The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-03-09
WEST POINT
From he Grant County Herald.

From he Grant County Herald.
The proverb is, whom the gods
would destroy, they first make mad.' 1t
would seem the gods deal with human
institutions about in the same way The
madnessof slavery ended in its destrnct-
ion, and waters long pent up will sweep
away the dam sooner or later The
deviltry and outrages perpetrated by the
first class" at West Point plainly in
dictate that this pet institution is about
10 perpetrate tclo de So If this conduct
WAS merely accidental or personal to the
members IF that class, it would cause no
scrutiny into the vicious and aristocratical
principles Of the institution.
1t shame enough to the civilization Of
the United States that it patronizes but
one scaotl, and that school devoted ex
cluslvely to the fine art of mlnsiaughter
Ought not great and civilized nation, If
assumes to play the pedag gueto teach
rOmt thing else than the natural phllosn-
.'hy, engine ering and mathematics of
murder Why should military science
he the chosen subject of national regard
its teachers and pupils be supported al
Sc national expense, and all the other
psote sions and sciences be left to be
cared for by individual sacrifice md
patrlo isms Is astronomy nothing,
& ology nothing, chemistry, agriculture
Of no account, nothing worthy to BIZ
taught at the national expense, unless
8 ence can be perverted to the uses OF
destruction aud not the salvation of men
We have no objection to national
school, and universities, but we do insist
that students IN these schools sho uld be
| prepared for all other profes sions, and
not exclusively for wearing shoulder
straps and sporting a military moristache
We iuither insist that ever, body who
desires its advantages, should be as
liberty To attend thrse national schools
Or universities on the same terms as h..
would att> M the Yale or Harvard Let
The military art be taught at such uni
yersitles with Others branches and pro
fessnns, the Government supplying the
instructions and providing the drums,
afes, guns and military tools without cost
TO the student Let every one learn the
ART Of war that chooses tai do g., and
1tae military graduates. let the best be-
| haved cadets receive COMMISSIONS IN the
army. On such a plan ~ this, we should
''e able tn tnd almost in every county
1 and neighborhood some one that had
received military education ut the
aatinnal school, who could teach his
re ghbors in case off, general war The
lseltishness and narr.,wiless ami pride that
pertains to the present graduate OF West
Point would give piase To enlarged views
ana general sysn.sashT with men of
o her pursuits and professions, aud the
exclusive arlstocracy OF army officers
would be supplanted by high toned
national feeling that would respect the
aims and enterprises Of civil lie as highly
as The royal game OF war.
At present, the young cadet for four
years must >m III powder every day, hear
no music but hat Of the drum aud 6fe,see
no implements, tools or engines but such
as are employed or invented for the pur
Pose OF killing men. The only reason
God ever made men was to afford the
miiltarj profession the sport of killing
| them. Such must be- his conclusion. The
drumming cruel result OF imprlsoning twn
ar three hundred young men at West
Point for tour year.. separs'ed from all
civilized employments aad instruction
but such as has reference to the destruc-
tion Of human life, and burning up ferts
and cities by nitroglycerine, is sure to
prepare their minds for outrages such rs
the public mind, educated and developed
IN another direction, will be less and less
disposed to tolerate. The institution
ought either o be abolished, or enlarged
into national university whose military
~ lfuII ha Wv. Qx % hu Fl ,rtin n
with other professions.