henry ossian flipper-第34章

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hey　were　worth　working　and　enduring　for。

The　New　York　Herald　again　speaks；　and　that　about　not　hearing　my　voice；　etc。；　made　me　〃larf。〃　Here　is　the　article：

　　　　　〃THE　COLORED　CADET'S　EXPERIENCE　AND　PROSPECTS。

〃Flipper；　the　colored　cadet；　who　graduates　pretty　well　up　in　his　class；　said　to　me　to…day　that　he　is　determined　to　get　into　either　the　Ninth　or　Tenth　colored　cavalry　regiment　if　possible。　He　seems　to　be　very　happy　in　view　of　the　honorable　close　of　his　academic　career；　and　entertains　little　doubt　that　he　can　procure　the　appointment　he　wishes。　When　asked　whether　he　was　not　aware　that　there　was　a　law　providing　that　even　colored　troops　must　be　officered　by　white　men；　he　replied　that　he　had　heard　something　of　that　years　ago；　but　did　not　think　it　was　true。　'If　there　is　such　a　law；'　he　said　emphatically；　but　with　good　humor；　'it　is　unconstitutional　and　cannot　be　enforced。'　He　added　that　several　weeks　ago　he　wrote　to　a　prominent　gentleman　in　Alabama　to　inquire　what　the　existing　law　on　the　subject　was；　and　had　not　yet　received　an　answer。　I　questioned　him　about　his　experience　in　the　Academy；　And　he　said　that　he　had　suffered　but　little　on　account　of　his　race。　The　first　year　was　very　hard；　as　the　class　all　made　their　dislike　manifest　in　a　variety　of　ways。　'That；'　he　said；　'was　in　a　great　measure　caused　by　the　bad　conduct　of　Smith；　the　colored　cadet　who　preceded　me。　When　the　class　found　out　that　I　was　not　like　him；　they　treated　me　well。　The　professors　act　toward　me　in　every　respect　as　toward　the　others；　and　the　cadets；　I　think；　do　not　dislike　me。　But　they　don't　associate　with　me。　I　don't　care　for　that。　If　they　don't　want　to　speak　to　me　I　don't　want　them　to；　I'm　sure。'　Save　in　the　recitation…　room　Flipper　never　heard　the　sound　of　his　own　voice　for　months　and　months　at　a　time；　but　he　was　kept　so　hard　at　work　all　the　time　that　he　did　not　mind　it。　If　he　should　join　a　regiment；　however；　he　would　be　more　alone　even　than　he　has　been　here；　for　the　association　with　other　officers　in　the　line　of　duty　would　not　be　so　close　as　it　has　been　with　the　cadets。　He　would　be　isolated　ostracizedand　he　would　feel　it　more　keenly；　because　he　would　have　more　leisure　for　social　intercourse；　and　his　mind　would　not　be　so　occupied　as　it　has　been　here　with　studies。

〃Senator　Blaine；　in　the　course　of　a　conversation　last　night；　thought　the　career　of　Flipper　would　be　to　go　South　and　become　a　leader　of　his　race。　He　could　in　that　way　become　famous；　and　could　accomplish　much　good　for　the　country。〃　。　。　。　。

When　I　entered　the　Academy　I　saw　in　a　paper　something　about　colored　officers　being　put　in　white　regiments；　etc。　It　purported　to　be　a　conversation　with　the　then　Secretary　of　War；　who　said　there　was　such　a　law；　and　that　it　would　be　enforced。　The　then　Secretary　of　War　has　since　told　me　he　was　sure　there　was　such　a　law；　until　to　satisfy　himself　he　searched　the　Revised　Statutes；　when　he　found　he　was　mistaken。

I　have　mentioned　elsewhere　the　untruthfulness　of　the　statement　that　I　never　heard　my　own　voice　except　in　The　recitation…room。　Every　one　must　know　that　could　not　be　true。　The　statement　is　hardly　worth　a　passing　remark。

