henry ossian flipper-第66章

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〃When　I　asked　him　how　he　got　on　with　his　studies　he　said：　'As　well　as　I　am　able；　roaming　all　alone；　with　no　one　to　help　me　and　no　one　to　clear　up　the　knotty　points。　If　there　is　an　obscure　point　in　my　lesson　I　must　go　to　the　class　with　it。　I　cannot　go　to　a　brother　cadet。'

〃'If　you　should　ask　them　to　help　you　what　would　they　say？'

〃'They　would　call　me　a　　nigger；　and　tell　me　to　go　back　to　the　plantation。'

〃Yesterday；　after　watching　the　colored　cadet　for　three　years；　I　saw　him　again。　He　has　grown　tall　and　slender。　He　talks　slowly；　as　if　he　had　lost　the　use　of　language。　Indeed　many　days　and　weeks　he　has　gone　without　saying　twenty　lines　a　day　in　a　loud　voice；　and　that　in　the　recitation…room。

〃When　they　were　examining　him　the　other　day　he　spoke　slowly；　but　his　answers　were　correct。　His　answers　in　philosophy　were　correct。　But　they　say　he　answered　slowly；　and　they　will　find　him　deficient　for　that。　Find　him　deficient　for　answering　slowly　when　the　boy　almost　lost　the　use　of　language！　When　he　knew　four　hundred　eyes　were　on　him　and　two　hundred　malign　arts　all　praying　for　his　failure！

〃The　colored　cadet　is　now　in　his　third　year。　The　great　question　at　West　Point　is；　Will　he　pass　his　examination？　No　one　will　know　till　the　30th　of　June。　It　is　my　impression　that　the　young　officers　have　marked　him　so　low　that　he　will　be　found　deficient。　The　young　officers　hate　him　almost　as　bad　as　the　cadets；　and　whenever　they　could　make　a　bad　mark　against　him　they　have　done　it。

〃'Does　anyone　ever　speak　to　you　now？'　I　asked。

〃'No。　I　dare　not　address　a　cadet。　I　do　not　want　to　provoke　them。　I　simply　want　to　graduate。　I　am　satisfied　if　they　do　not　strike　or　harm　me；　though　if　I　had　a　kind　word　now　and　then　I　should　be　happier；　and　I　could　study　better；'　Then　the　colored　boy　drew　a　long　sigh。

〃To…day　I　met　General　Howard；　who　was　present　at　the　colored　cadet's　court…martial。　I　asked　him　to　tell　me　about　it。

〃'Well；　Mr。　Perkins；'　said　the　General；　'they　tried　to　make　out　that　the　colored　boy　lied。'

〃'Yes；'　I　interrupted；　'and　they　all　say　he　did　lie　at　the　Point　now。　How　was　it？'

〃'It　was　this　way：　They　accused　him　of　talking　on　parade；　and；　while　trying　to　convict　him　out　of　his　own　mouth；　they　asked　him　〃If　on　a　certain　day　he　did　not　speak　to　a　certain　cadet　while　on　drill？〃　〃I　did　not　speak　to　this　cadet　while　on　drill　the　day　you　mention；〃　answered　Cadet　Smith；　〃for　the　cadet　was　not　in　the　parade　that　day。〃'

〃This　answer　startled　the　prosecutors；　and；　looking　over　the　diary　of　parade　days；　they　were　astonished　to　find　Cadet　Smith　correct。

〃'What　then？'　I　asked。

〃'Why　they　accuse　him　of　telling　a　lie　in　spirit；　though　not　in　form；　for　he　had　talked　on　a　previous　day。　Just　as　if　he　was　obliged　to　say　any　thing　to　assist　the　prosecutors　except　to　answer　their　questions。'

〃General　Howard　believes　Cadet　Smith　to　be　a　good；　honest　boy。　I　believe　the　same。

〃ELI　PERKINS。〃

　　　　　　　　（From　the　Savannah　（Ga。）　Morning…News。）

〃Lieutenant　Flipper　seems　to　have　gone　back　on　his　Atlanta　friends。　He　came　home　from　West　Point　with　a　good　Academy　record；　behaved　himself　with　becoming　dignity。　The　officers　at　the　barracks　treated　him　not　socially；　but　as　an　officer　of　the　armywith　due　respect；　as　did　the　citizens　of　Atlanta；　who　felt　that　he　had　won　credit　by　his　good　conduct　and　success。　But　in　an　evil　hour　the　colored　friends　（？）　of　Flipper　gave　him　a　reception；　and　in　full　uniform　he　made　them　a　speech。　Now　speech…making　is　a　dangerous　thing；　and　this　colored　warrior　seems　to　have　been　made　a　victim　of　it。　He　distorted　the　official　courtesies　of　the　officers　at　the　barracks　into　social　courtesies；　and　abused　the　white　people　of　the　South　because　they　did　not　give　him　and　his　race　social　equality。　Not　only　were　sensible　colored　people　displeased　with　his　remarks；　but　many　white　citizens　who　went　to　the　meeting　friendly　to　Flipper　left　disgusted　with　his　sentiments。〃*

