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　This　is　the　way　Southern　people　treated　me　better　than　Northern　people。　The　white　people　（men）　of　Houston；　Texas；　showed　me　every　possible　courtesy　while　I　was　there。　My　treatment　there　was　in　high　and　honorable　contrast　to　that　I　received　in　Atlanta。

Here　are　two　articles　that　have　a　few　words　to　say　about　me。　I　adopt　and　quote　them　at　length：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　New　York　Tribune。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WEST　POINT。

〃The　examinations　of　the　boys　in　the　national　school　have　become　an　object　of　national　interest　this　year　more　than　any　other；　simply　because　there　is　a　stagnation　of　other　news。　While　the　public　is　waiting　for　an　outbreak　from　Kars　or　the　new　party；　it　has　leisure　to　look　into　the　condition　of　these　incipient　officers。　Hence　reporters　have　crowded　to　West　Point；　the　Board　of　Visitors　and　cadets　have　both　been　quickened　to　unwonted　zeal　by　the　consciousness　of　the　blaze　of　notoriety　upon　them；　and　the　country　has　read　with　satisfaction　each　morning　of　searching　examinations　and　sweeping　cavalry　charges；　giving　a　shrug　however；　at　the　enthusiastic　recommendation　of　certain　members　of　the　board　that　the　number　of　yearly　appointments　should　be　doubled　or　quadrupled。　In　this　cold　ague　of　economy　with　which　the　nation　is　attacked　just　now；　and　which　leaves　old　army　officers　unpaid　for　a　disagreeably　long　time；　the　chances　of　any　addition　to　the　flock　in　the　nest　are　exceedingly　small。　In　fact；　while　the　average　American　in　war　time　recognized　the　utility　of　a　trained　band　of　tacticians；　he　is　apt　to　grumble　at　their　drain　upon　his　pocket　in　piping　times　of　peace。　Only　last　year　he　relieved　himself　in　Congress　and　elsewhere　by　a　good　deal　of　portentous　talking　as　to　the　expediency　of　doing　away　with　the　naval　and　military　free　schools　altogether。　He　has；　in　short；　pretty　much　the　opinion　of　the　army　officer　that　Hodge　has　of　his　parish　priest；　'useful　enough　for　Sundays　and　funerals；　but　too　consumedly　expensive　a　luxury　for　week　days。'

〃This　opinion；　no　doubt；　appears　simply　ludicrous　and　vulgar　to　the　gallant　young　fellows　who　are　being　trained　for　their　country's　service　up　the　Hudson；　and　who　already　look　upon　themselves　as　its　supports　and　bulwarks；　but　there　is　a　substratum　of　common…sense　in　it　which　we　commend　to　their　consideration；　because；　if　for　no　other　reason；　that　the　average　American　is　the　man　who　pays　their　bills　and　to　whom　they　owe　their　education　and　future　livelihood。　If　they　do　not　accept　his　idea　of　the　conduct　and　motives　of　action　by　which　they　may　properly　repay　him　the　debt　they　owe；　it　certainly　is　fitting　that　their　own　idea　should　be　indisputably　a　higher　one。　We　begin　to　doubt　whether　it　is　not　much　lower。　The　country；　in　establishing　this　school；　simply　proposed　to　train　a　band　of　men　skilled　to　serve　it　when　needed　as　tacticians；　engineers；　or　disciplinarians；　the　more　these　men　founded　their　conduct　on　the　bases　of　good　sense；　honor；　and　republican　principles；　the　better　and　higher　would　be　their　service。　The　idea　of　the　boys　themselves；　however；　within　later　years；　seems　to　be　that　they　constitute　an　aristocratic　class　（moved　by　any　thing　but　republican　principles）　entitled　to　lay　down　their　own　laws　of　good…breeding　and　honor。　Accounts　which　reach　us　of　their　hazing；　etc。；　and　notably　their　treatment　of　the　colored　cadets；　show　that　these　notions　are　quite　different　from　those　accepted　elsewhere。　　Now　such　ideas　would　be　natural　in　pupils　of　the　great　French　or　Austrian　military　schools；　where　admission　testifies　to　high　rank　by　birth　or　to　long；　patient　achievement　on　the　part　of　the　student。　But　really　our　boys　at　West　Point　must　remember　that　they　belong　to　a　nation　made　up　of　working　and　trades　men；　that　they　are　the　sons　of　just　such　people；　that　the　colored　laborer　helps　to　pay　for　their　support　as　well　as　that　of　the　representative　of　his　race　who　sits　beside　them。　Furthermore；　they　have　done　nothing　as　yet　to　entitle　them　to　assume　authority　in　such　matters。　They　have　recited　certain　lessons；　learned　to　drill　and　ride；　and　to　wear　their　clothes　with　precision；　but　something　more　is　needed。　The　knight　of　old　was　skilled　in　gentleness　and　fine　courtesy　to　the　weak　and　unfortunate　as　well　as　in　horsemanship。　It　was　his　manners；　not　his　trousers；　which　were　beyond　reproach。

