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　resign；　or　are　called　upon　to　leave　on　account　of　some　deficiency；　or　fail　in　their　final　examination。　　The　result　is　simply　this；　that　one…third　of　those　who　enter　succeeds；　and　that　two…thirds　fail。　　The　number　of　failures　seemed　to　me　to　be　terribly　largeso　large　as　to　give　great　ground　of　hesitation　to　a　parent　in　accepting　a　nomination　for　the　college。　　I　especially　inquired　into　the　particulars　of　these　dismissals　and　resignations；　and　was　assured　that　the　majority　of　them　take　place　in　the　first　year　of　the　pupilage。　　It　is　soon　seen　whether　or　no　a　lad　has　the　mental　and　physical　capacities　necessary　for　the　education　and　future　life　required　of　him；　and　care　is　taken　that　those　shall　be　removed　early　as　to　whom　it　may　be　determined　that　the　necessary　capacity　is　clearly　wanting。　　If　this　is　doneand　I　do　not　doubt　itthe　evil　is　much　mitigated。　　The　effect　otherwise　would　be　very　injurious。　　The　lads　remain　till　they　are　perhaps　one　and　twenty；　and　have　then　acquired　aptitudes　for　military　life；　but　no　other　aptitudes。　　At　that　age　the　education　cannot　be　commenced　anew；　and；　moreover；　at　that　age　the　disgrace　of　failure　is　very　injurious。　　The　period　of　education　used　to　be　five　years；　but　has　now　been　reduced　to　four。　　This　was　done　in　order　that　a　double　class　might　be　graduated　in　1861　to　supply　the　wants　of　the　war。　　I　believe　it　is　considered　that　but　for　such　necessity　as　that；　the　fifth　year　of　education　can　be　ill　spared。　The　discipline；　to　our　English　ideas；　is　very　strict。　　In　the　first　place　no　kind　of　beer；　wine；　or　spirits　is　allowed　at　West　Point。　The　law　upon　this　point　may　be　said　to　be　very　vehement；　for　it　debars　even　the　visitors　at　the　hotel　from　the　solace　of　a　glass　of　beer。　　The　hotel　is　within　the　bounds　of　the　college；　and　as　the　lads　might　become　purchasers　at　the　bar；　there　is　no　bar　allowed。　Any　breach　of　this　law　leads　to　instant　expulsion；　or；　I　should　say　rather；　any　detection　of　such　breach。　　The　officer　who　showed　us　over　the　college　assured　me　that　the　presence　of　a　glass　of　wine　in　a　young　man's　room　would　secure　his　exclusion；　even　though　there　should　be　no　evidence　that　he　had　tasted　it。　　He　was　very　firm　as　to　this；　but　a　little　bird　of　West　Point；　whose　information；　though　not　official　or　probably　accurate　in　words；　seemed　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　reliance　in　general；　told　me　that　eyes　were　wont　to　wink　when　such　glasses　of　wine　made　themselves　unnecessarily　visible。　Let　us　fancy　an　English　mess　of　young　men　from　seventeen　to　twenty…　one；　at　which　a　mug　of　beer　would　be　felony　and　a　glass　of　wine　high　treason！　　But　the　whole　management　of　the　young　with　the　Americans　differs　much　from　that　in　vogue　with　us。　　We　do　not　require　so　much　at　so　early　an　age；　either　in　knowledge；　in　morals；　or　even　in　manliness。　　In　America；　if　a　lad　be　under　control；　as　at　West　Point；　he　is　called　upon　for　an　amount　of　labor　and　a　degree　of　conduct　which　would　be　considered　quite　transcendental　and　out　of　the　question　in　England。　　But　if　he　be　not　under　control；　if　at　the　age　of　eighteen　he　be　living　at　home；　or　be　from　his　circumstances　exempt　from　professorial　power；　he　is　a　full…fledged　man；　with　his　pipe　apparatus　and　his　bar　acquaintances。　And　then　I　was　told；　at　West　Point；　how　needful　and　yet　how　painful　it　was　that　all　should　be　removed　who　were　in　any　way　deficient　in　credit　to　the　establishment。　　〃Our　rules　are　very　exact；〃　my　informant　told　me；　〃but　the　carrying　out　of　our　rules　is　a　task　not　always　very　easy。〃　　As　to　this　also　I　had　already　heard　something　from　that　little　bird　of　West　Point；　but　of　course　I　wisely　assented　to　my　informant；　remarking　that　discipline　in　such　an　establishment　was　essentially　necessary。　　The　little　bird　had　told　me　that　discipline　at　West　Point　had　been　rendered　terribly　difficult　by　political　interference。　　〃A　young　man　will　be　dismissed　by　the　unanimous　voice　of　the　board；　and　will　be　sent　away。　　And　then；　after　a　week　or　two；　he　will　be　sent　back；　with　an　order　from　Washington　that　another　trial　shall　be　given　him。　　The　lad　will　march　back　into　the　college　with　all　the　honors　of　a　victory；　and　will　be　conscious　of　a　triumph　over　the　superintendent　and　his　officers。〃　　〃And　is　that　common？〃　I　asked。　　〃Not　at　the　present　moment；〃　I　was　told。　　〃But　it　was　common　before　the　war。　While　Mr。　Buchanan；　and　Mr。　Pierce；　and　Mr。　Polk　were　Presidents；　no　officer　or　board　of　officers　then　at　West　Point　was　able　to　dismiss　a　lad　whose　father　was　a　Southerner；　and　who　had　friends　among　the　government。〃　Not　only　was　this　true　of　West　Point；　but　the　same　allegation　is　true　as　to　all　matters　of　patronage　throughout　the　United　States。　