*If　a　man　walks　on　the　streets　with　me；　invites　me　to　his　quarters；　introduces　me　to　his　comrades；　and　other　like　acts　of　courtesy；　ought　I　to　consider　him　treating　me　socially　or　officially？　I　went　to　the　garrison　in　Atlanta　to　pay　my　respects　to　the　commanding　officer。　I　expected　nothing。　I　met　an　officer；　who；　with　four　others；　had　introduced　himself　to　me　on　the　cars。　My　official　call　had　been　made。　He　took　me　around；　introduced　me　to　the　officers；　and　showed　me　all　possible　attention。　I　met　another　officer　in　the　city　several　days　after　this。　He　offered　cigars。　　We　walked　up　and　down　the　streets　together。　Many　times　did　we　hear　and　comment　upon　the　remarks　we　overheard：　〃Is　he　walking　with　that　nigger？〃　and　the　like。　He　invited　me　into　a　druggist's　to　take　some　soda…　water。　I　went　in　and　got　it；　although　it　was　never　sold　there　before　to　a　person　of　color。　We　rode　out　to　the　garrison　together；　and　every　attention　was　shown　me　by　all。　Another　officer　told　me　that　before　I　came　the　officers　of　the　garrison　assembled　to　consider　whether　or　not　they　should　recognize　me。　The　unanimous　vote　was　〃yes。〃　Was　all　this　official？　　No。　It　is　the　white　people；　the　disappointed　tyrants　of　Georgia；　who　try　to　distort　social　courtesies　in　official　ones。　The　〃many　white〃　people　were　some　half…dozen　newspaper　reporters；　whose　articles　doubtless　were　partly　written　when　they　came。　〃Old　Si〃　in　his　spectacles　was　prominently　conspicuous　among　them。

　　　　　　　　（From　the　Savannah　（Ga。）　Morning　News。）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　COLORED　ARMY　OFFICER。

〃Lieutenant　Flipper　is　his　name。　He　is　a　living　result　of　the　policy　of　Radicalism　which　has　declared　from　the　first　its　determination　that；　under　any　circumstances；　the　American　citizen　of　African　descent　shall　enjoy　all　the　privileges　of　his　white　brethren。　Carrying　out　this　determination；　and　not　dismayed　at　the　fate　of　colored　cadet　Smith；　who　figured　so　largely　in　West　Point　annals　a　few　years　ago；　cadet　Flipper　was　sent　to　that　institution　to　try　his　hand。　He　has　graduated；　and　now　holds　the　commission　of　Second　Lieutenant　of　Cavalry　in　the　United　States　Army；　the　first　of　his　race　who　has　ever　attained　such　a　position。

〃It　will　be　curious　to　watch　young　Flipper's　career　as　an　officer。　Time　was　when　army　officers　were　a　very　aristocratic　and　exclusive　set　of　gentlemen；　whether　they　still　hold　to　their　old　ideas；　or　not；　we　do　not　know。　There　seems　to　be　enough　of　the　old　feeling　left；　however；　to　justify　the　belief　that　until　some　other　descendants　of　African　parents　graduate　at　the　institution；　Flipper　will　have　a　lonely　time。　During　his　cadetship；　we　learn　from　no　less　an　authority　than　the　New　York　Tribune；　'the　paper　founded　by　Horace　Greeley；'　that　he　was　let　severely　alone　by　his　fellow…students。　According　to　that　paper；　one　of　the　cadets　said；　'We　have　no　feeling　against　him；　but　we　could　not　associate　with　him。　It　may　have　been　prejudice　but　still　we　couldn't　do　it。'　This　shows　very　clearly　the　animus　which　will　exist　in　the　army　against　the　colored　officer。　If　at　West　Point；　where　he　had　to　drill；　recite；　eat；　and　perhaps　sleep　with　his　white　brothers；　they　couldn't　associate　with　him　（notwithstanding　the　fact　that　the　majority　of　these　whites　were　Northern　men　and　ardent　advocates　of　Radicalism；　with　its　civil　rights　and　social　equality　record）；　how　can　it　be　expected　that　they　will　overcome　their　prejudices　any　more　readily　after　they　become　officers。　The　Tribune　thinks　they　will；　and　that　in　time　the　army　will　not　hesitate　to　receive　young　Flipper；　and　all　of　his　race　who　may　hereafter　graduate　at　West　Point；　with　open　arms；　but　the　chances　are　that　the　Tribune　is　wrong。　Your　model　Yankee　is　very　willing　to　use　the　negro　as　a　hobby…　horse　upon　which　to　ride　into　place　and　power；　but　when　it　comes　to　inviting　him　to　his　house　and　embracing　him　as　a　brother　he　is　very　apt　to　be　found　wanting。　The　only　society　Lieutenant　of　Cavalry　Flipper　can　ever　hope　to　enjoy　is　that　which　will　exist　when　there　are　enough　of　his　race　in　the　army　to　form　a　corps　d'Afrique；　and　by　that　time　he　will　be　too　old　to　delight　in　social　pleasures。　　Meanwhile　he　will　be　doomed　to　a　life　of　solitude　and　self…communings；　and　be　subjected　to　many　such　snubs　as　the　venerable　Frederick　Douglass　has　but　recently　received　at　the　hands　of　that　champion　mourn