henry ossian flipper-第46节

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〃'I　will　read　and　comment　upon　some　of　these　articles。　In　The　Constitution　of　last　Saturday　it　said　I　had　the　hardest　four　years　of　any　cadet　who　ever　passed　through　the　Academy。　That　is　in　some　respects　true；　but　not　wholly　so。　Speaking　of　Ben　Butler's　son；　I　am　proud　to　say　that　among　the　three　hundred　cadets　I　hadn't　a　better　friend　than　the　son　of　the　Massachusetts　statesman。　（Applause。）　As　to　Mr　Bigelow's　son；　mentioned　here；　I　know　him　well；　and　his　whole　familyhis　father；　the　distinguished　ex…Secretary　of　State；　his　mother　and　his　two　sisters；　and　have　met　them　at　their　home。　Mrs。　Bigelow；　recognizing　my　position；　and　thinking　to　assure　my　feelings；　sent　me　a　nice　box　of　fruit　with　her　compliments。'

〃He　then　commented　on　articles　from　Beecher's　Christian　Union；　the　New　York　Tribune；　Harper's　Weekly；　and　the　New　York　Telegram；　characterizing　many　of　their　statements　about　himself　as　false。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　SOCIAL　EQUALITY　IN　THE　ARMY。

〃The　article　last　named　was　about　social　equality　in　the　army。　Flipper　said　that　he　was　cordially　met　by　the　army　officers　in　Chattanooga。　In　return　he　paid　his　respects　to　the　commandant　and　was　introduced　and　shown　through　the　barracks。　He　was　treated　with　every　courtesy。

〃'How　it　is　here　you　have　all　seen　as　I　walked　about　the　city。　I　have　walked　with　the　officers　of　the　garrison　here　several　times　today；　even　up　and　down　Whitehall　Street；　and　one　of　them　invited　me　into　Schumann's　drug　store；　and　had　a　glass　of　soda　together。　I　know　it　is　not　a　usual　thing　to　sell　to　colored　people；　but　we　got　it。　（Laughter　and　applause。）　And　to…night　as　Mr。　J。　O。　Wimbish　and　myself　were　coming　to　the　hall；　we　met　with　one　of　the　officers　at　the　corner；　and　went　into　Schumann's　again。　We　called　for　soda…water；　and　got　it　again！　（Applause。）　And　I　called　at　the　barracks；　through　military　courtesy；　and　paid　my　respects　to　the　commandant。　I　understand　that　the　officers　there　have　had　my　case　under　consideration；　and　have　unanimously　agreed　that　I　am　a　graduate　of　the　national　Academy；　and　hold　a　commission　similar　to　their　own；　and　am　entitled　to　the　same　courtesy　as　any　other　officer。　I　have　been　invited　to　visit　them　at　their　quarters　to…morrow。　These　things　show　you　something　of　social　equality　in　the　army；　and　when　this　happens　with　officers　who　have　lived　in　the　South；　and　had　opportunity　to　be　tainted　with　Southern　feeling；　I　expect　still　less　trouble　from　this　source　when　I　reach　my　regiment　and　among　officers　who　have　not　lived　in　the　South　and　had　occasion　to　be　tainted　in　this　way。　The　gentlemen　of　the　army　are　generally　better　educated　than　the　people　of　the　South。'

〃He　spoke　of　his　graduation　and　of　the　applause　with　which　he　was　greeted。　He　closed　by　thanking　his　audience。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　FLOURISHING　HIS　FLIPPER。

〃Then　Flipper　was　escorted　upon　the　floor；　and　the　announcement　was　made　that　all　who　desired　could　now　be　introduced　to　the　youth。

〃The　first　man　to　receive　this　distinguished　honor　was　George　Thomas；　the　Assistant　United　States　Attorney。　He　was　followed　closely　by　several　Northern　school…marms　and　teachers；　and　a　host　of　the　colored　people。　〃After　shaking；　the　crowd　took　ice…cream　and　cake　and　adjourned。　Sic　transit！〃

I　pass　over　the　preceding　article　with　the　silent　contempt　it　deserves。　Some　of　the　papers　commented　upon　it。　I　give　two　such　articles：

　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　Atlanta　（Ga。）　Republican。）

〃The　Atlanta　Constitution；　true　to　principle；　comes　out　in　a　slanderous　attack　upon　Lieutenant　Flipper。　In　its　issue　of　Tuesday；　July　10th；　it　calls　him　a　fraud。　Would　to　heaven　we　had　ten　thousand　such　frauds　in　Georgia　for　the　good　of　the　State　and　progress　in　general！

〃It　takes　exception；　too；　to　the　manner　in　which　the　colored　lieutenant　appeared　at　the　reception　given　by　the　colored　people　in　his　honor。　He　was　'lavishly　dressed　in　full　regimentals；'　it　says；　'with　gold　cord。　He　sat　upon　the　stage　with　his　massive　and　ponderous　sword；　looking　like　Wellington　or　Grant　in　war　council。　He　made　remarks　uncalled　for　and　distasteful。'　Oh　dear！　Oh！

〃Now　we　（that　is　I；　this　individual；　Mr。　Editor；　for　I　would　not　assume　your　grand　editorial　pronoun）　should　like　to　know　how　the　Constitution　would　have　the　young　officer　dress。　Surely　it　was　entirely　proper　and　becoming　that　he　should　appear　in　full　regimental　cap；　coat；　boots；　spurs；　and　all；　full　fledged；　just　as　he　issued　forth　from　West　Point。

