The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-14
HAzING AT WEST POINT.

| just now anything that would seem to offer
the slightest contribution In the way of polit-
ical capital Is eagerly seized upon by the Re-
publican leaders with avidity and made the
most Of possible. Thus the mutilation of
the colored cadet Whitaker, at West Point
In addition to being denounced by the Radi-
cal press as another Southern outrage, "
is hastily lugged into the Senate by Mr..
Logan, who, under the'pretense OF desire to
get at the facts of the matter, evidently
wished to open the question for debate In the
hope that the Democrats might offer some
objection to the consideration OF his resolu-
tion that would place them In an unfavorable
light before the country. II such was bis OBJ
iect he has been most sadly disappointed,
| for those Democrats who spoke upon the SUBJ
ject announced themselves as eager for any
investigation that might In the slightest pos.
sible way throw light upon the outrage. The
only Senators who In the slightest manner
objected to the resolution offered by Mr..
Logan. calling upon the Secretary of War for
any facts IN his possession concerning the
mutilation, were MIR. Maxey, Of Texas, and
Mr.. Eaton, Of Connecticut who, while admit
ting the propriety and necessity OF a rigid in
vestigation Of the affair, thought the Senate
should defer their inquiries until the result of
the court of inquiry, ordered by Gen. Scho-
field, had been made known. During the dis
cussion vigorous speech was made by Mr..
Voorhees,, In which he uttered some plain and
wholesome truths concerning the practices In
vogue at West Point He said:
l have for many years looked with wonder
upon all graduates from West Point. I have
lnnEAd them gflraf IN nf
system of brutality and barbarism, and the
wonder Is that they have passed through 1t and
Of young men. not coiored young men but white
young men. who have been driven away from
that place Of national education by system OF
conduct on the part OF their fell DW-students 80
disgraceful that Twill not attempt It's descrip-
tton; Will support any proposition for an In
vestlgaton. | will assist as far as In my power
to create public opinion against such prac-
tees. aud to humaptze and civllize II not pos
sibly Ohristianize. West Point. This ought to be
abolished. II this unspeakabIe and Internal
outrage OF which We read In the last few
days has been perpetuated, there is no length
the purpose Of correcting such abuses. even to
the extent OF abolishtng the institution. II 1t
is impossible to conduct the institution upon
civilized and humane principles. it ought to 20
down. have attended institutions of learning
Ia my earlier days. and so have other Senators
men In large numbers to be asseu bled together
and pursue their studies, and yet treat each
other as gentlemen. l know that Is possible
there must be something in this seminary of
war on the Hudson river that inspires young
men, after their arrival with taste for brutality
and blood that Is perfectly amazing. Whether
II Is because they are being educated to war
with their kidd. do not know. Whether 1t Is
But If there Is any sentiment In my heart that
Is stronger than another 1t is that Of abhor-
rance for she violence and outrage which have
SO long and 80 Of en- characteriz9d the conduct
OF the students of West Point.
Mr.. Voorhees, was followed by Mr. Burn
side, who availed himself on this, as all other,
occasions. to inform the public that he was
graduate Of West Point, and undertook to
show that the cadets of the military academy
are no more addicted to the habit Of hazing
than students In other colleges. He said that
he had never known but one cadet to be |
harmed In his life. and had never heard of an
instance of this kind before. Mr.. Burnside |
was followed by Mr.. Bruce, the colored Sena-
tor from Mississippi, who, while indorsing
every word uttered by Mr.. Voorhees,, said
that for six or seven years scandalous stories
have emanated from West Point relative to
the treatment of young men sent there and |
that he knew of one instance where young |
man voluntarily abandoned the institution
because he was unwilling to be subjected to
theoutrages practiced there. Mr.. Bruce fur
ther said that in cases of this sort 1t made no
difference whether the cadet was white or
colored, that he supported the resolution on
the higher grounds Of humanity and good
order. These temperate and sensible remarks
of Mr.. Bruce, however, did not prevent the
irrepressible Hoar, Of Massachusetts,, from
undertaking to show that the outrage was