henry ossian flipper-第45节

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se　formal　exercises　were　over；　Mr。　Flipper　came　down　from　the　rostrum　and　welcomed　his　friends　by　a　hearty　shake　of　the　hand；　then　all　supplied　the　wants　of　the　inner　man　by　partaking　of　cream；　cake；　and　lemonade；　which　were　so　bountifully　supplied。　The　evening　was　certainly　a　pleasant　one；　as　delightful　as　one　could　wish；　and　I　presume　there　was　no　one　present　who　did　not　enjoy　himself。　In　addition　to　what　has　already　been　mentioned　the　occasion　was　still　more　enlivened　by　the　strains　of　sweet　music。　The　exercises　of　the　evening　being　concluded；　the　distinguished　guests　departed　each　one　for　his　home。　Lieutenant　Flipper　spent　some　days　in　New　York；　and　during　this　visit；　as　he　tells　me；　ex…Secretary　Belknap　sent　him　a　written　invitation　to　call　on　him。　This　he　did；　and　was　received　very　cordially　and　congratulated　on　the　victory　achieved。　He　spoke　of　the　pros　and　cons；　and　seemed　anxious　that　success　might　attend　his　footsteps　in　all　the　avenues　of　army　life。　That　Belknap　is　interested　in　the　young　soldier　and　desires　his　success　I　do　not　deny；　but　whether　the　ex…Secretary　would　have　given　him　any　assistance　when　in　his　power　is　a　question　I　shall　not　presume　to　answer。〃


　　　　　　　　　（From　the　Atlanta　（Ga。）　Constitution。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FLYING　AROUND　FLIPPER。

　HIS　RECEPTION　UPON　HIS　RETURN　HOMEEAGERNESS　TO　SHAKE　　　　　THE　HAND　OF　THE　〃BAD　MAN　WID　DE　GUB'MENT　STROPS　　　　　　　　　ON！〃A　SOCIAL　RECEPTION　ON　MONDAY　NIGHT。

〃'Flip's　done　come　home！'　was　the　familiar；　and　yet　admiring　manner　in　which　the　young　negroes　about　town　yesterday　spread　the　information　that　Second　Lieutenant　Henry　O。　Flipper；　of　the　Tenth　Cavalry；　and　the　first　colored　graduate　of　the　United　States　Military　Academy　at　West　Point；　had　arrived。　His　coming　has　created　quite　a　sensation　in　colored　circles；　and　when　he　appeared　upon　the　streets；　last　evening；　taking　a　drive　with　his　delighted　father；　he　was　the　cynosure　of　all　the　colored　people　and　the　object　of　curious　glances　from　the　whites。　The　young　man　had　'been　there　before；'　however；　and　took　all　the　ogling　with　patience　and　seeming　indifference。　Once　in　awhile　he　would　recognize　an　old　acquaintance　and　greet　him　with　a　smile　and　a　bow。

〃The　last　number　of　Frank　Leslie's　Illustrated　Newspaper　contains　an　excellent　likeness　of　Flipper；　dressed　in　his　cadet　uniform。　His　features　betray　his　intelligence；　and　indicate　the　culture　which　he　has　acquired　by　hard　study。　His　arrival　here　was　the　occasion　of　a　buzz　about　the　Union　depot。　His　parents　and　a　number　of　intimate　friends　were　present　to　receive　him；　and　the　scene　was　an　interesting　one　to　all　concerned。

〃'Dat's　him！'　said　a　dozen　of　the　curious　darkeys　who　stood　off　and　hadn't　the　honor　of　the　youth's　acquaintance。　They　seemed　to　feel　lonesome。

〃'He's　one　ob　de　United　States　Gazettes！'　shouted　a　young　darkey；　in　reply　to　a　query　from　a　strange　negro　who　has　moved　here　since　Flipper　went　away。

〃But　the　young　officer　was　speedily　spirited　out　of　the　crowd　and　taken　home　to　his　little　bed　for　a　rest。