〃In　the　first　place　it　was　a　novel　sight　for　the　colored　people。　Surely　the　Constitution　would　not　rob　us　of　the　privilege　and　pleasure　of　seeing　in　full　military　costume　the　first　and　only　one　of　our　race　who　has　been　permitted　to　pass　through　West　Point　with　honor。

〃In　regard　to　the　ostentatious　manner　in　which　the　lieutenant　conducted　himself　on　that　evening；　nothing　could　be　further　from　the　truth。　In　fact；　the　general　comment　of　the　evening　by　both　black　and　white　was　on　the　modesty　of　his　bearing。

〃It　is　not　strange；　however；　that　the　Constitution；　whose　judgment　and　sense　of　right　and　justice　have　been　perverted　through　years　of　persistent　sinning；　should　see　things　in　a　different　light。

〃The　'uncalled　for　and　distasteful'　remarks　were　doubtless　those　made　in　regard　to　the　fact　that　Northern　people　coming　into　contact　with　Southern　prejudice　are　tainted　by　it；　and　that　West　Pointers　are　generally　better　educated　than　the　Southern　people。　　Of　course　this　would　stir　up　the　wrath　of　the　Constitution；　for　what　could　be　more　hateful　in　its　sight　than　truth？

〃JUSTITIA。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　New　York　World。）

Lieutenant　Flipper　would　have　shown　better　sense　if　he　had　not　made　any　speech　at　Atlanta。　But　if　he　was　to　make　any　speech　at　all　upon　the　subject　of　his　treatment　at　West　Point；　it　could　scarcely　be　expected　that　he　should　make　one　more　modest；　manly　and　sensible　than　that　which　is　reported　in　our　news　columns。〃

Here　are　two　other　articles　of　the　abusive　order　from　the　Southern　press：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　Griffin　（Ga。）　News。）

〃J。　C。　Freeman；　the　only　white　man　in　Georgia　that　ever　disgraced　the　military　of　the　United　States；　was　in　the　city　yesterday。　It　will　be　remembered　that　this　individual　at　one　time　misrepresented　this　district　in　Congress；　and　during　that　time　he　appointed　one　negro　by　color；　and　Flipper　by　name；　to　West　Point。　But　then；　nevertheless；　the　negro　is　as　good　as　he　is；　and　better　too；　and　we　have　no　doubt　but　what　Freeman　thinks　he　did　a　big　thing；　but　the　good　people　of　the　State　think　different。　This　notice　is　not　paid　for。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　Warrenton　（Ga。）　Clipper。）

〃The　following　is　the　way　the　Southerners　solidify　their　sectionthat　is；　it　is　one　waythe　other；　being　the　masked　Kuklux。　　What　it　says；　however；　about　the　North；　is　just　about　so：

〃'Lieutenant　Flipper；　the　colored　cadet；　is　in　Macon；　and　the　darkies　there　think　him　a　bigger　man　that　General　Grant。　They'll　want　him　to　be　President　after　awhile；　and　the　Northern　people　will　then　be　the　first　to　say　no。'〃

The　article　of　social　equality　referred　to　was　clipped　from　the　New　York　Evening　Telegram。　It　is　as　follows：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NEGRO　EQUALITY　IN　THE　ARMY。

〃There　is　no　danger　of　negro　equality；　oh　no！　But　it　will　be　so　delightful　for　the　white　soldier　to　be　commanded　to　pace　the　greensward　before　the　tent　of　Lieutenant　Flipper；　the　negro　graduate　of　West　Point；　and　the　white　soldier　will　probably　indulge　in　a　strange　train　of　thought　while　doing　it。　And　when　promotion　comes；　and　the　negro　becomes　Majah　Flippah；　or　Colonel　Flippah；　the　prospects　of　the　white　captains　and　lieutenants　will　be　so　cheerful；　particularly　if　they　have　families　and　are　stationed　at　some　post　in　the　far　West；　where　any　neglect　in　the　social　courtesies　toward　their　superior　officer　would　probably　go　hard　with　them　and　their　families。〃

To　go　back　to　the　article　〃Flying　Around　Flipper；〃　I　want　to　say　the　white　people　of　Georgia　can　claim　no　credit　for　any　part　of　my　education。　The　Storrs　school　was　not　a　public　school　at　the　time　I　went　to　school　there。　It　did　not　become　such　until　I　went　to　West　Point。　The　Atlanta　University　receives　8000　per　annum　From　the　State　of　Georgia　in　lieu　of　the　share　of　the　agricultural　land　scrip　due　to　the　colored　people　for　educational　purposes。　Efforts　have　been　made　to　take　even　this　from　the　university；　but　all　have　been　failures。

　　　　（From　the　Macon　（Ga。）　Telegram　and　Messenger。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　BATTALION　PARADE。

〃On　Monday　evening　the　colored　companies　of　the　city　had　a　battalion　parade　and　review。

〃The　three　companies；　viz。；　the　Lincoln　Guards；　the　Bibb　County　Blues；　and　the　Central　City　Light　Infantry；　formed　on　Fourth　Street；　and　to　martial　music　marched　up　Mulberry　to　First；　down　First　to　Walnut；　up　Walnut　to　Spring　Street；　and　there　formed　for　dress　parade　and　inspection。

〃On　the　right　of　the　line　were　the　Light　Infantry　under　Captain　W。　H。　DeLyons。　The　Blues　bore　the　colors；　and　were　commanded　by　Spencer　Moses；　Captain；　and　the　Guards　supported　the　extreme　left。　T。　N。　M。　Sellers；　Captain　of　the　Lincoln　Guards；　acted　as　major。　After　some　preliminary　movements　the　troops　were　inspected　by　Lieutenant　Flipper；　the　colored　graduate　of　West　Point。　The　troops　then　marched　around　the　inspecting　officer。