New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-08-20
The "Honor ON Cadet and Gem
tie ss8fs.o

Cadet Smith gives us another peep behind
the curtain that hides the conduct of the
Military Academy at West Point. The con-
duct Of Cadet Clark, anasthc orders Of the
commandant of the table will MT meet
such rebuke as they deserve, even from
the Republican papers of the country.
On the contrary.,wh with l6ne or two
exceptions - the Republican papers have
spoken of the dismissal of Cadet Smith, such
speaking has been accompanied with a sneer
at Smith and an attempt to show that he has
been treated as all other cadets have been
who have been dismissed. ,igl,~rt r
The Chronicle in its issue of Monday
sneers at Cadet Smith. Why should it do
so, but to pander to that feeling of prejudice
against color, which it knows is held by so
many Of its readers Such sneers az the
Chronicle INDUCES in with regard to Cadet
Smith, are cheering to the honorable and
gentlemanly cadets who cried out 6 that's
right, Clark kill the id niger ~ 'Choke
himu Y" "Put head on him!'' All because
he answered a white cadet when he offered
him an indignity. We have not seen word
in the Chronicle, rebukinn lie rutfianlv con.
duct of the cadets toward smith. 1t NAV be
that the ruflianism of the honorable and gen.
temanly cadets meets the approval of that
journal. Its known hostility to mixed schools
no doubt influences it in considering The
affair of Cadet Smith. a.,..i ..i. .s.
Upon my honor as a cadet and a gentle
man." is the favorite expression at West
Point What honor is there in the cadets
banding together for the purpose of beating
another whose only offence is in his being a
descendant, on one side, of the African race?
How gentlemanly is it to urge one cadet to
kill another, with such words of encourage
ment as: "kill the id nigger"? The con-
temptation of such honorable and gentle
manly conduct can be gratifying only to
minds completely under the control of pas
sion or prejudice. AS American citizens, as
contributors to the country's wealth, and
as soldiers ready to give up their lives in
the defence of their country, or as sailors in
our navy, periling the dangers of the sea,
the colored people of the United States, the
same as any ether class Of citizens, have the
right to the benefits ito be derived from the
public institutions Of the country. No pub
lie officer, under the government of our COM
mon country, can justly abridge the rights
or deny the privileges of American citizens
to crafty the prejudlces of one class against
another-of white man against black
man. Our public officers are to protect the
interests of all alike. In Cadet Smiths
case, invidous discrimination, prescription,
and gross wrong, were allowed by public Off
Gals. The feeling seemed to be that the ne
gro was an intruder at West Point. The
United States Military Academy was looked
upon as an institution sacred to the instruc-
ton of white youth only, by not few of
those who are eager to receive the votes of
negroes to elevate themselves to political po-
sltions, and who are quite willing to have
| colorcd soldiers stand between them and the
bullets Of the nations enemies. Sneers at
the negro for speaking Of his wrongs may be-
come brave and powerful race, and with
such an idea Of honor and gentlemanly con-
duct as the cadets at West Point have, we
will not be surprised at seeing the narrow
class Of the Republican press keeping up its
filings at Cadet Smith.