〃If　he　should　join　a　regiment；　however；〃　etc。　Ah！　well；　I　have　joined　my　regiment　long　ago。　Let　me　say；　before　I　go　further；　I　am　putting　this　manuscript　in　shape　for　the　press；　and　doing　it　in　my　quarters　at　Fort　Sill；　I。　T。　These　remarks　are　inserted　apropos　of　this　article。　From　the　moment　I　reached　Sill　I　haven't　experienced　any　thing　but　happiness。　I　am　not　isolated。　I　am　not　ostracized　by　a　single　officer。　I　do　not　〃feel　it　more　keenly；〃　because　what　the　Herald　said　is　not　true。　The　Herald；　like　other　papers；　forgets　that　the　army　is　officered　by　men　who　are　presumably　officers　and　gentlemen。　Those　who　are　will　treat　me　as　become　gentlemen；　as　they　do；　and　those　who　are　not　I　will　thank　if　they　will　〃ostracize〃　me；　for　if　they　don't　I　will　certainly　〃ostracize〃　them。

〃But　to　get　into　a　cavalry　regiment　is　the　highest　ambition　of　most　cadets；　and　failing　in　that　it　is　almost　a　toss…up　between　the　infantry　and　the　artillery。　Flipper；　the　South　Carolina　colored　cadet；　　wants　to　get　into　the　cavalry；　and　as　there　is　a　black　regiment　of　that　character　he　will；　it　is　thought；　be　assigned　to　that。　There　is　in　existence　a　law　specifying　that　even　black　regiments　shall　be　officered　by　white　men；　and　it　is　thought　there　will　be　some　trouble　in　assigning　Flipper。　As　any　such　law　is　in　opposition　to　the　constitutional　amendments；　of　course　it　will　be　easily　rescinded。　From　the　disposition　shown　by　most　of　the　enlisted　men　with　whom　I　have　conversed　at　odd　times　upon　this　subject；　I　fancy　that　if　Flipper　were　appointed　to　the　command　of　white　soldiers　they　would　be　restive；　and　would；　if　out　upon　a　scout；　take　the　first　opportunity　to　shoot　him；　and　this　feeling　exists　even　among　men　here　who　have　learned　to　respect　him　for　what　he　is。〃

Now　that　is　laughable；　isn't　it？　What　he　says　about　the　soldiers　at　West　Point　is　all　〃bosh。〃　Nobody　will　believe　it。　I　don't。　I　wish　the　Herald　reporter　who　wrote　the　above　would　visit　Fort　Sill　and　ask　some　of　the　white　soldiers　there　what　they　think　of　me。　I　am　afraid　the　Herald　didn't　get　its　〃gift　of　prophecy〃　I　from　the　right　place。　Such　blunders　are　wholly　inexcusable。　The　Herald　reporter　deserves　an　〃extra〃　（vide　Cant　Terms；　etc。）　for　that。　I　wish　he　could　get　one　at　any　rate。　Perhaps；　however；　the　following　will　excuse　him。　It　is　true。

〃He　is　spoken　of　by　all　the　officers　as　a　hard　student　and　a　gentleman。　To　a　very　great　extent　he　has　conquered　the　prejudices　of　his　fellows；　and　although　they　still　decline　to　associate　with　him　it　is　evident　that　they　respect　him。　Said　one　of　his　class　this　morning：　'Flipper　has　certainly　shown　pluck　and　gentlemanly　qualities；　and　I　shall　certainly　shake　his　〃flipper〃　when　we　say　〃Good…by。〃　We　have　no　feeling　against　him　at　all；　but　we　could　not　associate　with　him。　You　see　we　are　so　crowded　together　here　that　we　are　just　like　one　family；　possessing　every　thing　in　common　and　borrowing　every　thing；　even　to　a　pair　of　white　trousers；　and　we　could　not　hold　such　intimate　fellowship　with　him。　It　may　be　prejudice；　but　we　could　not　do　it；　so　we　simply　let　him　alone；　and　he　has　lived　to　himself；　except　when　we　drill　with　him。　Feel　bad　about　it？　Well；　I　suppose　he　did　at　first；　but　he　has　got　used　to　it　now。　The　boys　were　rather　afraid　that　when　he　should　come　to　hold　the　position　as　officer　of　the　guard　that　he　would　swagger　over　them；　but　he　showed　good　sense　and　taste；　merely　assuming　the　rank　formally　and　leaving　his　junior　to　carry　out　the　duty。'〃

