d　solely　in　the　imagination　of　the　reporter；　as　they　were　nowhere　visible　within　the　limits　of　our　encampment。
  CHAPTER　X。
  TREATMENT。
  A　brave　and　honorable　and　courteous　man　　　　　　　Will　not　insult　me；　and　none　other　can。〃Cowper。
  〃How　do　they　treat　you？〃　〃How　do　you　get　along？〃　and　multitudes　of　analogous　questions　have　been　asked　me　over　and　over　again。　Many　have　asked　them　for　mere　curiosity's　sake；　and　to　all　such　my　answers　have　been　as　short　and　abrupt　as　was　consistent　with　common　politeness。　I　have　observed　that　it　is　this　class　of　people　who　start　rumors；　sometimes　harmless；　but　more　often　the　cause　of　needless　trouble　and　ill…feeling。　I　have　considered　such　a　class　dangerous；　and　have　therefore　avoided　them　as　much　as　it　was　possible。　I　will　mention　a　single　instance　where　such　danger　has　been　made　manifest。
  A　Democratic　newspaper；　published　I　know　not　where；　in　summing　up　the　faults　of　the　Republican　party；　took　occasion　to　advert　to　West　Point。　It　asserted　in　bold　characters　that　I　had　stolen　a　number　of　articles　from　two　cadets；　had　by　them　been　detected　in　the　very　act；　had　been　seen　by　several　other　cadets　who　had　been　summoned　for　the　purpose　that　they　might　testify　against　me；　had　been　reported　to　the　proper　authorities；　the　affair　had　been　thoroughly　investigated　by　them；　my　guilt　established　beyond　the　possibility　of　doubt；　and　yet　my　accusers　had　actually　been　dismissed　while　I　was　retained。*　This　is　cited　as　an　example　of　Republican　rule；　and　the　writer　had　the　effrontery　to　ask；　〃How　long　shall　such　things　be？〃　I　did　not　reply　to　it　then；　nor　do　I　intend　to　do　so　now。　Such　assertions　from　such　sources　need　no　replies。　I　merely　mention　the　incident　to　show　how　wholly　given　to　party　prejudices　some　men　can　be。　They　seem　to　have　no　thought　of　right　and　justice；　but　favor　whatever　promotes　the　aims　and　interests　of　their　own　party；　a　party　not　Democratic　but　hellish。　How　different　is　the　following　article　from　the　Philadelphia　North　American；　of　July　7th；　1876：
  *This　article　was　cut　from　a　newspaper；　and；　together　with　the　name　of　the　paper；　was　posted　in　a　conspicuous　place；　where　other　cadets；　as　well　as　myself；　saw　and　read　it。
  〃It　is　very　little　to　the　credit　of　the　West　Point　cadets；　a　body　of　young　men　in　whose　superior　discipline　and　thoroughly　excellent　deportment　we　feel　in　common　with　nearly　all　others　a　gratified　pride；　that　they　should　be　so　ungenerous　and　unjust　as　they　confess　themselves　to　be　in　their　treatment　of　the　colored　boy；　who；　like　themselves；　has　been　made　a　ward　of　the　nation。　We　know　nothing　of　this　young　man's　personal　character　or　habits；　but　we　have　seen　no　unkind　criticism　of　them。　For　that　reason　we　condemn　as　beneath　contempt　the　spirit　which　drives　him　to　an　isolation；　in　bearing　which　the　black　shows　himself　the　superior　of　the　white。　We　do　not　ask　nor　do　we　care　to　encourage　any　thing　more　than　decent　courtesy。　But　the　young　gentlemen　who　boast　of　holding　only　official　intercourse　with　their　comrade　should　remember　that　no　one　of　them　stands　before　the　country　in　any　different　light　from　him。　West　Point　is　an　academy　for　the　training　of　young　men；　presumably　representative　of　the　people；　for　a　career　sufficiently　honorable　to　gratify　any　ambition。　The　cadets　come　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　from　all　ranks　of　the　social　scale。　Amalgamated　by　the　uniform　course　of　studies　and　the　similarity　of　discipline；　the　separating　fragments　at　the　end　of　the　student　life　carry　similar　qualities　into　the　life　before　them；　and　step　with　almost　remarkable　social　equality　into　the　world　where　they　must　find　their　level。　It　would　be　expecting　too　much　to　hope　that　the　companionship　which　surmounts　or　breaks　down　all　the　barriers　of　caste；　should　tread　with　equal　heel　the　prejudices　of　color。　But　it　would　be　more　manly　in　these　boys；　if　they　would　remember　how　easy　ordinary　courtesy　would　be　to　them；　how　much　it　would　lighten　the　life　of　a　young　man　whose　rights　are　equal　to　their　own。　It　is　useless　to　ignore　the　inevitable。　This　colored　boy　has　his　place；　he　should　have　fair；　encouragement　to　hold　it。　Heaping　neglect　upon　him　does　not　overcome　the　principle　involved　in　his　appointment；　and　while　we　by　no　means　approve　of　such　appointments　we　do　believe　in　common　justice。〃
  On　the　other　hand；　many　have　desired　this　information　for　a　practical　use；　and　that；　too；　whether　they　were　prejudiced　or　not。　　That　is；　if　friends；　they　were　anxious　to　know　how　I　fared；　whether　or　not　I　was　to　be　a　success；　and　if　a　success　to　use　that　fact　in　the　interest　of　the　people；　and　if　enemies；　they　wanted　naturally　to　know　the　same　things　in　order　to　use　the　knowledge　to　the　injury　of　the　people　if　I　proved　a　failure。
