henry ossian flipper-第31章

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adets　than　before。　How　will　they　accept　such　relationship？　　The　greatest　proof　of　their　personal　convictions　will　be　manifested　in　their　conduct　here。　If　they　evade　my　authority；　or　are　stubborn　or　disobedient；　then　are　their　convictions　unfriendly　indeed。　But　if　kind；　generous；　willing　to　assist；　to　advise；　to　obey；　to　respect　myself　as　well　as　my　office；　then　are　they；　as　I　ever　believed

them　to　be；　gentlemen　in　all　that　recognizes　no　prejudice；　no　caste；　nothing　inconsistent　with　manhood。

There　are　certain　privileges　accorded　to　first…classmen　which　the　other　classes　do　not　enjoy。　The　privates　of　the　first　class　do　duty　as　officers　of　the　guard；　as　company　officers　at　company　and　battalion　drills；　at　light　battery　drills；　and　at　other　drills　and　ceremonies。　In　all　these　cases　they　have　command　of　other　cadets。　These　cadets　are　subject　to　their　orders　and　are　liable　to　be　reportedindeed　such　is　requiredfor　disobedience；　stubbornness；　or　for　any　thing　prejudicial　to　good　order　and　good　discipline。

In　this　fact　is　a　reasonthe　only　one；　I　think；　which　will　in　any　manner　account　for　the　unpardonable　reserve　of　many　of　the　cadets。　To　be　subject　to　me；　to　my　orders；　was　to　them　an　unbearable　torture。　As　they　looked　forward　to　the　time　when　I　should　exercise　command　over　them；　they　could　not　help　feeling　the　mortification　which　would　be　upon　them。

I　must　modify　my　statement。　They　may　be　prejudiced；　and　yet　gentlemen；　and　if　gentlemen　they　will　not　evade　authority　even　though　vested　in　me。

We　go　into　camp　at　West　Point　on　the　17th　of　June；　'76　for　ten　days。　During　all　that　time　I　enjoy　all　the　privileges　of　first…classmen。　Nothing　is　done　to　make　it　unpleasant　or　in　any　way　to　discourage　or　dishearten　me。　We　go　to　Philadelphia。　We　visit　the　Centennial；　and　there　not　only　is　the　same　kindness　shown　me；　but　I　find　a　number　of　cadets　accost　me　whenever　we　meet；　on　the　avenues　and　streets；　on　the　grounds　and　in　the　city。　They　ask　questions；　converse；　answer　questions。　This　occurred　several　times　at　the　Southern　Restaurant；　as　well　as　elsewhere。　After　the　parade　on　the　4th　of　July；　every　kindness　was　shown　me。　Those　cadets　near　me　bought　lemons；　lemonade；　etc；　and　shared　with　me；　and　when；　on　another　occasion；　I　was　the　purchaser；　they　freely　partook　of　my　〃good　cheer。〃　What　conclusion　shall　I　draw　from　this？　That　they　are　unfriendly　or　prejudiced？　I　fain　would　drop　my　pen　and　burn　my　manuscript　if　for　even　an　instant　I　thought　it　possible。　And　yet　how　shall　I　explain　away　this　bit　of　braggadocio　in　the　words　italicized　in　this　article　from　the　Philadelphia　Times？

〃The　Color　Line。One　of　the　first…classmen　is　Mr。　Flipper；　of　Georgia；　a　young　colored　man。　'We　don't　have　any　thing　to　do　with　him　off　duty；'　said　one　of　the　cadets　yesterday。　'We　don't　even　speak　to　him。　Of　course　we　have　to　eat　with　him；　and　drill　with　him；　and　go　on　guard　with　him；　but　that　ends　it。　Outside　of　duty；　we　don't　know　him。'　'Is　he　intelligent？'　'Yes；　he　stands　high　in　his　class；　and　I　see　no　reason　to　doubt　that　he　will　graduate　next　June。　He　has　the　negro　features　strongly　developed；　but　in　color　he　is　rather　light。'〃

Easily　enough；　I　think。　In　the　first　place　the　statement　is　too　broad；　if　made　by　a　cadet；　which　I　very　much　doubt。　There　are　some　of　that　〃we〃　who　do　know　me　outside　of　duty。　And　if　a　cadet　made　the　statement　he　must　have　been　a　plebe；　one　unacquainted　with　my　status　in　the　corps；　or　one　who；　strenuously　avoiding　me　himself；　supposed　all　others　likewise　did　so。　The　cadet　was　not　a　first…classman。　　There　is　a　want　of　information　in　his　last　answer　which　could　not　have　been　shown　by　a　first…classman。

Again；　he　says　we　〃go　on　guard　with　him。〃　Now　that　is　untrue；　as　I　understand　it。　The　word　〃with〃　would　imply　that　we　were　on　guard　in　the　same　capacity；　viz。；　as　privates。　But　first…classmen　do　no　guard　duty　in　that　capacity；　and　hence　not　being　himself　a　first…　classman　he　could　not　have　been　on　guard〃with〃　me。　If　he　had　said　〃under　him；〃　his　statement　would　have　been　nearer　the　truth。

