Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-04-30
KU-KLUX AT HOME.

The impudent, sensitive and sense
less attitude of the West Point officers
in the Whitaker case, causes alarm as
well as feelings of ridicule. \ more ri
diculous exhibition is seldom seem than
that put upon the stage by General
Schofield on Thursday of last week,
when he told Mr.. Townsend that lac
was much mistaken il lac thought the
academy didn't teach a boy not TO re-
sent a blow when he received one
that "they may teach that in the Bi-
bl,, but they dou't teach it here.
Whatever il is proper for them to
teach at West Point, if their teaching
,nds TO pro luce such fIstidious aris-
,tocracy US has been exhibited in this
investigation, far exceeding any aris-
tocracy in the South, it is high time
chat the institution was either abol-
ished, reformed or otherwise disposed
OF, SO that it should no longer under
mine the healthy sentiments of our
country. That such an outrage as has
been committed at West Point should
Aave occurred in the bayous of Louisi-
ana, or the rice-fields of Florida in the
worst days of slavery, was to be. ex-
tsected. That similar outrages were
perpetrated in the heat of savage con-
4roversy with the barbarous Ku-Klux
was an established fact which was re-
ceivel with unbounded indignation.
But amid all the barbarities that have
occurred, no one ever dreamed they
would be exeelled by this. 1t is the
pride and boast of our country that
its flag protects its citizens wherever
they are scattered on the face of the
earth. But so it is that even on the
banks of the Hudson, in the midst of
the strong power of our government,
and right within one of it's own insti-
tutions q cadet is assaulted and beat
en-, hewed, hacked and disfigured, his
ears cut and torn off, and his person
otherwise shockingly disfgured, and
not a word of Indignation or censure
comes from the lips of the officers of
the institution, and the cruel and das-
tardly crime is in no way condemned.
The whole sentiment of the institution
is SO clearly thrown around the cul-
prits, shielding and defending them,
tlat the helpless victim is shut out as
Sifectually from all protection and
remedy, as if he were alone with q
crew of monsters in an otherwise unin-
habited world, and more so, for in the
latter case the contemplate and cow
Ardly villains would not have the aid
of such sickly Court, powerful only
against the weak, and 80 irate as to be
Obliged to adjourn to take soothing
syrup to recover from n shock occa-
stoned by some allusion to Bible
doctrine. No wonder General Scho-
field should Indignantly assure Mr..
Townsend that christian principles, or
the Bible had little to do with the gov
ernment of that institution, and if he
thought it had he was very much mis-
taken, 1t is fortunate for the country
that Mr.. Townsend probed deep
enough to expose to the public the real
putrescence of an institution supported
by the government itself, and for which
they are now asking an appropriation,
II the government tore down an effete
and miserable Southern aristocracy
only to rebuild it on the banks of the
beautiful Hudson, then Congress
should vote Il liberal appropriation to
carry out such purpose( But if the
principle is as contemplate in one 10
cation as another, let Congress in the
matter of this investigation and ap
preparation take heed, lest they meet
with an unpleasant exhibition of the
characterand temper of the American
people. =