During　the　three　or　four　last　presidencies；　and　I　believe　back　to　the　time　of　Jackson；　there　has　been　an　organized　system　of　dishonesty　in　the　management　of　all　beneficial　places　under　the　control　of　the　government。　　I　doubt　whether　any　despotic　court　of　Europe　has　been　so　corrupt　in　the　distribution　of　placesthat　is；　in　the　selection　of　public　officersas　has　been　the　assemblage　of　statesmen　at　Washington。　　And　this　is　the　evil　which　the　country　is　now　expiating　with　its　blood　and　treasure。　　It　has　allowed　its　knaves　to　stand　in　the　high　places；　and　now　it　finds　that　knavish　works　have　brought　about　evil　results。　　But　of　this　I　shall　be　constrained　to　say　something　further　hereafter。　We　went　into　all　the　schools　of　the　college；　and　made　ourselves　fully　aware　that　the　amount　of　learning　imparted　was　far　above　our　comprehension。　　It　always　occurs　to　me；　in　looking　through　the　new　schools　of　the　present　day；　that　I　ought　to　be　thankful　to　persons　who　know　so　much　for　condescending　to　speak　to　me　at　all　in　plain　English。　　I　said　a　word　to　the　gentleman　who　was　with　me　about　horses；　seeing　a　lot　of　lads　going　to　their　riding　lesson。　　But　he　was　down　upon　me；　and　crushed　me　instantly　beneath　the　weight　of　my　own　ignorance。　　He　walked　me　up　to　the　image　of　a　horse；　which　he　took　to　pieces；　bit　by　bit；　taking　off　skin；　muscle；　flesh；　nerves；　and　bones；　till　the　animal　was　a　heap　of　atoms；　and　assured　me　that　the　anatomy　of　the　horse　throughout　was　one　of　the　necessary　studies　of　the　place。　　We　afterward　went　to　see　the　riding。　　The　horses　themselves　were　poor　enough。　　This　was　accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　such　of　them　as　had　been　found　fit　for　military　service　had　been　taken　for　the　use　of　the　army。　There　is　a　gallery　in　the　college　in　which　are　hung　sketches　and　pictures　by　former　students。　　I　was　greatly　struck　with　the　merit　of　many　of　these。　　There　were　some　copies　from　well…known　works　of　art　of　very　high　excellence；　when　the　age　is　taken　into　account　of　those　by　whom　they　were　done。　　I　don't　know　how　far　the　art　of　drawing；　as　taught　generally；　and　with　no　special　tendency　to　military　instruction；　may　be　necessary　for　military　training；　but　if　it　be　necessary　I　should　imagine　that　more　is　done　in　that　direction　at　West　Point　than　at　Sandhurst。　　I　found；　however；　that　much　of　that　in　the　gallery；　which　was　good；　had　been　done　by　lads　who　had　not　obtained　their　degree；　and　who　had　shown　an　aptitude　for　drawing；　but　had　not　shown　any　aptitude　for　other　pursuits　necessary　to　their　intended　career。　And　then　we　were　taken　to　the　chapel；　and　there　saw；　displayed　as　trophies；　two　of　our　own　dear　old　English　flags。　　I　have　seen　many　a　banner　hung　up　in　token　of　past　victory；　and　many　a　flag　taken　on　the　field　of　battle　mouldering　by　degrees　into　dust　on　some　chapel's　wallbut　they　have　not　been　the　flags　of　England。　　Till　this　day　I　had　never　seen　our　own　colors　in　any　position　but　one　of　self…assertion　and　independent　power。　　From　the　tone　used　by　the　gentleman　who　showed　them　to　me；　I　could　gather　that　he　would　have　passed　them　by；　had　he　not　foreseen　that　he　could　not　do　so　without　my　notice。　　〃I　don't　know　that　we　are　right　to　put　them　there；〃　he　said。　　〃Quite　right；〃　was　my　reply；　〃as　long　as　the　world　does　such　things。〃　　In　private　life　it　is　vulgar　to　triumph　over　one's　friends；　and　malicious　to　triumph　over　one's　enemies。　　We　have　not　got　so　far　yet　in　public　life；　but　I　hope　we　are　advancing　toward　it。　　In　the　mean　time　I　did　not　begrudge　the　Americans　our　two　flags。　　If　we　keep　flags　and　cannons　taken　from　our　enemies；　and　show　them　about　as　signs　of　our　own　prowess　after　those　enemies　have　become　friends；　why　should　not　others　do　so　as　regards　us？　　It　clearly　would　not　be　well　for　the　world　that　we　should　always　beat　other　nations　and　never　be　beaten。　　I　did　not　begrudge　that　chapel　our　two　flags。　　But；　nevertheless；　the　sight　of　them　made　me　sick　in　the　stomach　and　uncomfortable。　　As　an　Englishman　I　do　not　want　to　be　ascendant　over　any　one。　　But　it　makes　me　very　ill　when　any　one　tries　to　be　ascendant　over　me。　　I　wish　we　could　send　back　with　our　compliments　all　the　trophies　that　we　hold；　carriage　paid；　and　get　back　in　return　those　two　flags；　and　any　other　flag　or　two　of　our　own　that　may　be　doing　similar　duty　about　the　world。　　I　take　it　that　the　parcel　sent　away　would　be　somewhat　more　bulky　than　that　which　would　reach　us　in　return。　The　discipline　at　West　Point　seemed；　as　I　have　said；　to　be　very　severe；　but　it　seemed　also　that　that　severity　could　not　in　all　cases　be　maintained。　　The　hours　of　study　also　were　long；　being　nearly　continuous　throughout　the　day。　　〃En