  I　have　not　always　been　able　to　distinguish　one　class　from　the　other；　and　have　therefore　been　quite　reticent　about　my　life　and　treatment　at　West　Point。　I　have；　too；　avoided　the　newspapers　as　much　as　possible。　I　succeeded　in　this　so　well　that　it　was　scarcely　known　that　I　was　at　the　Academy。　Much　surprise　was　manifested　when　I　appeared　in　Philadelphia　at　the　Centennial。　One　gentleman　said　to　me　in　the　Government　building：　〃You　are　quite　an　exhibition　yourself。　No　one　was　expecting　to　see　a　colored　cadet。〃
  But　I　wander　from　my　theme。　It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　the　new　cadets；　in　only　a　very　few　instances；　show　any　unwillingness　to　speak　or　fraternize。　It　is　not　till　they　come　in　contact　with　the　rougher　elements　of　the　corps　that　they　manifest　any　disposition　to　avoid　one。　It　was　so　in　my　own　class；　and　has　been　so　in　all　succeeding　classes。
  When　I　was　a　plebe　those　of　us　who　lived　on　the　same　floor　of　barracks　visited　each　other；　borrowed　books；　heard　each　other　recite　when　preparing　for　examination；　and　were　really　on　most　intimate　terms。　But　alas！　in　less　than　a　month　they　learned　to　call　me　〃nigger；〃　and　ceased　altogether　to　visit　me。　We　did　the　Point　together；　shared　with　each　other　whatever　we　purchased　at　the　sulter's；　and　knew　not　what　prejudice　was。　Alas！　we　were　soon　to　be　informed！　In　camp；　brought　into　close　contact　with　the　old　cadets；　these　once　friends　discovered　that　they　were　prejudiced；　and　learned　to　abhor　even　the　presence　or　sight　of　a　〃dd　nigger。〃
  Just　two　years　after　my　entrance　into　the　Academy；　I　met　in　New　York　a　young　man　who　was　a　plebe　at　the　time　I　was；　and　who　then　associated　with　me。　He　recognized　me；　hurried　to　me　from　across　the　street；　shook　my　hand　heartily；　and　expressed　great　delight　at　seeing　me。　He　showed　me　the　photograph　of　a　classmate；　told　me　where　I　could　find　him；　evidently　ignorant　of　my　ostracism；　and；　wishing　me　all　sorts　of　success；　took　his　leave。　After　he　left　me　I　involuntarily　asked　myself；　〃Would　it　have　been　thus　if　he　had　not　been　'found　on　his　prelim？'　〃　Possibly　not；　but　it　is　very；　very　doubtful。
  There　are　some；　indeed　the　majority　of　the　corps　are　such；　who　treat　me　on　all　occasions　with　proper　politeness。　They　are　gentlemen　themselves；　and　treat　others　as　it　becomes　gentlemen　to　do。　They　do　not　associate；　nor　do　they　speak　other　than　officially；　except　in　a　few　cases。　They　are　perhaps　as　much　prejudiced　as　the　others；　but　prejudice　does　not　prevent　all　from　being　gentlemen。　On　the　other　hand；　there　are　some　from　the　very　lowest　classes　of　our　population。　They　are　uncouth　and　rough　in　appearance；　have　only　a　rudimentary　education；　have　little　or　no　idea　of　courtesy；　use　the　very　worst　language；　and　in　most　cases　are　much　inferior　to　the　average　negro。　What　can　be　expected　of　such　people？　They　are　low；　and　their　conduct　must　be　in　keeping　with　their　breeding。　I　am　not　at　all　surprised　to　find　it　so。　Indeed；　in　ordinary　civil　life　I　should　consider　such　people　beneath　me　in　the　social　scale；　should　even　reckon　some　of　them　as　roughs；　and　consequently　give　them　a　wide　berth。
  What　surprises　me　most　is　the　control　this　class　seems　to　have　over　the　other。　It　is　in　this　class　I　have　observed　most　prejudice；　and　from　it；　or　rather　by　it；　the　other　becomes　tainted。　It　seems　to　rule　the　corps　by　fear。　Indeed；　I　know　there　are　many　who　would　associate；　who　would　treat　me　as　a　brother　cadet；　were　they　not　held　in　constant　dread　of　this　class。　The　bullies；　the　fighting　men　of　the　corps　are　in　it。　It　rules　by　fear；　and　whoever　disobeys　its　beck　is　〃cut。〃　The　rest　of　the　corps　follows　like　so　many　menials　subject　to　command。　In　short；　there　is　a　fearful　lack　of　backbone。　There　is；　it　seems　at　first　sight；　more　prejudice　at　West　Point　than　elsewhere。　It　is　not　really　so　I　think。
  The　officers　of　the　institution　have　never；　so　far　as　I　can　say；　shown　any　prejudice　at　all。　They　have　treated　me　with　uniform　courtesy　and　impartiality。　The　cadets；　at　least　some　of　them；　away　from　West　Point；　have　also　treated　me　with　such　gentlemanly　propriety。　The　want　of　backbone　predominates　to　such　an　alarming　extent　at　West　Point　they　are　afraid　to　do　so　there。　I　will　mention　a　few　cases　under　this　subject　of　treatment。
  During　my　first…class　camp　I　was　rather　surprised　on　one　occasion　to　have　a　plebewe　had　been　to　the　Centennial　Exhibition　and　returned；　and　of　course　my　status　must　have　been　known　to　himcome　to　my　tent　to　borrow　ink　of　me。　I　readily　complied　with　his　request；　feeling