New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-15
THE HHITTAKkR CASE.

IL the tone of the press is an indication Of pop
ular feeling throughout the country, the public
are determined to show fair play in this West
Point matter There is a marked public disln-
clination TO believe the cadets guilty, and just
as much unwillingness to believe that Whitta-
ker injured himself. There would be general
relief If the thing could be fastened on some
outsider. The truth is that the well established
popular faith in the honorable training given at
West Point Is hard to overcome the ancient
prejudice still clings to us that to be soldier
man necessarily must be q gentleman. The
people believe and want to believe that the lads
who are to carry our arms into the field here
after are.being taught now to be truthful, brave
protectors of the weak. The officers at West
Point cherish this old tradition Of their class
enough apparently tO make them hold 1t i'm
possible for O cadet to lie; as they offered the
simple denial of the cadets as satisfactory proof
of their innocence.
The public are just as 10th to believe Whit
taker guilty. There remains, since the enthusi
astic days of early emancipation, good deal of
popular sympathy with the colored man who is
trying to elevate himself, He does not prob
ably get tue money or Outspoken encourage
ment of those early days he Is left to fight his
own way. But the sympathy for him goes far
enough to demand fair field for him. There
has been too much eagerness shown at West
Point by his fellow cadets (and by General
Schofield, toO) to presume Whitaker guilty
of this base idiOtiC. act Of cOwardice, sim
ply because lie was cOlOred. Indeed VIC ques-
ton whether, if he had been white, the whole
conduct of the trial by the officials would have
been, as it now is, to hold him as the accused in
stead of the accuser. So far, this treatment has
resulted to tue advantage of the colOred boy.
His simple, direct, accomplishing bearing has
not been that Of the dastardly, tricky scoundrel
who could conceive and carry out such plan.
He has been bitterly wropged, and has had q
chance to whine about his wrongs before the
whole country, and he has not done It. II he
should be proved guilty, the effect upon public
sentiment against his race will undoubtedly be
considerable. But it will only be just to re-
member that the lad was sorely tried, and that
Others of his color have borne the same trial
like men.
Whether the guilt be fastened upon Whit
taker or the cadets, there can be but one Opin-
ion among well-bred or right-feeling people, as
to this trial thus forced upon the cOlored boys
at West Point and Annapolis by their fellow
students. There is not q young man at either
of these schools who does not know what intol-
cradle torture such treatment would be to him
self, when continued throughout all the years
of his boyhood and the fact that among all
these lads there has not been one who had the
courage to be merciful or kindly proves that
the ruling tone of morals and breeding in both
places Is that Of the vulgar snob rather than
the brave and gentle gentleman whom we
fondly imagine our soldiers to be. Let us even
admit that there is q strong instructive an
tagonism Of color. 1t was not necessary that
these boys should make intimate friends of