ole　country。
  〃The　system　of　competitive　examination　for　admission；　so　largely　adopted　within　the　past　few　years　in　many　of　our　large　cities；　has　resulted　in　recruiting　the　corps　with　lads　of　bright　intellect　and　more　than　ordinary　attainments；　while　the　strict　physical　examination　has　rigorously　excluded　all　but　those　of　good　form　and　perfect　health。　The　competitive　system　has　also　given　to　the　Academy　students　who　want　to　learn；　instead　of　lads　who　are　content　to　scramble　through　the　prescribed　course　as　best　they　can；　escaping　being　〃found〃　（a　cadet　term　equivalent　to　the　old　college　word　'plucked'）　by　merely　a　hair's…　breadth。〃
  The　old　way　of　getting　rid　of　the　rough；　uncouth　characters　was　to　〃find〃　them。　Few；　very　few　of　them；　ever　got　into　the　army。　Now　they　are　excluded　by　the　system　of　competitive　examination　even　from　entering　the　Military　Academy；　and　if　they　should　succeed　in　getting　to　West　Point；　they　eventually　fail；　since　men　with　no　fixed　purpose　cannot　graduate　at　West　Point。
  Now　if　the　〃colored　cadets〃　be　not　of　this　class　also；　then　their　life　at　West　Point　will　not　be　much　harder　than　that　of　the　others。　The　cadets　may　not　associate；　but　what　of　that？　Am　I　to　blame　a　man　who　prefers　not　to　associate　with　me？　If　that　be　the　only　charge　against　him；　then　my　verdict　is　for　acquittal。　Though　his　conduct　arises　from；　to　us；　false　premises；　it　is　to　his　sincere　convictions　right；　and　we　would　not　in　the　slightest　degree　be　justified　in　forcing　him　into　our　way　of　looking　at　it。　In　other　words；　the　remedy　does　not　lie　with　Congress。
  The　kind　of　treatment　we　are　to　receive　at　the　hands　of　others　depends　entirely　upon　ourselves。　I　think　my　life　at　West　Point　sufficiently　proves　the　truth　of　this　assertion。　I　entered　the　Academy　at　a　time　when；　as　one　paper　had　it；　West　Point　was　a　〃hotbed　of　disloyalty　and　snobbery；　a　useless　and　expensive　appendage。〃　I　expected　all　sorts　of　ill…treatment；　and　yet　from　the　day　I　entered　till　the　day　I　graduated　I　had　not　cause　to　utter　so　much　as　an　angry　word。　I　refused　to　obtrude　myself　upon　the　white　cadets；　and　treated　them　all　with　uniform　courtesy。　I　have　been　treated　likewise。　It　simply　depended　on　me　what　sort　of　treatment　I　should　receive。　I　was　careful　to　give　no　cause　for　bad　treatment；　and　it　was　never　put　upon　me。　In　making　this　assertion　I　purposely　disregard　the　instances　of　malice；　etc。；　mentioned　elsewhere；　for　the　reason　that　I　do　not　believe　they　were　due　to　any　deep　personal　convictions　of　my　inferiority　or　personal　desire　to　impose　upon　me；　but　rather　were　due　to　the　fear　of　being　〃cut〃　if　they　had　acted　otherwise。
  Our　relations　have　been　such；　as　any　one　will　readily　observe；　that　even　officially　they　would　have　been　obliged　to　recognize　me　to　a　greater　or　less　extent；　or　at　the　expense　of　their　consciences　ignore　me。　They　have　done　both；　as　circumstances　and　not　inclination　have　led　them　to　do。
  A　rather　unexpected　incident　occurred　in　the　summer　of　'73；　which　will　show　perhaps　how　intense　is　that　gravitating　forceif　I　may　so　term　itwhich　so　completely　changes　the　feelings　of　the　plebes；　and　even　cadets；　who；　when　they　reported；　were　not　at　all　prejudiced　on　account　of　color。
  It　was　rather　late　at　night　and　extremely　dark。　I　was　on　guard　and　on　post　at　the　time。　Approaching　the　lower　end　of　my　post；　No。　5；　I　heard　my　name　called　in　a　low　tone　by　some　one　whom　I　did　not　recognize。　I　stopped　and　listened。　The　calling　was　repeated；　and　I　drew　near　the　place　whence　it　came。　It　proved　to　be　a　cadet；　a　classmate　of　mine；　and　then　a　sentinel　on　the　adjacent　post；　No。　4。　We　stood　and　talked　quite　awhile；　as　there　was　no　danger　either　of　being　seen　by　other　cadetsan　event　which　those　who　in　any　manner　have　recognized　me　have　strenuously　avoidedor　〃hived　standing　on　post。〃　It　was　too　dark。　He　expressed　great　regret　at　my　treatment；　hoped　it　would　be　bettered；　assured　me　that　he　would　ever　be　a　friend　and　treat　me　as　a　gentleman　should。
  Another　classmate　told　me；　at　another　time；　in　effect　the　same　thing。　I　very　naturally　expected　a　fulfilment　of　these　promises；　but　alas！　for　such　hopes！　They　not　only　never　fulfilled　them；　but　treated　me　even　as　badly　as　all　the　others。　One　of　them　was　assigned　a　seat　next　to　me　at　table。　He　would　eat　scarcely　anything；　and　when　done　with　that　he　would　draw　his　chair　away　and　pretend　to　be　imposed　upon　in　the　most　degrading　manner　possible。　The　other　practised　similar　manoeuvres　whenever　we　fell　in　at　any　formation　of　company　or　section。　They　both　called　me　〃nigger；〃　or　〃dd　nigger；〃　as　suited　their　inclination。　Yet　this　ought；　I　verily　believe；　to　be　attributed　not　to　them；　but　to　the　circumstances　that　led　them　to　adopt　such　a　course。
