New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-17
urEcT pDTVT 5ND WHITAKER.

General Schoticld at West Point has sent IN his
annual report in which he has at last iound an
opportunty to free his mind by good hearty
scold ON the Whitaker case. 1t is late; but the
Generals state of mind is just as hot as 1t was
at first, and he evidently labors under the I'M
preston that West Point still nils the public
eye, and that the Nation still waits GREATNESS
to know what ne thinks If Whitaker ana the
social status OF the negro. The repro0i wh'ch
he proceeds to administer to the country rs ID
temper and tone, is pretty much like that Wh'ch
an rrtated old woman at the head OF Gnu
dren's school wOuld give to her pIankish pupils
After he has land down the law as to what
public opinion should be, he proceeds loitlly
TO hint in spite OF public opinion that be ana
the other officers in charge will make the place
still hotter for the cclored cadets in future, ana
to display vulgar and insubOrdinate inso-
lence to his superior, the Secretary OF war,
by abiding to him contemptuOusly as the
" Superintendent of the War Department" who
may hereafter as heretofore show undue
kindness 20 an unworthy cadet for no
"better reason than that he is colOred.'
Ii is q pity that General Schofeld had not
prudent friend who could cheek him before he
of our Military Academy and it's officers. lie
does not seem to know that West Point as well
as Whitaker was on trial, and that, while the
guilt Of the cOOTcd boy was at worst not proved,
there was but one opinion among wel-bred,
right feeling people as to the training which
the cadets were receiving. Whether Whit
taker slit his ears or not did nos alter the fact
that the lad had been subjected to q coarse OF
cOwardly ill-treatment, precisely The reverse OF
that which We look fOI from soldiers and gem
tcmen to those weaker and less fortunate than
themselves. This is the treatment which Gen
eral Schofed tells u. has lcon too courteous
and lenient to the recent slaves"
1t would probably he unreasonable, however,
to ex ect change in a matter OF feeling or
breeding. Each after his kind" says the old
saw " the IOar to the Ion, the bray to the ass"
But man who has managed to obtain such
poSi.ion as that of General SchOfcld's should
have intelligence enough to know, at least, the
facts of the position. The Academy is not an
exclusive select school, to which aIistocratlc
young gentlemen are sent at large cost by their
parents. in order to keep them free from vulgar
associations nor is the General the head
master of such q school, whose duty is to guard
them from such perllS. Iue ScnOOl Is pald lOI
out OF the pockets OF the citizens Doth waite
and black that their sons (6oth white and
black should be taught TO stand as soldiers
shoulder TO shoulder, If need be. General
Schofe!d's salary is paid, in part, by the " re-
cent slaves" and the white pupils eat the TODD
and wear the clothes which back men are |
taxed to furnish. These considerations are
bitter, but should be salutary in their eject
The Superintendent Of West Point evidently |
his position. The habit of com |
manding the cadets has led hlm to 70. get dat |
it is not his place to command outsrie. but to !
obey the VIII Of the public. The American |
people have that biz, patient good humOr which !
belongs to strength and sound sense, but !
they have been sorcly tried OF late by the vap0r-
ing and inelhciency OF tl,is nstr1,ion. General |
Schofeld would he wise to keep himself and his
school in the background if he wishes no change |
in either.