Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-08
Letter from Washington.
lFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. Q, 1871.

DISCIPLINE Al WEST POINT
The condition of this institution is likely to
be ventilated ere the week is over. The militia
ny subcommittee, who were directed to invest
gate and report thereon, have completed their
labors, They have not quite finished their re-
port, though the draft has been discussed and
agreed upon, Their examination shows bad
state of affairs, though | hear it is not much
worse than ordinary, only there is more atten-
ton turned to it. The Subcommittee consisted
of Messrs. Asper, Packard and Slocum, the lat
fer being, as is well known, II West Point grad
uate himself He agrees with Col. Asper in
recommending the severest punishment for the
offence Of which the first class has been guilty
that of dismissal, while Packard would stop
short of that, censuring them all by name, con.
fning each cadet to the academy grounds for
the balance of tae term, stopping their
pay and three months Through granted
upon their graduating. One would sup
pose this to be severe enough, but when it is
remembered that the first class cadets are the
cadet officers also, it seems hardly sufficient for
the acts preiudlcial to good discipline of which
they have BEEN guilty. 1t appears that virtual
omnipoten. with the officers and instructors of
the academy. A friend who was cadet with
Grant, says that that was his experience there,
and it has always seemed a prerogative of the
cadets who for the time being reach the honors
of the first class. The committee, however, con-
slider that this very position renders their con-
duct still more prejudicial to all proper authori-
t1,a rir,4a md Otbo
officers of the academy, have acted in the opinion
OF the committee, as if they really believed that
the first class had done an act morally right,
but technically wrong. In fact they do
excuse them on account of motive,
which was their determination to punish
lying, which was growing too common
among the cadets. How much this had to do
with it can be judged from this fact. The ring
leader of the riot, is or was cadet captain Of the
company, of which Baird, one of the mobi ed,
was member. Yet this captain, who headed
mob to drive another from the academy in the
cold of winters night, because his moral
sense revoted at the regeneration of which
Baird had been guilty, stood by next morning
and allowed the boy in his hearing to be reported
Justification of the record, but putting the most
infamous stigma on the character of his victim.
The excuse made (and in itself lit is the best
possible evidence of the want not alone proper
discipline but of the first essential of a soldiers
duty-obedience to authority: is that so many
offences had been condoncd here in Washington,
by remission of court-martial sentences, that
the class themselves felt it necessary to make
examples. Can insubordination reach much
higher degree than this? The value OF this ex-
cuse is seen in the statement now made, Cadet
Grant has been very active in procuring these
remissions, yet he was one of the ringeaders in
the late affair. l am afraid there is some one at
the White house who has too indulgent regard
for this young gentleman. He is said to he one
of the ioIliest of "boys," kind and generous, be-
hind in his studies, foremost in drill and athet-
ic exercises, and standing "A1" as the prince
of good fellows. But there is all the more
reason why parental indulgence should be re-
strained.
The general impression is that the committee
will report to the house in favor of dismissing
the offending class, removing the present board
the government of the academy, examination
proving that many of the regulations are OPP
pressve, visiting trivial and merely boyish
offences with great severity, and allowing little
| graduation of punishment. Though they don't
| treat of it, there is little doubt but that the
| feeling aroused among these young gentlemen
by the appointment of the colored cadet,
shared in, as it undoubtedly has been,
by the officers of the academy, has had
very much to do with the sympathetic relaxation
and looseness of discipline which evidently
exists in the academy. These military patri-
cians while obeying orders, are in their hearts
extremely indignant at what they consider an
outrage. Hence it is not surprising that they
wink at what takes place among such of the
cadets as by seniority are about to graduate.
1t would take but little more to induce the
house to vote for the abolition of the institution
and the transfer of similar instruction to the
military departments of the state agricultural
colleges. There will be a spirited debate, and
the report will probably be made about Wednes-
duy next OBSERVER.