Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-06-13

clSeS az W est Point concluded to-day.
When the graduating class of 2S3 received
diplomas the diplomas were handed the
cadets by Secretary Lincoln, who made a
brief remark to each.
Gen. Terry made an annual address, which
was as follows:
To me has been confded the pleasant
duty of bidding you welcome to the ranks
of the officers of the army; the duty Of
meeting you on the threshold and giving
to you a cordial greeting from those who
will hencaforth be your comrades and your
friends; the duty of bringing to you their
congratulations that you have finished your
probation here and that you are from this
time TO take your places as men among
men to do your share of the work of the
world.
1t were scarcely possible to deny good
wishes to anybody of young men just en-
tering upon their career filled with youth
full hopes, youthful aspirations and youth
fUl enthusiasm, with eyes fixed on a future
ii which they see all of the sunshine of life
and none oilts clouds; but to you who now
become members of the same brotherhood
with ourselves; TO you who are to share cur
work: who are, perhaps. to share with us
common hardshlps. privations and dan
gers; who, possibly, are to participate with
Us III future triumphs; TO you who are to
fill the places which we now fill when we
shall have passed away, we offer more than
good wishes; we offer our friendship and
our sympathy, and we bid you GOD speed
upon your way.
You are entering upon your profession
with great and singular advantages; you
enter 1t as graduates of a school of which
II Is di-hcug to speak with just apprecia-
tIon without falling into what might seem
to bs the language of discriminating
praise. Founded in the early years of the
government, IL mas grown and developed
with the growth and development OF the
nation. From humble beginnings it has
become one OF the most prominent OF the
military schools of the world. It has rem
derea inestimable service to the country
1t has sent cut its thousands of graduates
as il now sends you out: instructed,
trained and disciplined, prepared, each in
his sphere and according to his degree, to
organize the strength and to lead the men
of the nation in defense of the nation.
What has been achieved by its graduates
IS told on broad and brilliant pages of the
history of the past.
military schools are a necessity. It was
otherwise in the days when
the weapon was a club, and rude strength
and courage alone were needed to make
warrior. Eut now, when the art OF war
lays under contribution nearly every
branch of human knowledge and
bends 20 It's purposes every new discovery
IN physical science and every improve
IL, -,
fails to maintain Institutions for the III
strUctiOn OF its officers is but half armed.
Indeed It were to exaggerate TO say that il
Is half armed. Il IS true that knowledge
is knowledge however, il may be obtained;
It Is true that much of that which goes to
make up the education of soldier; very
much Of that which has been taught to you
here is part Of every scheme of liberal
education; ii is true shat in this age, better
than the age Of gold, The
age Of leaden types, books.
from which may be obtaiHed the theoretic-
al knowledge that the soldier needs, are
the common property OF ali who read the
languages in which they are written they
are not monOpolized by schools. Many
meu 90 acquire by study in other institu-
tions OF learning, or even by private study,
knowledge which belongs exclusively to our
profession. Even this technical knowledge
might lie Obtained elsewhere, though not SO
well and 50 thoroughly as here, where it is
Systematically taught But what induce
menc Is there for men engaged in the ordi-
nary locations Of life to acquire this tech
nicaI knowledge, and what security can
government have that any men will obtain
LODI z Ho OF r.
case Of need, unless il makes provision it.
self for imparting it? An what safety can
any nation have if it does not make such
provision? If it does make such provision
we have the military school.
ParadoXicaI as it may appear, the more
pacific nation is, the less frequent the
wars in which it engages, the more it needs
institutions for military education. Ma
lions, who from their situation and their
relations with their neighbors are com
PEELED to keep constantly on foot large
armies and who, through misfortune, or
perhaps through ambition, are frequently
involved in war, are better able to dispense
with schools of theoretical military in
struction than those whose happier fate is
to be nearly always at peace. War is itself
q school of the sternest and most thorough
the military art, but 1t practices also. The
army, which is often engaged in war,
which frequently puts in practice the
theory Of the art, preserves the knowledge
Of the the theory and instructs the recruits
which from time to time swell it ranks, at
Least il the practice And, after all, the
utility Of the theory is only that the prac.
tice may be perfect. Bat that fortunate
nation whose situation upon the earth, or
whose temper preserves it ordinarily from
the last and worst of calamities-armed
conflict with its neighbors-that main
tains no large armies III which and bv
which military knowledge, both theoreti-
cal and practical, can be preserved and
handed down from generation TO genera
ton, must, if 1t would not disregard utterly
the teachings of history and the expert
ence Of the ages, provide special means
for the perpetuation of that knowledge
without which armies cease to be armies
and become mobs, without which the
bravest and most patriotic of its people
are completely at the mercy of trained
and instructed soldiers. In other words
It must maintain military schools.
1 quote the recently uttered words OF
of enc of the most eminent of Americans
one who is also most distinguished grad
uata of this aoa5emv. thew sum mn +be