henry ossian flipper-第40节

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　not　less　by　his　ready　and　intelligent　recitation　than　by　his　modest；　unassuming；　and　gentlemanly　manner。　There　is　no　doubt　that　he　will　pass；　and　he　is　said　to　have　already　ordered　a　cavalry　uniform；　showing　that　he　has　a　predilection　for　that　branch　of　the　service。〃

The　class　was　next　examined　in　law。　In　this；　also；　I　exceeded　my　most　sanguine　expectations；　again　〃maxing　it〃　on　a　thorough　recitation。　My　subject　was　〃Domicile。〃　Senator　Maxey；　of　the　Board　of　Visitors；　questioned　me　closely。　The　Bishop　of　Tennessee　left　his　seat　in　the　board；　came　outside　when　the　section　was　dismissed；　and　shook　my　hand　in　hearty　congratulation。　　These　were　the　proudest　moments　of　my　life。　Even　some　of　my　own　classmates　congratulated　me　on　this　recitation。　All　that　loneliness；　dreariness；　and　melancholy　of　the　four　years　gone　was　forgotten。　I　lived　only　in　the　time　being　and　was　happy。　I　was　succeeding；　and　was　meeting　with　that　success　which　humble　effort　never　fails　to　attain。

The　New　York　Tribune　joins　in　with　its　good　words　as　follows：

　　　　LIEUTENANT　FLIPPER；　THE　COLORED　GRADUATE　OF　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WEST　POINT。

〃The　examination　of　the　first　class　in　law　will　be　completed　tomorrow。　The　sections　thus　far　called　up　have　done　very　well。　　The　colored　cadet；　Flipper；　passed　uncommonly　well　this　morning；　showing　a　practical　knowledge　of　the　subject　very　satisfactory　to　Senator　Maxey；　who　questioned　him　closely；　and　to　the　rest　of　the　board。　He　has　a　good　command　of　plain　and　precise　English；　and　his　voice　is　full　and　pleasant。　Mr。　Flipper　will　be　graduated　next　week　with　the　respect　of　his　instructors；　and　not　the　less　of　his　fellows；　who　have　carefully　avoided　intercourse　with　him。　The　quiet　dignity　which　he　has　shown　during　this　long　isolation　of　four　years　has　been　really　remarkable。　Until　another　of　his　race；　now　in　one　of　the　lower　classes；　arrived；　Flipper　scarcely　heard　the　sound　of　his　own　voice　except　in　recitation；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　that　unless　he　is　detailed　at　Howard　University；　which　has　been　mentioned　as　possible；　his　trials　have　only　begun。〃

The　class　was　next　examined　in　civil　and　military　engineering。　In　this　also　I　did　as　well　as　in　either　of　the　other　studies。　I　made　a　thorough　recitation。　I　was　required　to　explain　what　is　meant　by　an　〃order　of　battle；〃　and　to　illustrate　by　the　battles　of　Zama；　Pharsalia；　and　Leuctra。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　COLORED　CADET。

〃Flipper；　the　colored　cadet　from　South　Carolina；　was　up　this　afternoon　and　acquitted　himself　remarkably　well。　Some　time　since　he　was　recommended　for　a　higher　grade　than　the　one　he　holds；　and　his　performance　to…day　gained　him　a　still　higher　standing　in　the　class。〃

In　ordnance　and　gunnery　the　class　was　next　examined。　In　this　I　was　less　successful。　I　was　to　assume　one　of　Captain　Didion's　equations　of　the　trajectory　in　air；　and　determine　the　angle　of　projection　represented　by　phi；　and　the　range　represented　by　x　in　the　following　equation：

　　　　　　　　　　　　y　=　x　tan。　phi　…　gx2/2V2　B；

and　to　explain　the　construction　and　use　of　certain　tables　used　in　connection　with　it。　I　made　a　fair　recitation；　but　one　by　no　means　satisfactory　to　myself。　I　lost　four　files　on　it　at　least。　A　good　recitation　in　ordnance　and　gunnery　would　have　brought　me　out　forty…　five　or　six　instead　of　fifty。　I　did　not　make　it；　and　it　was　too　late　to　better　it。　This　was　the　last　of　our　examination。　It　ended　on　the　11th　day　of　June。　On　the　14th　we　were　graduated　and　received　our　diplomas。

During　the　examination　I　received　letters　of　congratulation　in　every　mail。　Some　of　them　may　not　be　uninteresting。　I　give　a　few　of　them：

POST…OFFICE　DEPARTMENT；　ROOM　48；　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　June　3；　1877。

MY　DEAR　MR。　FLIPPER：　It　has　been　four　years　since　I　last　addressed　you。　Then　you　had　just　entered　the　Academy　with　other　young　colored　men；　who　have　since　dropped　by　the　way。　I　was　at　that　time　the　editor　of　the　Era　in　this　city；　and　wrote　an　article　on　West　Point　and　snobocracy　which　you　may　remember　reading。

I　felt　a　thrill　of　pleasure　here　the　other　day　when　I　read　your　name　as　the　first　graduate　from　the　Academy。　I　take　this　opportunity　of　writing　you　again　to　extend　my　hearty　congratulations；　and　trust　your　future　career　may　be　as　successful　as　your　academic　one。　　〃My　boy；〃　Whittaker；　has；　I　am　told；　been　rooming　with　you；　and　I　trust　has　been　getting　much　benefit　from　the　association。

