Year: 1871

WEST POINT, June II. 1871.


It may be o surprise to the country at large to
know that the fatherly Board OF Visitors here dont
keep respectable hours" And vet such is the case.
and the is this These always patrarchal gen.
tlemen, however little they may have to do when
awav from Washington, AM at home or anywhere
else, can always find something to do when here
And the way they do 1t has usually indicated that II
they do not como as often as occa-
sion requires they do come quite as often
as the nations CHI dren desire. And they did so on
this occasion, although when their report Is made
which, hear, win be ready In q week or month";
there viii be divided feeling the subject, and
those who prefer to be considered as not IN con-
vent while In West Point Military Academy Will
doubtless be glad that they have been here and that
few Of them were inclined to believe that 1t Is as
much q soldiers duty TO have some knowledge OF
civilization as OF the peculiar manDuvres OF the
ancient dodgers In war;


The Visitors, as know from the statesman who
carried in the lemons as one on what their
report should be: and from my own, perhaps less
acute observation am that their differences,
which detained them In session until after one
O'Clock this morning, were such as touched the very
foundation OF the institution itself. They sat In
presumed secrecy. OF course, while discussing the
grounds OF their report And when they adjourned.
finally, this morning, donot think-in fact, know
that they were no nearer TO unanmiry in regard to


THE PROPER DISCIPLINE


for this military academy than when they first sat
The more prominent among the Board OF Visitors.
since their arrival here were DR.. B. Sunderland,
OF the District Of Columbia, who was President OF
the Board; General QuimDy, who was Secretary.
away by the report that his son on the frontier
dyingl; General A. G. Edwards. Of Missouri; Gene
Alabama; Governor Neely Johnson, Of Nevada
William Aiken, OF South Carolina, and Messrs.
Morton, Carpenter, Hawey and Burnett.


On what Is enormously believed TO De the


OLD SCHOOL


side Of the question OF discipline Senator CarpenA
ter, who add essed the cadets, was perhaps, the
leading spirit IN the nights debate He with his
friends, held that the discipline Of military
the Holy Catholic Church that Is, in so tar as to
entirely shleId the cadets from contact With the
to fight, but which they Should not know
anything about. These gentlemen held that the
the world outside West Point In order that Their
minds should be given entirely TO tactics; tina: they
should not be familiar with the fact that there Is
through occasional letters from their mothers they
should not nave personal knowledge that there ls
such an exalted being as lady In all the habltable
globe am obliged to condense the debate, which
would I'LL several numbers OF the Congressional
Globe and am obliged therefore, 10 be, perhaps a
shade more pointed than they were IN stating their


THE NEW SCHOOL


which, even as soldiers, they were likely to have
something to 40 was not OF required ana was really
educated to or to the cadets themselves. And they
also held that, even II such system Of discipline
were desirable It was not possible IN such location
as West Point not at least with the present sur
roundlngs Of the Academy. They held, therefore,
enforce their systen or discipline, they were
brought directly and irresstiDly TO one Of two con-
clusons-they must either
REDUCE WEST POINT TO TIE PRIMITIVE CONDITION


OF A WILDERNESS,


burn oil the surrounding dwellings, and particu.
larlv fna nnfal 1nVaG
villages, and place guard upon them that should
not be composed OF cadets, Tor fear OF contamina-
ting contact with rural blackberry partles) and pre-
vent for all time the encroachment or anything
even bordering upon civilization. within long can
my buildings should remain, with, OF course, CON-
Portable rooms ana p:enty Of blankets for the on
GERS and nard tack and tactics Tor the cadets
they would De forced TO do that, or else


REMOVE WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY
from Its present location 10 some wilderness West,
where familiarity with wildcats, poecats. wood
chucks and bears would enable cadet to come OUT
OF the wilderness not only solder but also re.
They claimed that II the gentlemen sent to be
educated at the Military Academy were SO weak Of
mind, so unconscious OF their duty as students
there, that occasional conversation with the ladies
and gentlemen in civil life would unfit Them for the
life or an army olcer-that II they were to be thus
easily led from the path of duty-hey had far better
remain at home


The position taken by Mcssrs Carpenter, Edwards
and Woods was thus effectively combated; ana
while they held that other than their system would
at length reduce the cadets at West Point to the





standard OF a corps OF militia, instead OF holding
them to the dignity OF military post, the others
held, with equal warmth, that the isolation claimed
as necessity to thorough military education pro-
uuced, IN many cases,


STICKS INSTEAD OF SOLDIERS,


and gave 10 the army commanders who could not
support their dignity by Keeping aoof from their
men. This the opponents OF the discipline favored by
Messrs Carpenter Woods aud Edwards held was not
wnat was desired. and was not the nablt which had
given TO the greatest commanders OF ancient and
modern armies their influence over the men they
led or their success against their loes. 1t held
that the cadet who was


FIT TO BE AN OFFICER MUST FIRST BE A MAN,
and that no man III TO lie an officer would be spoiled
by Judicious familiarity With the people he should
live TO protect.


These were the varances In regard to that por.
tion OF the report relating 10 discipline, and when
the debate had been concluded such did they con-
tlnue for / have lt on what has been good West
Point authority that While the report when made,
Will be signed by ALL eacn Will indicate his theory OF
discipline, and In some form In and outside the re-
port urge the adoption oil the change he favors This
report as Is known, Is prepared In dupcate-one
for the Secretary OF War aud the other for Congress-
These will require some time yet TO perfect; but
when they they will be found worthy of perusal,
and II the dscDline features favored by the
visitors wn6 ilvor reform are auoprcu, ie i,nnrss.
sion here Is that The cadets hereafter w be taught
that there are qualities by which soldier may pre-
serve and sustain the dignity OF an onccr other than
al entire secusion from the men he commands
and q three.inch stin cravat