〃On　the　streets　he　was　greeted　by　many　of　our　citizens　who　knew　him；　and　who　have　watched　his　career　with　interest。　His　success　was　complimented；　and　he　was　urged　to　pursue　his　course　in　the　same　spirit　hereafter。　Among　his　colored　friends　he　was　a　lion；　and　they　could　not　speak　their　praises　in　language　strong　enough。

〃A　darkey　would　approach　the　young　man；　cautiously；　feel　of　his　buttons　and　clothes；　and　enthusiastically　remark：　〃'Bad　man　wid　de　gub'ment　strops　on！'

〃These　were　the　expressions　of　admiration　that　best　suited　the　ideas　of　his　delighted　acquaintances。　They　will　give　him　a　reception　on　Monday　night　next；　at　which　all　his　friends　will　be　present；　and　some　of　our　leading　white　citizens　will　be　invited　to　be　present。

〃We　will　try　and　give　the　young　man's　views　and　experiences　in　tomorrow's　issue。〃

This　paper　is　noted　for　its　constant　prevarication。　Whatever　it　says　about　negroes　is　scarcely　worth　noticing；　for　be　it　in　their　favor　or　not　it　is　almost　certainly　untrue。　My　〃delighted　father〃　was　not　within　three　hundred　miles　of　Atlanta　when　I　reached　that　place。　I　did　not　appear　on　the　streets　in　uniform　for　several　days　after　my　arrival；　and　then　only　at　the　request　of　many　friends　and　an　officer　of　the　Second　Infantry　then　at　McPherson　Barracks。

　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　Atlanta　（Ga。）　Republican）

〃Lieutenant　Flipper　arrived　in　our　city　last　week　on　a　visit　to　his　friends。　His　father　lives　in　Thomasville；　but　he　was　educated　in　this　city。　His　intelligence　and　manly　course　has　won　for　him　the　praise　of　even　the　Bourbons。〃

　　　　　　　　　　（From　the；　Atlanta　（Ga。）　Republican。）

〃We　acknowledge　the　courtesy　of　an　invitation　to　a　reception　given　to　Lieutenant　H。　O。　Flipper　of　the　Tenth　Cavalry；　by　his　colored　friends　in　Atlanta。　Circumstances　beyond　our　control　prevented　our　attending。

〃We　are　informed　it　was　a　pleasant　affair；　and　that　Lieutenant　Flipper　embraced　the　opportunity　to　give　something　of　his　four　years'　experience　at　West　Point；　and　to　correct　some　of　the　misstatements　of　the　Atlanta　Constitution　concerning　the　treatment　he　received　while　a　cadet　at　the　Military　Academy。　An　article　alluding　to　this　subject　has　been　crowded　out　this　week；　but　will　appear　in　our　next　issue。

（From　the　Augusta　（Ga。）　Chronicle　and　Constitutionalist。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　FALSEHOOD。

〃The　Cincinnati　Gazette　says：　'Lieutenant　Flipper；　the　young　colored　man　who　is　guilty　of　having　been　graduated　with　credit　from　West　Point；　continues　to　be　the　butt　of　Georgia　Democratic　journals。'　We　would　like　to　know　where　the　Gazette　gets　its　information。　Flipper　has　been　treated　with　nothing　but　kindness　in　Georgia。　Wherever　he　has　reviewed　the　colored　military；　accounts　of　the　reviews　have　been　published；　but　we　have　yet　to　see　a　single　word　in　a　Georgia　paper　in　disparagement　or　ridicule　of　the　colored　graduate。〃

Witness　the　following　from　the　Atlanta　Constitution：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FLIPPER　AS　A　FRAUD。

FREEMAN'S　PROTEGE　ON　SOUTHERN　CIVILIZATIONHE　TALKS　　AT　THE　RECEPTION　AND　MAKES　OF　HIMSELF　AN　ASSTHE　ANOMALOUS　CREATURE　ON　EXHIBITIONHE　SHOWS　THE　CLOVEN　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FOOT。

