The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-01-11
THE WOES OF A coLoRED CADET.
The Career ora Tawny Representative
OF SOUTH Carolina at West Point.
A Washington Dispatch to the New
York Herald says:

A Washington Dispatch 10 the We"
York HeruMsays:
James w. Smith, the colored cadet
at West Point. is agair in trouble. lie
has been the cause of no little annoy
ance to The other students ever since he
entered the Academy. All the white
cadets have quietly ignored him, and a
constant appreciation ci this fact may
have contributed 10 rerder him anything
but amiable. His requirements before
entering the Military Academy showed
tha, ne had ability above that Of the
ordinary negro, but the pursuit of his
studies ut West Point has thus far failed
to indicate any brilIiancy in him The
curriculum Of the academy is we'll
calculated to ties, the intellectual power
of any one. Tried according to this
standard, he is pronounced by uuim-
pcschablc authority tc be rather below
! the medium ability, while it is represent
ed that the higher branches Of ma;he
matics would unquestionably bother
him. 1t Is someW hat doubtful, however
whether he will have the opportunity
of finishing his course at the academy.
Twice he has been brough, before mil
itary tribunals, aud another similar or
deal is awaiting him The first was a
court of inquiry, which recommended
that he be tried on charge Of making
false statements; but IN Difference to his
! anomalous position, and in order to
live hun every opportunity, the depart
ment coudoned this, his first offence, In
the hope that the lesson would be use
full TO him. The second was a court-
martial, before which he was arraigned
for being cpgaged in an affiay, and for
making false statements. Both courts
we're organized with u special view to
entire impartially. and were composed
oi officers. none of whom were stationed
at West Point, aud most of whom were
not gra yates OF the academy On his
tria! before the general court martial.
of which Major General Howard, chief
of the Freedmen's bureau, was presi
dent, the assistant professor Of law and
ethics at the Military Academy. By re-
ouest, acted as his council. and with
such good faith and ability iha, he was
acquitted on the FIRST charge, aud the
War Department remitted the sentence
on the second. These facts demonstrate
that even handed justice has been accor
ded him by the authorities of the ins'i-
tuition, as we'll az BY the War Depart
meut. But it would seem that this
want of veracity may yet prove the ruin
of him. lie was recently reported in
the usual manner for delinquency on
drill. He made written explanation
ofthc alleged offence, and this cxpiana
tion is represented to contain uaduuo'ed
evidence of what appears to be aichron-
ic weakness Of this colored youth-fa!si-
6cation Of facts. Upon this charge he
is 10 be again arraisncd before a new
court martial, which will soon be ap-
poiated for the purpose Of trying him
Before the third and impending trlbu-
nal the case will rest altogether on its
merits. Without doing any wrong to
the colorcd cadet, it is but just to the
young gentlemen al the academy to state
that, notwithstanding the natural pre-
| iuaice against appointing negroes as
cadets in that academy. the other stu
dents did no: unnecessarily annoy him,
as some suppose they aid, but simply,
uaiesly ignored him. and refused TO
sGIiate with him. Saith vas appointed
from Seuth Caroline, on the recouulcn :
dation of Mr.. Hoge, member OF Con
1 eress from t'6lumbia. AMI Il is curions
! incident thar Id the recent election
/ Hega vas defeated for Congress by q
negro.5 asf,I
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