Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-16

| udice of race is the most difficult to contend
against of any in this world. There is no
more such prejudice at West Point than in
The country at large, and the predelict of
equality at West Point is in advance of the
rest OF the country. The authorities at
the Academy have no voice in the
selection OF candidates, and must receive,
train and educate such as are sent there, re.
gardless of nationality, color or previous con-
dition. To discriminate in favor of colorea
boy by reason of his color is as much viola
tion of the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution as to discriminate against him.
perfect impartiality being the rule, and that
l believe the authorities at West Point have
endeavored to follow. In this connection
desire to state that in my judgment the re.
quirement that all enlisted men of the Ninth
and Tenth Cavaly and Twenty fourth and
Twenty.ffth Infantry shall be colored men,
whilst the officers are white, is not consistent
with the amendment to the Constitution re-
ferred to. All men should be enlisted who
are qualified, and assigned to regiments
regardless of color or previous condition.
Such has been the law and usage in the navy
for years, and the army would soon grow &C
customed to it. No body of men on earth
has more reverence for the Constitution and
laws than the army, and I pledge my own
and the good faith of all in the service to en-
force faithfully every part of the Constisu.
tion of the United States and every law made
in pursuance thereof. General Schofield is
abundantly able to enforce the laws and regu.
lations of the Academy.
THE FORTRESS MONROE SCHOOL.
Education at Fortress Monroe, under the
supervision of Colonel Getty, is purely pro-
fessional, and limited chiefly to the artillery
arm of the service. This education can.
not be found in another college in
America, and is valuable because the use
of artillery is limited to war on a large
scale, and it cannot be learned in our Indian
wars or in common life. When necessity
arises for artillery officers, as in our Mexican
war, and also our civil war, it is sudden and
immediate. This school costs nothing but
ordinary garrison expenses. still desire to
establish similar school for infantry and
cavalry at Leavenworth as soon as the condi-
tion of Indian affairs will admit of the re-
lease of some good infantry regiments from
the distant frontier, which I hope will occur
within the next year.
THE ARMY COMMENDED.
In conclusion, l beg to state that the entire
army is, in my opinion, as patriotic, as pa
tient, as willing to encounter danger and
hard service as at any former period in our
history. The rapid extension of railroads
and mails has much improved the general
condition and contentment of officers and
men, and they simply suffer the usual fate Of
peace in slow promotion and the apprehen-
sion of changes which never come. The
country is so large that regimental transfers
and changes are costly, and the consequence
has been that many regiments have remained
longer in remote quarters than seemed fair,
but 1 have endeavored to make regimental
changes as fast as possible, consistent with
the annual appropriations.