smiths word is regarded as
quite as good as his bond, the latter
security being utterly unmarketable
Smiths last Court Martial convict.
cd him of willful and malicious lying
and recommended his immediate dis
mssal from the Academy. But Sec.
retary Belknap, in a published order,
declines to approve this sentence on
tho ground that Ibis (Smitb's) pres
ence at the Point is an illustration of
the policy Of the government Charm.
ingly frank, indeed, is this confession
and good it must have been for the
soul Of Bclknap (Which needs rcpair)
to make it. The youthful Smith has
official notice that, hereafter, he can
lie to his preccptors and butt and
"dipper" his classmates to his hearts
content, without fear. of molestation.
He won't, you see, be lying or butting
or dippcring after all, but simply scrv.
ing his country by "illustrating tho
policy" of Grants administration. He
can go carecring about tho plain, like
n billy goat, upsettng professors, and
may keep Old Dennis Mahan in state
of chronic hrcathessncss, if he chooses,
by playfully attempting to leap
through him as il he were a grind.
stone cheese, and tho faculty will have
to smile beningly on the nigger's an.
tics and Dennis beg his pardon for
gronning too loud, because, forsooth,
tho gamesome boy is "illustrating"
Grants policy. Ills larcenous appro-
priations of eggs and fowls by night
must not no longer be called thefts
but illustrations (cbcap onos we
admiD of the policy which prevails at
Washington In the disposition Of the
public funds. Should the lad of Guinea
bring on all his relations to the Point
and his mothers relations (the Dent
branch) and insist on their being
quartercd ia the houses Of the profes.
sors and fed and clothed at the public
expense we should have another capi.
tai ''ilustration" of Grants policy.
In short there is no telling where,
under tho largo charter given him by
Belknap, this versatile young artist
will end in making his illustrations"
But for Grants support and BcllS-
maps odious and open endorsement of
his violations Of honor and of tho
peacc--but for tho determination of
the Republican party to force negroes
into an unnatural social equality with
Al Il. "a "a