The Washington critic., 1889-06-13
CEN. SHERMAN AT WEST POINT.
Tho old WARRIORS Good Advice to
West Point Graduates.


The final exercises attending the
graduation of the first class Of cadets at
West Point were held yesterday. The
sky was black, there were slight
sprinklcs of rain every few minutes but
over q thousand people congregated
under the trees In front of the library,
where platform had been erected and
canopy spread. At 10 O'Clock ranks
were formed for the last time, and ut
1915 the band struck up AUD Lang
Syne" and led the way TO the designated
place where officers, visitors and others
were congregated. t.
General Sherman, Senator Davis,
General Stanley, General Parke,
the Superintendent, Colonel Hawkins,
Adjutant Brown and Chaplain Postle
thwaitc occupied the seats of honor, Old
Tccumseh in full uniform. The con
gregation stood with bowed heads rs
the Chaplain asked the blessing of God
The band played "Mly Country, 'Tis Of
Thee" and the Doxology, and then
the Hon. Cushman X. Davis, of the
board of visitors, was introduced by
General Parke. and he read an ad
dress TO the graduating class. General
Sherman delivered diplomas to the
graduates, General Parke calling out
the names.
When the old warrier rose he was
greeted with long continued storm of
applause.
lie said: by the partiality of your
superintendent he has honored me with
the privilege of delivering into your
hands the diplomas you have fairly
| earned. have looked at one of them
II looks exactly like one | got forty
nine years ago. Now, young gentle.
men, after you get home and have had
little vacation--which will slip by
pretty fast, tell you-you will receive
another parchment, and that will be
your commission, which you should
read carefully and remember that II Is
pledge on your part that you will
| serve with fidelity 10 the Government.
"a little while after that you will go TO
some military post, and, perhaps, be ap.
| pointed rs quartcrmaster and commits.
sary. Then you will have TO watch
sharp and be ready when your superiors
come round and ask how many dollars
| you have in your cash-box. or how
many ten-penny nails you can put in
one keg. That's more than any of YOU
| CuH ltll, tilhht pub W hhOW npW
many is of more importance than some
of the things you study out on the
blackboard. You have got to learn to
account for everything put into your
care. There is an old horse buried
down South somewhere that / never
saw, that had to pay for.
General Stanley, here, and have
been all through the mill, boys. The
army is now merely school, but man
may learn lesson. even If he is past
20, just as If he were II, although the
young mans memory is better. Whcr
] left here, forty mine years ago, il was
just such peaceful time as we arr
having now, and we were complaining
of the slowness of promotion; but only
short time after we were ordered tC
Florida to fight Indians Then camt
the Mexican war. and in 1860 the grea
rebellion"
In conclusion, he said the American
flag was the emblem of the best country
and the best government on the face Of
the earth, and he urged the cadets to be
true TO that flag as the needle to the pole
The General then handed the diplo
mas to the boys and said few kline
words to each. The cadets marched
back to the barracks to the music ol
1.-The Girl Left Behind Me-" and there
when drawn up in line, the adjutan
read the final orders giving the gradu
ates leave of absence till September l.