The New York herald., 1873-08-23
Report of the Board of Visitors to
the Secretary of War.
Comment on the Examination of Can.
didates and Graduates.
THE PRACTICE OF ssHAZING. !"
The Standard Of RequiSitions for Admission
Not To Be Lowered.
WASHINGTON, d. c., August 20, 1879

Nut ~ do uUWC[Cus
WASHINGTON d. c., August e. 1879
The Board OF Visitors to the West Point Military
Academy have submitted their report to the Secre-
tary Of War; The Board consisted Of M. Russell
Thayer, President; A. L. Chopin, OF Wisconsin; !;
Amos I. Akerman, OF Georgia; Henry B. Curtis, oi
Ohio; William T. Early, OF Virginia; J. l.. G.
AcKown, OF Illinois; James H. McMullen, OF Maine
,. W. stevenson, Senator from Kentucky; John
Sherman, Senator IRON Ohio L. p. Poland, Repre-
sentative from Vermont; John Coburn, Represen-
tative from Indiana and s. 8. Marshall. Represen-
tative from Illinois.
The Board say the superintendent, the professors
and all the offcers of the academy furnished every
possible facility to enable the Board to make It's in
vestlgation as thorough as possible. Every place
was thrown open to the Board and its committees,
and fun information given upon all subjects The
scrutiny OF the Board into the anairs OF the
Academy, It's discipline, instruction and general
administration has consequently been very
thorough.
ments which characterized the performance OF the
cadets in the various drills and exercises were
such as to reflect the very highest credit upon
themselves and upon the cOmmandant OF the
cadets and other military instructors, whose talents
and assduity have brought the corps to degree Of
proficiency which probably has never been sur
passed in the history Of the Academy. No one can
witness the military exercises Of the corps Of
cadets without sentiment OF
NATIONAL PRIDE IN THE INSTITUTION
which produces such perfect results.
The Board OF Visitors having been summoned to
West Point week in advance OF the commence
ment OF the annual examinations, were thereby
furnished an opportunity of attending the daily
Rotations OF the cadets in their several section
rooms. The members OF the Board availed them
selves to the fullest extent OF this opportunity to
observe the daily routine Of instruction in the
several departments OF the Academy. The result
OF this observation, continued daily for an entire
week, was extremely satisfactory. The ability of
the professors and instructors in all the depart
ments and that of their assistants, and their
zeal in the performance Of their duties were every
where manifest, and afford the most satisfactory
assurance that the high reputation of the Academy
IN these departments is fully maintained at the
present time. Everywhere in the section rooms
the Board observed with pleasure the great pains
stsn no nnn e mp ahd s1e a..
lesson, but that he should understand 1t and be
able to give the reasons Tor the several propositions
and processes involved in it. The average OF pro-
nciency shown IN these daily recitations was
high. Failures were rare, and the performance
Of the higher sections often admirable. The de-
meanor OF the cadets in the section room was dig
ni1ed and attentive. They were, however, ire.
quently wanting in distinctness OF pronunciation
and sometimes IN facility Of expression circum.
stance tending to confirm the Board in an opinion
expressed elsewhere in this report. namely THAT
BtructlOn should II possible be somewhat enlarged
by allowing some time to be given to literary and
historical studies and to exercises in elOcutiOn
The Board are aware that the object OF the
Academy is to give purely military education but
even purely military education cannot be said at
she present day to be complete which omits wholly
rom its course instruction in history and letters
HAYS the Board attended
THE EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSION
10 the Academy. The examination OF members
Of the graduating class commenced on the 9th of
June, and was succeeded in due course by that OF
the lower classes. The whole examination occu-
pied period OF two weeks, two sessions being
held daily, and the examination Of different sec
lions OF the lower lclasses proceeding before dis
tiDct committees OF the Academic Board at the
same time In the public examinations. as in the
daily recitatons each section Of the various classes
was examined by Itself.
The graduating class was examined in engineer.
Ing, mineraogy and geology, ordnance and gun
Of which the members OF the class with very few
EXCEPTIONS acquitted themselves with great credit
70 themselves and their Instructors and, both by
their proficiency in their studies and their solderly
behavior, impressed the Board most iavorably with
the results OF the training which they had re-
on the 18th of June the Board had the pleasure
Df witnessing the interesting ceremonies attend
ing the graduation Of the First class fOrtytwo in
number scene always impressive in Its charac-
ter, and rendered more SO than usual on the pres
the United States, who delivered to the graduates
their diplomas ana that of the secretary Of state
brief ana appropriate addresses to the class
The Board, as well by careful observation in the
section rooms as at the public examinations, have
quality OF the work OF education done at West
Point, and give
THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION
nnder topics distinctly defined.
The Board, in view OF the fact presented, earn
Of Visitors for the introduction into the course Of
Department OF Rhetoric and English Literature.
II is suggested that the present Academic Board
n
Df study, with view to the accomplishment Of
The The Tequsitions pSn @ % and Examinations H Of can.
hdates for admission TO the Academy en-
BY law candidates required 10 be between the
ages OF seventeen and twenty two years, to have
minds Of good eod natural capacity made by instrac
ton proficient In reading and writing, including
photography; in the elements OF English grammar,
In descriptive geography, particularly OF our own
country, and in the history Of the United States.
In arithmetic the various operations IN addition,
subtraction multiplication, division, reduction,
simple and compound proportion and vulgar and
decimal fractions must be thoroughly understood
and readily performed After careful consldera-
tion the Board satisfied that
This STANDARD OF REQuIsrTIoys CANNOT BE
CHANGED
with any advantage. Certainly, IN Justice to the
object of this Academy, 1t ought not to bc lowered.
try 1t cannot properly be raised. The faithful car
rylng cut OF the conditions required by law is es-
n. sentlal to maintain and gradually improve the
In the application Of these conditions
there is considerable range WITHIN
which the terms may be made easy or
severe, at the discretion Of the examiners. The
Board have been pleased to observe, however,
that in the examinations OF this year fair
medium course has been pursued The error, II
any, has certainly not been on the side OF extreme
severity. The perfect impartiality Of these ex
aTnnatone has also been quite manifest. The fact
that OF lS4 appointees SO large number as forty.
nine we're rejected on the literary examination
was surprise TO the Board, as no doubt, 1t will
be to the country The Board take occasion TO
say from their own observation on the spot that
this result is due not TO any undue elevation OF the
standard of admission, nor TO any excessive
severity in the examination, but In some cases 10
FIFE Observation-Disclosures IN MAKING THE APPOINT