I　am；　your　friend　and　well…wisher；

RICHARD　T。　GREENER。


42　BROAD　STREET；　NEW　YORK；　June　4；　1877。

CADET　HENRY　O。　FLIPPER；　West　Point；　N。　Y。：

DEAR　SIR：　I　have　been　much　pleased　reading　the　complimentary　references　to　your　approaching　graduation　which　have　appeared　in　the　New　York　papers　the　past　week。　I　beg　to　congratulate　you　most　heartily；　and　I　sincerely　trust　that　the　same　intelligence　and　pluck　which　has　enabled　you　to　successfully　complete　your　academic　course　may　be　shown　in　a　still　higher　degree　in　the　new　sphere　of　duty　soon　to　be　entered　upon。

I　inclose　an　editorial　from　to…day's　Tribune。

Respectfully；　。


DEPARTMENT　OF　THE　INTERIOR；　UNITED　STATES　PATENT　OFFICE；　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　June　5；　1877。

HENRY　O。　FLIPPER；　Esq。；　U。　S。　Military　Academy；　West　Point；　N。　Y。

DEAR　SIR：　Having　noticed　in　the　daily　papers　of　this　city　an　account　of　the　successful　termination　of　your　course　at　the　Military　Academy；　we　hasten　to　tender　you　our　sincere　congratulations。

We　are　prompted　to　this　act　by　an　experimental　knowledge　of　the　social　ostracism　and　treacherous　duplicity　to　which　you　must　have　been　made　the　unhappy　victim　during　the　long　years　of　faithful　study　through　which　you　have　just　passed。

We　congratulate　you　upon　the　moral　courage　and　untiring　energy　which　must　have　been　yours；　to　enable　you　to　successfully　battle　against　the　immeasurable　influence　of　the　prejudice　shown　to　all　of　us　at　both　of　our　national　schools。　We　hail　your　success　as　a　national　acknowledgment；　in　a　new　way；　of　the　mental　and　moral　worth　of　our　race；　and　we　feel　amply　repaid　for　the　many　privations　we　have　undergone　in　the　naval　branch　of　our　service；　in　noting　the　fact　that　one　of　us　has　been　permitted　to　successfully　stand　the　trying　ordeal。

Trusting　that　the　same　firmness　of　purpose　and　untiring　energy；　which　have　characterized　your　stay　there；　may　ever　be　true　of　your　future　career　on　the　field　and　at　the　hearth　side；

We　remain；　very　truly　yours；　；　。


POST…OFFICE；　NEW　YORK　CITY；　N。　Y。　OFFICE　OF　THE　POSTMASTER；　Wednesday；　June　7；　1877。

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　Let　me　extend　to　you　my　full　gratitude　upon　your　success　at　West　Point。　I　was　overjoyed　when　I　saw　it。　My　friends　are　delighted　with　you；　and　they　desire　to　see　you　when　you　come　down。　Let　me　know　when　you　think　you　will　leave　West　Point；　and　I　will　look　out　for　you。

Very　truly　yours；　　。

HENRY　O。　FLIPPER；　ESQ。；　West　Point　Military　Academy。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　June　13；　1877。

HENRY　O。　FLIPPER；　ESQ。；　West　Point；　N。　Y。：

MY　DEAR　FRIEND：　I　wish　to　congratulate　you　upon　passing　successfully　your　final　examination；　and　salute　you　as　the　first　young　colored　man　who　has　had　the　manhood　and　courage　to　struggle　through　and　overcome　every　obstacle。　So　many　of　our　young　men　had　failed　that　I　wondered　if　you　would　be　able　to　withstand　all　the　opposition　you　met　with；　whether　you　could　endure　the　kind　of　life　they　mete　out　to　our　young　men　at　our　national　Military　Academy。　I　rejoice　to　know　that　you　have　won　this　important　victory　over　prejudice　and　caste。　This　will　serve　you　in　good　stead　through　many　a　conflict　in　life。　Your　path　will　not　be　all　strewn　with　roses；　something　of　that　caste　and　prejudice　will　still　pursue　you　as　you　enter　the　broader　arena　of　military　life；　but　you　must　make　up　your　mind　to　live　it　down；　and　your　first　victory　will　greatly　aid　you　in　this　direction。　One　thing；　allow　me　to　impress　upon　you：　you　are　not　fighting　your　own　battle；　but　you　are　fighting　the　battle　of　a　struggling　people；　and　for　this　reason；　my　dear　Flipper；　resolve　now　in　your　deepest　soul　that　come　what　may　you　will　never　surrender；　that　you　will　never　succumb。　Others　may　leave　the　service　for　more　lucrative　pursuits；　your　duty　to　your　people　and　to　yourself　demand　that　you　remain。

Be　assured　that　whatever　you　do；　wherever　you　may　go；　you　always　have　my　deepest　sympathy　and　best　wishes。

I　return　to　Europe　in　a　few　weeks。

Cordially　yours；　。

Even　the　cadets　and　other　persons　connected　with　the　Academy　congratulated　me。　Oh　how　happy　I　was！　I　prized　these　good　words　of　the　cadets　above　all　others。　They　knew　me　thoroughly。　They　meant　what　they　said；　and　I　felt　I　was　in　some　sense　deserving　of　all　I　received　from　them　by　way　of　congratulation。　Several　visited　my　quarters。　They　did　not　hesitate　to　speak　to　me　or　shake　hands　with　me　before　each　other　or　any　one　else。　All　signs　of　ostracism　were　gone。　All　felt　as　if　I　was　worthy　of　some　regard；　and　did　not　fail　to　extend　it　to　me。

At　length；　on　June　14th；　I　received　the　reward　of　my　labors；　my　〃sheepskin；〃　the　United　States　Military　Academy　Diploma；　that　glorious　passport　to　honor　and　distinction；　if　the　bearer　do　never　disgrace　it。

Here　is　the　manner　of　ceremony　we　had　on　that　day；　as　reported　in　the　New　York　Times：

〃The　concluding　ceremony　in　the　graduation　exercises　at　the　West　Point　Academy