〃Last　night　the　colored　people　of　the　city　gave　a　'reception'　to　Flipper；　of　the　United　States　Army。　They　did　this　from　a　feeling　of　pride　over　the　fact　that　one　of　their　color；　a　townsman；　had　succeeded　in　attaining　his　rank。　They　doubtless；　little　suspected　that　he　would　make　such　use　of　the　occasion　as　he　did。　More　than　one　of　them　so　expressed　their　feeling　before　The　evening　ended。　The　relations　between　the　races　in　this　city　have　for　years　been　such　as　to　make　remarks　like　those　in　which　Flipper　indulged　not　only　uncalled　for；　but　really　distasteful。　They　are　not　to　be　blamed　for　his　conduct。

〃The　crowd　that　gathered　in　the　hall　on　the　corner　of　Mitchell　and　Broad　Streets　was　large。　It　was　composed　almost　entirely　of　well…dressed　and　orderly　colored　people。　There　were　present　several　of　the　white　male　and　female　teachers　of　the　negro　schools；　also；　some　of　our　white　citizens　occupying　back　seats；　who　were　drawn　thither　by　mere　curiosity。

〃Flipper　was　dressed　lavishly　in　regimentals　and　gold　cord；　and　sat　upon　the　stage　with　his　immense　and　ponderous　cavalry　sabre　tightly　buckled　around　him。　He　had　the　attitude　of　Wellington　or　Grant　at　a　council　of　war。　He　was　introduced　to　the　audience　by　J。　O。　Wimbish；　a　high…toned　negro　politician　（as　was）　of　this　city；　who　bespattered　the　young　warrior　with　an　eulogy　such　as　no　school…master　would　have　written　for　less　than　5　C。O。D。　It　was　real　slushy　in　its　copiousness　and　diffusiveness。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FRIP　FIRES　OFF。

He　arose　with　martial　mien；　and　his　left　hand　resting　on　his　sabre　hilt。　He　said：

〃'Some　weeks　ago　he　had　been　called　upon　at　a　reception　in　New　York　to　make　a　speech；　but　he　had　reminded　the　gentleman　who　called　upon　him　that　he　had　been　taught　to　be　a　soldier　and　not　an　orator。　While　upon　this　occasion　he　still　maintained　that　lie　was　not　an　orator；　yet　he　would　tell　them　something　of　his　career　at　West　Point。　He　referred　to　his　colored　predecessors　in　the　Academy　and　their　fates；　particularly　of　Smith；　whose　last　year　there　was　his　（F。's）　first。　During　that　year；　on　Smith's　account；　he　had　received　his　worst　treatment　at　the　Academy。　Prejudice　against　us　was　strong　there　at　that　time。　During　his　first　encampment　he　had　a　better　time　than　almost　any　man　in　his　class。　In　1874　Smith　left；　and　a　rumor　prevailed　that　he　（F　）　was　afraid　to　stay　and　was　going　to　resign。　Colonel　Upton；　the　commandant；　sent　for　him　to　his　house；　told　him　not　to　do　so；　but　to　stick　it　out。　Of　course　he　had　no　intention　of　resigning；　and　he　followed　this　superfluous　advice。　　So　far　as　the　cadets　were　concerned　they　always　treated　me　fairly；　would　speak　to　me；　and　some　came　to　my　room　and　talked　with　me；　but　the　only　thing　they　did　that　was　wrong；　perhaps；　was　that　they　would　not　associate　with　me　openly。　The　officers　always　treated　me　as　well　as　they　did　any　other　cadet。　All　these　reports　about　my　bad　treatment　there；　especially　in　Southern　newspapers；　are　absolutely　false。

〃'I　will　read　and　comment　upon　some　of　these　articles。　In　The　Constitution　of　last　Saturday　it　said　I　had　the　hardest　four