St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-03
Opposition to it's Establish
ment by Early Citizens Of
the Republic.
Macon and Benton's Thoughts
on the Policy of a Mill
tary School.
A Glance at It's Results During
Seventy Years Of Our
History.
Danger to the Republic Turks
Behind an Exclusively
Military Caste.

The case Of Private Wild and Lieut..
Steele has revived interest in, and agi-
tation of, topic as old as the republic.
Scarcely had the War of the Revolution
terminated when the proposal was made
to found a military academy. In one of
his earliest messages to congress Wash
ingtOn. first president Of the United
States, recommended the establishment
of such an academy, although it is only
Just to the father of his country to say
that he never contemplated a school
after the plan of the one existing to-day
at West Point.
WashingtOn's idea was to select young
men from the ranks of the army-pri-
Yates and nOn-cOmmiSSiOned officers who
showed special aptitude in military
affairs, but who had lacked the advan-
tage of higher education, and place
them for period as cadets at an acad
envy where they might be grounded in
the elements of such education as would
help to make them more efficient
soldiers. But it almost goes without
the saying that the man who received
all the training necessary to lit him to
lead the armies of the infant republic in
Its first struggle by hard knocks in the
field of colonial warfare, never dreamed
of closing The avenues to the highest
military preferment to the lowest and
most obscure private in the ranks.
Washington, although born Of the to-
bacco aristocracy of colonial Virginia,
was thorough republican and had the
largest patriotic faith in the people to
produce leaders in the administration Of
military as well as civil affairs.
Directly after the war of 1912, while
the military spirit was strong in the
breasts of the people, West Point acad-
envy was established. But the law au-
th0riZing the creation of SuCn school
was not passed without heated and VIC
lent opposition. And this opposition
was not confined to any particular Sec
ton of the country. Congressman from
the North and the South advocated and
opposed the creation of the school. The
opposition continued for many years
after the school was established, and
found vent usually in
A STRENUOUS FIGHT
against the annual appropriation for It's
support. When Thomas II. Benton,
thirty years senator from Missouri (from
1920 to 1850 entered the national coun-
ellis he found this opposition to the
military academy at West Point and
the naval academy at Annapolis at its
height, and at once entered the ranks as
an enemy of the SchoOlS-continuing
that opposition as long as he remained
in the senate. In his review of the stu
alton in 1920 he quotes approvingly the
following letter from MI. Macon, of
North CarOlina:4
"Why does the army Of late years de-
Sert more than formerly? Because the
ntfi 10 hnnn q
Point and not among the people. Sol
dierS desert because not attached to the
service or not attached to their Off GERS.
West Point cadets prevent the promo
ton of good sergeants, and men cannot
like a service which denies them pro-
motion, nor like officers who get all the
commissions. Increase of pay will not
cure the evil, and nothing but promo
ton will. In the Revolutionary army
we had many distinguished officers who
entered the army as priyates.
Mr.. Macon was one of the most prom
inent of our early statesmen. He served
as private soldier in the War OF the
Revolution, refusing the offer OF a COM
! mission, preferring to be actuated by no
| motive other than pure and unseifiSh
patriotism. He also refused all pay
| and emoluments, and later declined to
receive pension which was voted to
him. He served twenty-five years in
| the lower house of congress (siX of
| which he was speaker) and twelve years
| as senator from the state of North Caro-
! lima. Thomas Jefferson called Mr..
Macon 1.-The last of the Romans" and
| John Randolph, of Roanoke, speaks of
him as the wisest man he ever knew.
| T his letter. written after his retire
ment to an honored private life, might
be written to-day in connection with
| the Wild.Steele incident. Indeed, it
comes down to us through the seventy
| years which have elapsed since it was
| written like an inspired voice from the
| grave. 1t gives the reason why the
| countless assertions from the army have
| become the scandal of our time, and
| calls upon patriotic citizens of the re-
| public to return to the wise courses of
| the fathers. -
Mr.. Benton also enters largely upon
| the discussion of the merits and demer-
it's of the naval and military academies,
and during his entire senatorial career
| was recognized as one of the leading
| opponents of the system.
Any officer of the volunteer service.
whose fortune placed him at any time
during the civil war in intimate asSoca-
| ton with regular army officers need not
|
| separation between the citizen and the
soldier had become in fifty years. He
| discovered. if he was at all sensitive,
| that his feelings and opinions
WERE RARELY RESPECTED
| by his West Point associates; that his
| honest effort to do his duty to his coun
| try was thWarted on every possible Oc-
| casion; and he was given to understand
| plainly and unequivocally that he must
| discharge bis official functions accord
ing to the plan laid down for him by
| the regular o'igarc y, or else he would
| be forced into permanent retirement.
Amongst the higher officers taken from
civil life this was particularly
noticeable. Volunteer generals of
brigades and divisions frequently
were deprived of due credit for their ac-
| tions by what seemed to be a conspiracy
| on the part of the West Point men.
Gallant actions of graduates of the mill
| tary academy were heralded abroad; re-
| ports of West Point commanders dwelt
| with ringing elOQuence upon the small
| est doings of West Point officers. while
| greater deeds of officers from civil life
were slightingly passed over as of little
moment
These "reminiscences are not now re-
| called in any spirit Ot mere tanlt ind
| ing. but only to show that the argu-
re f%fs 81 aga n the founding Of IF the the
academy were grounded in reason,
common sense and experience, and
have been fully justified by history.
The scandal of persistent de-
sertion from the army is
provoking widespread discussion
at this time, and innumerable rea-
sons are being offered therefor. 1t
seems to me that it is not necessary to
| look far for the reason. America is fol-
| lowing historical presidents in military
matters. The nation is so lost in the
wilderness of commercial pursuits that
Americans, having no time for military
foolishness, are learning to depend
entirely upon mercenaries of foreign
birth for such police protection as the
army is supposed to give.
THERE ARE NO PRIZES
in the army life of the great republic,
and so Young men go to those profess