Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-01-06
Washington Cor. N. Y. Herald, Dec. 80.
The C"Iorcd West Point Cadet Again In
Trouble

Warrington Cor. N. \. Herald, Dec. 80.
The C"Iorcd West Point Cadet Again In
Trouble
James W. Smith, the coored cadet at
West Point, is again in trouble. He has
been tho cause of no little annoyance to
the other students ever since he entered
the Academy. All the white cadets have
quietly ignored him, and a constant appre-
cation OF this fact may have contributed
to render him nything but amiable. His
requirements before entering the Military
Academy showed that he had ability above
that of the ordinary negro, but the pursuit
of bis studies at West Point has thus far
failed to indicate any brilliancy Ill him.
The curriculum of the Academy is we'll
calculated to test the intellectual powers
of any one. Tried according to this stand
ard, he is pronounced by unimpeachable
authority to be rather below the medium
ability, while it is represented that the
higher branches of mathematics would I'M
questionably bother him. It is somewhat
doubtful, however, whether he will have
the opportunity of finishing his course at
the Academy. Twice he has been brought
before military tribunals, and another SIM
liar ordeal Is awaiting him. The first was
a court of inquiry, which recommended
that he be tried on d charge OF making
false statements; but in Difference to his
an omaIous position, and in order to give
him every opportunity, the War Depart
ment condoned this, his first offence, in
the hope that the lesson would be useful
to him. The second was court-martial,
before which he was arralgned for being
engaged in an affray, and for making false
statements
Both courts were organized with q spe-
cial view to entire impartiality, and were
composed of officers, none of whom were
stationed at West Point, and most of whom
were not graduates of the academy. On
his trial before the general court-martial
| of which Maior-General Howard, Chief of
the Freedmen's Bureau, was president, the
Assistant Professor of Law and Ethics at
| the Military Academy, by request, acted
as his counsel, and with such good faith
and ability that he was acquitted on the
| first charge and the war Department re-
mitted the sentence on the second. These
| facts demonstrate that even-handed justice
has been accorded him by the authorities
of the institution, as we'll as by the War
Department. But it would seem that his
want of veracity may yet prove the ruin OF
him. He was recently reported in the
usual manner for delinquency on drill
He made written explanation of the al
legged offence, and this explana ton is re-
| presented to contain undoubted evidence
| of what appears to be chronic weakness
of this colored youth-falsiticatio of facts.
| Upon this charge he Is to be again arra1gn-
ed before a new court-martial, which will
soon be appointed for the purpose OF try
ing him. Before the third and impending
tribunal the case will rest altogether on its
merits. Without doing any wrong to the
colored cadet, it is but just to the young
| gentlemen at the Academy to state that,
Notwithstanding the natural prejudice
against appointing negroes as cadets in
that Academy, the other students did not
unnecessarily annoy him, as some suppose
they did, but simply quietly ignored him
and refused to affiliate with him. Smith
was appointed from South Carolina, on the
recommendation of Mr.. Hoge, member OF
Congress from Columbia, and it is a curl
GUS incident that in the recent election
Hoge was defeated for Congress by ne
| gro.