The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-18
COLORED CADETS.
SOME REHARKs ON THE SUBJECT By
MEMBERS OP CONGRESS-,
Diverse Reports from the Congress,
aiOpAI Committee on the Military
Academy at West Point-A PrOPO.
AIllOn TO Raise tho Stand.
ard Of Scholarship.

i ,.L.f. EnIRulI Sal
WASHINGTON, January II, - Senator
Garland, on the part Of Oongressiona
members OF the Board Of Visitors to WssI
Point Military Academy, to-day submitted
a report signed by himself and Representa-.
tive ps,auother signed by senatorEd,
munds, and still another signed by Repre-,
sentatives Mckinley and FELTON,.
Senator GSrlAnd's report accompanied
the bill ameudatory OF the laws relating Ia
the Military Academy. . - - ~ /.
Senator Garland and Represent alive
Mckinley devote considerable space 10
the consideration OF the question OF ad.
mission oi C0lored cadets to the Academy,
They say they spent some time 10 exsmin.
ing the question, and In so doing took the
testimony teeYeralwitneaseS touching the
late trouble with Cadet Whitaker, In
this investigation they were led back 10
consider to some extent the conduct
bearing on the association and, In fact, the
general status OF the other colored
cadets that had been at the Acad.
envy. This was done only for the
purpose Of aacsrtaining,i II possible, whether
the Academy would prosper by the min.
Cling Of cadets ol two different races, No
solid reason, they say, can be assigned
why ColOred boys should not receive full
and equal advantages in the way OF educa.
tion, military and other kinds, with white;
bat, on the contrary, there is every reason
they ehonld. II Is q fact, however, they
say, that the mingliug Of white and color.
ed cadets on terms OF social inequality,
is subject 10 continued draw backs
and troubles which are 60 far
inherent that, In their judgment, no reRu.
lation OF law can control them. II IL be
deemed expedlent to continue further this
coeducatton In the same institution, this
disturbing cause, while repreased so far as
wise discipline can touch IT., must after all
he LETT Tor lts cure to time aud experience,
which msy result IN itsmitigatlon or com.
plete separation Of the two races In their
military education.
Senator Edmunds, in his report, ex.
presses the opinion that the standard OF
admission ought 10 be raised. The inyes,
tigation made by the committee, he saya,
convinced him that youths OF the African
race have not received the same treat.
ment, at least from their fellow cadets,
that they would have received had they
been OF tho white race, but each colored
boy had found himself continually isolated
from his fellow cadets. A prisoner Ia, soli.
tary confinement In the midst OF bis ieI.
low cadets, ,itis obvious that underauch cir.
CumstanCes coloTed boy could not succeed
nearly 30 we'll as the other boys In his
studies and In competition for the honors
Of the school or In fitting himself for
future usefulness. The tendency OF such
treatment, he thinks, would be 10 re.
press the good and develop The evil
qualities OF his common human nature.
There is no reason, he says, why two
races cannot succeed together In this 10.
stitntion as they do In many schools and
universities In this and other counties
The officers and cadets Of the academy oil
came from eyey phase Of American
lie, and meet on equal ground, and
while II may be conceded that no law can
rectity the evil referred to, he believes
that such course OF practice az has ex.
isted toward colored cadets is unjust, and
unreasonable aud unhumaue, and that IL
deserves the seyerest condemnation.
In referring 10 the Whitaker inquiry
Senator Edmunds says that the conduct Of
the case was such as 10 place Whitaker
In false light at the beginning
II, he saws the white cadets
can be exCulpaled on their mere dsClara.
tlon that they were free from com.
plicity In the outrage, the same theory
ought to apply to cadets OF the colored
race, unless It is::as. umed there can be no
presumption In existence Of truth In d
colored cadet, an assumption which he
thinks few people would be- willing ID
adopt liza denial was 10 have any effect
II ought TO have included the injured
colotod cadet as well as the uninlured
white cadets; but lie does not think well
ol the the theory In any case. Any one
who would commit such an outrage would
deny 1t. Ef.lA, 81 h 81
The investigation ought to have been 30
conducted to have made an inquiry into
the event itself and not put the youth
on qudH trial, the very person alone on
whom the assault had been committed.
He concluded by remaFking that there
Ia no instrmonntable obstacle TO q CorreC.
tlon Of the existing evils at the academy.
This might be accomplished by.the wise
Influence and example Of the officers in.
strnCtors 10 charge. II this Caunot be &C.
II should be a matteroi serious
Q inRideration whether such an Institution
ought not 10 be Absolutely abolished.
Representatives Mckinley and FELTON,
tsa Nt,atH sta Hall 4. a