After　a　stay　of　ten　days　in　Philadelphia；　we　return　to　West　Point；　and　still　the　same　respect　is　shown　me。　There　is　but　little　more　of　open　recognition；　if　any；　than　before；　and　yet　that　I　am　respected　is　shown　in　many　ways。　See；　for　example；　the　latter　part　of　chapter　on　〃Treatment。〃

Again；　during　my　first　year　I　many　times　overheard　myself　spoken　of　as　〃the　nigger；〃　〃the　moke；〃　or　〃the　thing。〃　Now　openly；　and　when　my　presence　was　not　known；　I　always　hear　myself　mentioned　as　Mr。　Flipper。　There　are　a　few　who　use　both　forms　of　address　as　best　suits　their　convenience　or　inclination　at　the　time。　But　why　is　it？　Why　not　〃nigger；〃　〃moke；〃　or　〃thing〃　as　formerly？　　Is　there；　can　there　be　any　other　reason　than　that　they　respect　me　more　now　than　then？　I　am　most　unwilling　to　believe　there　could　be。

We　begin　our　regular　routine　of　duties；　etc。　We　have　practical　military　engineering；　ordnance；　artillery；　practical　astronomy　in　field　and　permanent　observatories；　telegraphy；　and　guard。　We　are　detailed　for　these　duties。　Not　the　least　distinction　is　made。　Not　the　slightest　partiality　is　shown。　Always　the　same　regard　for　my　feelings；　the　same　respect　for　me！　See　the　case　of　gabion　in　the　chapter　on　〃Treatment。〃

At　length；　in　my　proper　order；　I　am　detailed　for　officer　of　the　guard。　True；　the　cadets　expressed　some　wonderment；　but　why？　　Simply；　and　reasonably　enough　too；　because　I　was　the　first　person　of　color　that　had　ever　commanded　a　guard　at　the　Military　Academy　of　the　United　States。　It　is　but　a　natural　curiosity。　And　how　am　I　treated？　Is　my　authority　recognized？　Indeed　it　is。　My　sergeant　not　only　volunteered　to　make　out　the　guard　report　for　me；　but　also　offered　any　assistance　I　might　want；　aside　from　the　discharge　of　his　own　duty　as　sergeant　of　the　guard。　Again；　a　number　of　plebes　were　confined　in　the　guard　tents　for　grossness　and　carelessness。　I　took　their　names；　the　times　of　their　imprisonment；　and　obtained　permission　to　release　them。　I　was　thanked　for　my　trouble。　Again；　a　cadet's　father　wishes　to　see　him。　He　is　in　arrest。　I　get　permission　for　him　to　visit　his　father　at　the　guard　tents。　I　go　to　his　tent　and　tell　him；　and　start　back　to　my　post　of　duty。　He　calls　me　back　and　thanks　me。　Must　I　call　that　natural　aversion　for　the　negro；　or　even　prejudice？　Perhaps　it　is；　but　I　cannot　so　comprehend　it。　It　may　have　that　construction；　but　as　long　as　the　other　is　possible　it　is　generous　to　accept　it。　And　again；　I　am　ordered　to　report　a　cadet。　I　do　it。　I　am　stigmatized；　of　course；　by　some　of　the　low　ones　（see　that　case　under　〃Treatment〃）；　but　my　conduct；　　both　in　obeying　the　order　and　subsequently；　is　approved　by　the　better　portion　of　the　corps。　The　commandant　said　to　me：　〃Your　duty　was　a　plain　one；　and　you　discharged　it　properly。　You　were　entirely　right　in　reporting　Mr。。〃　What　is　the　conduct　of　this　cadet　himself　afterwards？　If　different　at　all　from　what　it　was　before；　it　is；　in　my　presence　at　least；　more　cordial；　more　friendly；　more　kind。　Still　there　is　no　ill…treatment；　assuming　of　course　that　my　own　conduct　is　proper；　and　not　obtrusive　or　overbearing。　And　so　in　a　multitude　of　ways　this　fact　is　proved。　I　have　noticed　many　things；　little　things　perhaps　they　were；　but　still　proofs；　in　the　conduct　of　all　the　cadets　which　remove　all　doubt　from　my　mind。　And　yet　with　all　my　observation　and　careful　study　of　those　around　me；　I　have　many　times　been　unable　to　decide　what　was　the　feeling　of　the　cadets　toward　me。　Some　have　been　one　thing　everywhere　and　at　all　times；　not　unkind　or　ungenerous；　nor　even　unwilling　to　hear　me　and　be　with　me；　or　near　me；　or　on　duty　with　me；　or　alone　with　me。　Some　again；　while　not　avoiding　me　in　the　presence　of　others　have　nevertheless　manifested　their　uneasy　dislike　of　my　proximity。　When　alone　with　me　they　are　kind；　and　all　I　could　wish　them　to　be。　Others　have　not　only　strenuously　avoided　me　when　with　their　companions；　but　have　even　at　times　shown　a　low　disposition；　a　desire　to　wound　my　feelings　or　to　chill　me　with　their　coldness。　But　alone；　behold　they　know　how　to　mimic　gentlemen。　The　kind　of　treatment　which　I　was　to　receive；　and　have　received　at　the　hands　of　the　cadets；　has　been　a　matter　of　little　moment　to　me。　True；　it　has　at　times　been　galling；　b