  On　one　occasion；　however；　one　of　them　brought　to　my　room　the　integration　of　some　differential　equation　in　mechanics　which　had　been　sent　me　by　our　instructor。　He　was　very　friendly　then；　apparently。　He　told　me　upon　leaving；　if　I　desired　any　further　information　to　come　to　his　〃house；〃　and　he　would　give　it。　I　observed　that　he　called　me　〃Mr。　Flipper。〃
  One　winter's　night；　while　on　guard　in　barracks　during　supper；　a　cadet　of　the　next　class　above　my　own　stopped　on　my　post　and　conversed　with　me　as　long　as　it　was　safe　to　do　so。　He　expressed　as　all　have　who　have　spoken　to　megreat　regret　that　I　should　be　so　isolated；　asked　how　I　got　along　in　my　studies；　and　many　other　like　questions。　He　spoke　at　great　length　of　my　general　treatment。　He　assured　me　that　he　was　wholly　unprejudiced；　and　would　ever　be　a　friend。　He　even　went　far　enough　to　say；　to　my　great　astonishment；　that　he　cursed　me　and　my　race　among　the　cadets　to　keep　up　appearances　with　them；　and　that　I　must　think　none　the　less　well　of　him　for　so　doing。　It　was　a　sort　of　necessity；　he　said；　for　he　would　not　only　be　〃cut；〃　but　would　be　treated　a　great　deal　worse　than　I　was　if　he　should　fraternize　with　me。　Upon　leaving　me　he　said；　〃I'm　dd　sorry　to　see　you　come　here　to　be　treated　so；　but　I　am　glad　to　see　you　stay。〃
  Unfortunately　the　gentleman　failed　at　the　examination；　then　not　far　distant；　and　of　course　did　not　have　much　opportunity　to　give　proof　of　his　friendship。　And　thus；
  〃The　walk；　the　words；　the　gesture　could　supply；　　　　　The　habit　mimic　and　the　mien　belie。〃
  When　the　plebes　reported　in　'76；　and　were　given　seats　in　the　chapel；　three　of　them　were　placed　in　the　pew　with　myself。　We　took　seats　in　the　following　order；　viz。；　first　the　commandant　of　the　pew；　a　sergeant　and　a　classmate　of　mine；　then　a　third…classman；　myself；　and　the　plebes。　Now　this　arrangement　was　wholly　unsatisfactory　to　the　third…classman；　who　turned　to　the　sergeant　and　asked　of　him　to　place　a　plebe　between　him　and　myself。　The　sergeant　turned　toward　me；　and　with　an　angry　gesture　ordered　me　to　〃Get　over　there。〃　I　refused；　on　the　ground　that　the　seat　I　occupied　had　been　assigned　me；　and　I　therefore　had　no　authority　to　change　it。　Near　the　end　of　the　service　the　third…　classman　asked　the　sergeant　to　tell　me　to　sit　at　the　further　end　of　the　seat。　He　did　so。　I　refused　on　the　same　ground　as　before。　He　replied；　〃Well；　it　don't　make　any　difference。　I'll　see　that　your　seat　is　changed。〃　I　feared　he　would　go　to　the　cadet　quartermaster；　who　had　charge　of　the　arrangement　of　seats；　and　have　my　seat　changed　without　authority。　I　reported　to　the　officer　in　charge　of　the　new　cadets；　and　explained　the　whole　affair　to　him。
  〃You　take　the　seat；〃　said　he；　〃assigned　you　in　the　guard　house〃the　plan　of　the　church；　with　names　written　on　the　pews；　was　kept　here；　so　that　cadets　could　consult　it　and　know　where　their　seats　were　〃and　if　anybody　wants　you　to　change　it　tell　them　I　ordered　you　to　keep　it。〃
  The　next　Sabbath　I　took　it。　I　was　ordered　to　change　it。　I　refused　on　the　authority　just　given　above。　The　sergeant　then　went　to　the　commandant　of　cadets；　who　by　some　means　got　the　impression　that　I　desired　to　change　my　seat。　He　sent　for　me　and　emphatically　ordered　me　to　keep　the　seat　which　had　by　his　order　been　assigned　me。　Thus　the　effort　to　change　my　seat；　made　by　the　third…classman　through　the　sergeant；　but　claimed　to　have　been　made　by　me；　failed。　It　was　out　of　the　question　for　it　to　be　otherwise。　If　the　sergeant　had　wanted　the　seat　himself　he　would　in　all　probability　have　got　it；　because　he　was　my　senior　in　class　and　lineal　rank。　But　the　third…classman　was　my　junior　in　both；　and　therefore　could　not；　by　any　military　regulation；　get　possession　of　what　I　was　entitled　to　by　my　superior　rank。　And　the　effort　to　do　so　must　be　regarded　a　marvellous　display　of　stupidity；　or　a　belief　on　the　part　of　the　cadet　that　I　could　be　imposed　upon　with　impunity；　simply　because　I　was　alone　and　had　shown　no　disposition　to　quarrel　or　demand　either　real　or　imaginary　rights。
  While　in　New　York　during　my　furloughsummer　of　'75　I　was　introduced　to　one　of　her　wealthy　bankers。　We　conversed　quite　a　while　on　various　topics；　and　finally　resumed　the　subject　on　which　we　began；　viz。；　West　Point。　He　named　a　cadet；　whom　I　shall　call　for　convenience　John；　and　asked　if　I　knew　him。　　I　replied　in　the　affirmative。　After　asking　various　other　questions　of　him；　his　welfare；　etc。；　he　volunteered　the　following　bit　of　information：
  〃Oh！　yes；〃　said　he；　〃I've　known　John　for　several　years。　He　used　to　peddle　newspapers　around　the　bank　here。　I　was　agre