Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-17
sHATTUC AND BUNDY.

CONGRESSMAN
gained a great deal OF unenviaoie ho'o-
riety for himself by appointing as
cadet TO the United States Naval
Academy at Annapolis colored youth
by the name of Bundy.
So far. only two colored cadets ever
have been entered at Annapolis, ana
neither of these was graduated. 1t re-
mains to be seen whether Bundy VIII
pass the preliminary examinauon' out
n he does. it is generally predicted that
he will not stay at the academy long
enough TO graduate.
Furthermore. while there he will be
social outcast, he will have no sort OF So
cial recognition from the other cadets
and must lead a detestably lonely life.
And in the improbable event that
Bundy should graduate and receive MS
commission. he would meet with even
more freezing treatment aboard the ship
10 which he might be assigned. There
are two negro officers in our army put
none in the navy, and it is said 10 De
the determination of the majority OF the
naval officers that there shall never be
any IL they can prevent IT.
Disagreeable as would be the presence
of a negro officer in any regiment III
our service, 1t would be ten times worse
aboard any of our ships. In the army
the officers quarters are not confined in
space as they are in the navy Hence
the greater antagonism TO the black OFF,
Ger in the navy compared with that in
the army.
All OF these facts are probably known
10 Rundy. but he persists in mis- purpose.
II seems impossible for MIN 10 under
ltand that the man who is willing to
submit TO the ostracism that he must
rubmit TO is not fit TO be an officer; not tit
to command men.
CONGRESSMAN Shattuc. instead Of being
considered friend of the negro, is one
of his worst enemies. For the sake CT
the race he affects to serve he would
better not have appointed Bundy. Nor
are the circumstances of the case mate
rally altered because Bun1y stood first
in the competitive examination that
Shattuc caused to be held, without any
limit as to color or condition.
1t is impossible for the negro to force
himself into the society of respectable
white people, no matter whether he is
provided or not with commission from
the United States Government. More
over, 1t will be many generations hence
IL the time will ever come-when the
enlisted men Of the navy will be will
ing to be commanded by a negro. Who
can believe that the enlisted men would
be as tractable and serviceable under a
black officer as under white officer?
Nor does this feeling of superiority
find Judgment alone in the breasts of
southerners. The cadets and the Off
GERS from the North are as hostile TO
Bundyites as the men of the South. The
feeling is of Natures ordering, and is to
be found in the breasts Of all our people.
The whites who become instrumental
in such appointments as that of 3undy's
harm rather than benefit the black man.
1t may be argued, however. that the
Bundy question is not a social question,
but one Of equal rights before the laws.
But that position Is only partly
correct; for 1t must be accepted as
rule that no officer can properly serve
his country either in the army or in
the navy when he is separated from his
brother officers by social gulf. White
men In all OF the armies and navies CT
the world have found themselves IN this
position. and have been compelled to
resign. for the good OF the se;v.ce and
Cor their own peace of mind. How. then,
can the Bundyites escape?
1t is because we are really friend
OF the negro--especially of the "old-
issue" negro--that We speak so candidiy.
II we were his enemy, we could not 90
him worse turn than to urge him to
thrust himself into the army and navy
and into general society in the face of
all sertr-of opposition, Bur not so. we
would warn him In advance while the
Shaftucs OF the land would make him
learn experience by pulling chestnuts out
OF the fire for them. That Is just
the difference between those who arouse
false hopes In the negro. and those who
tell him the plain, unvarn,shed truth.