〃It　is　not　as　trifling　a　matter　as　it　seems　that　these　young　fellows　should　thus　imbibe　mistaken　ideas　of　their　own　position　or　the　requirements　of　real　manliness　and　good…breeding。　The　greatest　mistakes　in　the　war　were　in　consequence　of　just　such　defects　in　some　of　our　leading　officers；　and　the　slaughter　of　the　Indians　in　the　South…　West　upon　two　occasions　proceeded　from　their　inability　to　recognize　the　rights　of　men　of　a　different　color　from　themselves。　Even　in　trifles；　however；　such　matters　follow　the　rule　of　inexorable　justiceas；　for　instance；　in　this　case　of　Cadet　Flipper；　who　under　ordinary　circumstances　might　have　passed　without　notice；　but　is　now　known　from　one　end　of　the　country　to　the　other　as　a　credit　to　his　profession　in　scholarship；　pluck；　and　real　dignity；　while　his　classmates　are　scarcely　mentioned；　though　higher　in　rank；　except　in　relation　to　their　cruel　and　foolish　conduct　toward　him。〃

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（From　the　New　York　World。）

〃WEST　POINT；　August　29。In　my　earnest　desire　to　do　justice　to　the　grand　ball　last　night　I　neglected　to　mention　the　arrival　of　the　new　colored　candidate　for　admission　into　the　United　States；　Military　Academy；　although　I　saw　him　get　off　at　the　steamboat　lauding　and　was　a　witness　to　the　supreme　indifference　with　which　he　was　treated；　save　by　a　few　personal　friends。　Minnie　passed　the　physical　examination　easily；　for　he　is　a　healthy　mulatto。　Whether　this　stern　Alma　Mater　will　matriculate　him　is　still　a　question。　　It　is　really　astonishing；　and　perhaps　alarming；　in　view　of　the　enthusiastic　endeavors　of　the　Republican　party　to　confer　upon　the　colored　race　all　the　rights　and　privileges　of　citizens　of　the　United　States；　to　see　with　what　lofty　contempt　every　candidate　for　academic　honors　who　is　in　the　slightest　degree　'off　color；'　is　received。　As　you　are　aware；　there　is　at　present　a　colored；　or　partly　colored；　cadet　in　the　Freshman　ClassWhittaker　by　name。　This　poor　young　mulatto　is　completely　ostracized　not　only　by　West　Point　society；　but　most　thoroughly　by　the　corps　of　cadets　itself。　Flipper　got　through　all　right；　and；　strange　to　say；　the　cadets　seem　to　have　a　certain　kind　of　respect　for　him；　although　he　was　the　darkest　'African'　that　has　yet　been　seen　among　the　West　Point　cadets。　　Flipper　had　remarkable　pluck　and　nerve；　and　was　accorded　his　parchmentwell　up　on　the　list；　tooat　last　graduation　day。　He　is　made　of　sterner　staff　than　poor　Whittaker。

〃A　most　surprising　fact　is　that　not　one　of　the　cadets　and　I　think　I　might　safely　include　the　professors　tries　to　dissemble　his　animosity　for　the　black；　mulatto；　or　octoroon　candidate。　When　I　asked　a　cadet　to…day　some　questions　concerning　the　treatment　of　Cadet　Whittaker　by　the　corps；　he　said　：　'Oh；　we　get　along　very　well；　sir。　　The　cadets　simply　ignore　him；　and　he　understands　very　well　that　we　do　not　intend　to　associate　with　him。'　This　cadet　and　several　others　were　asked　whether　Minnie；　if　admitted；　would　also　be　ostracized　socially。　Their　only　answer　was：　'Certainly；　that　is　well　understood　by　all。　We　don't　associate　with　these　men；　but　they　have　all　the　rights　that　we　have　nevertheless。'　I　asked　if　he　knew　whether　Whittaker　attended　the　ball　last　night。　The　cadet　said　he　didn't　see　him　at　the　ball；　but　that　he　might　have　been　looking　on　from　the　front　stoop！　'How　does　this　young　man　Whittaker　usually　amuse　himself　when　the　rest　of　the　boys　are　at　play？'　I　asked。　　'Well；　we　don't　get　much　play；　and　I　think　that　Whittaker　has　as　much　as　he　can　do　to　attend　to　his　studies。　He　managed　to　pull　through　at　last　examination；　but　I　doubt　if　he　ever　graduates；'　was　the　reply。　Meeting　another　cadet　to　whom　I　had　been　introduced　I　asked　what　he　had　heard　of　the　prospects　of　the　new　colored　candidate；　Minnie。　'I　haven't　heard　any　thing；　but　I　hope　he　won't　get　through；'　said　the　cadet。　Another　cadet　who　stood　near　said　that　the　case　of　Flipper；　who　graduated　so　successfully；　was　an　exceptional　one。　Flipper　didn't　care　for　any　thing　except　to　graduate；　but　he　was　confident　that　these　other　colored　cadets　would　fail。　So　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　ascertain；　the　Faculty　have　never　attempted　to　prevent　the　colored　cadets　from　having　an　equal　chance　with　their　white　fellows。　In　fact　under　the　present　management　it　would　be　next　to　impossible　for　them　to　do　so。〃

I　can't　let　this　article　pass　without　quoting　a　few　words　from　a　letter　I　have　from　Whittaker；　now　at　West　Point。　He　says：

〃I　have　been　treated　bully　since　I　came　in　from　camp　（of　summer　of　'77）。　Got　only　one　'skin'　last　month　（Deccember；　'77）。　I　am　still　under　''　（tactical　officer）；　and　he　treats　me　bully；　he　wanted　to　have　a　man　court…martialled；　when　we　were　in　camp；　for　refusing　to　close　up　on　me。　One　day　a　corporal　put　me　in　the　rear　rank　when　there　were　plebes　in　the　front　rank；　andtold　him　if　any　such　act　ever　occurred　again　he　would　have　him　and　the　file　confined　to　the　guard…house。　He　has　never　'skinned'　me　since　you　left。　He　is　O。K。　towards　me；　and　the　others　are