That　glorious　day　of　graduation　marked　a　new　epoch　in　my　military　life。　Then　my　fellow…cadets　and　myself　forgot　the　past。　　Then　they　atoned　for　past　conduct　and　welcomed　me　as　one　of　them　as　well　as　one　among　them。

I　must　revert　to　that　Herald's　article　just　to　show　how　absurd　it　is　to　say　I　never　heard　the　sound　of　my　own　voice　except　in　the　section…room。　I　heard　it　at　reveille；　at　breakfast；　dinner；　and　supper　roll…　calls；　at　the　table；　at　taps；　and　at　every　parade　I　attended　during　the　dayin　all　no　less　than　ten　or　twelve　times　every　single　day　during　the　four　years。　Of　course　I　heard　it　in　other　places；　as　I　have　explained　elsewhere。　I　always　had　somebody　to　talk　to　every　single　day　I　was　at　the　Academy。　Why；　I　was　the　happiest　man　in　the　institution；　except　when　I'd　get　brooding　over　my　loneliness；　etc。　Such　moments　would　come；　when　it　would　seem　nothing　would　interest　me。　When　they　were　gone　I　was　again　as　cheerful　and　as　happy　as　ever。　I　learned　to　hate　holidays。　At　those　times　the　other　cadets　would　go　off　skating；　rowing；　or　visiting。　I　had　no　where　to　go　except　to　walk　around　the　grounds；　which　I　sometimes　did。　I　more　often　remained　in　my　quarters。　At　these　times　barracks　would　be　deserted　and　I　would　get　so　lonely　and　melancholy　I　wouldn't　know　what　to　do。　It　was　on　an　occasion　like　this　Thanksgiving　DayI　wrote　the　words　given　in　another　place；　beginning；

　　　〃Oh！　'tis　hard　this　lonely　living；　to　be　　　　　In　the　midst　of　life　so　solitary；〃　etc。

Here　is　something　from　Harper's　Weekly。　The　northern　press　generally　speak　in　the　same　tenor　of　my　graduation。

〃Inman　Edward　Page；　a　colored　student　at　Brown　University；　has　succeeded　in　every　respect　better　than　his　brother　Flipper　at　West　Point。　While　a　rigid　non…intercourse　law　was　for　four　years　maintained　between　Flipper　and　the　nascent　warriors　at　the　Military　Academy；　Page　has　lived　in　the　largest…leaved　clover　at　Brown；　and　in　the　Senior　year　just　closed　was　chosen　Class…day　Oratora　position　so　much　coveted　among　students　ambitious　for　class　honors　that　it　is　ranked　by　many　even　higher　than　the　Salutatory　or　the　Valedictory。　Page　has　throughout　been　treated　by　his　classmates　as　one　of　themselves。　He　is　a　good　writer　and　speaker；　though　not　noticeably　better　than　some　of　his　classmates。　His　conduct　has　been　uniformly　modest　but　self…respectful；　and　he　had　won　the　esteem　of　professors　as　well　as　students。　The　deportment　of　his　class　toward　him　is　in　high　and　honorable　contrast　with　that　pursued　by　the　less　manly　students　supported　by　the　government　at　West　Point；　who　may　have　already　learned　that　the　'plain　people'　of　the　country　are　with　Flipper。〃

Here　is　something　of　a　slightly　different　kind　from　a　Georgia　paperAugusta　Chronicle　and　Constitutionalist。　Its　tone　betrays　the　locality　of　its　birth。

〃Benjamin　F。　Butler；　Jr。；　who　graduated　at　West　Point　last　summer　in　the　same　class　with　the　colored　cadet　from　Georgia；　Flipper；　has　been　assigned　for　duty　to　the　Ninth　Cavalry；　the　same　regiment　to　which　Flipper　is　attached。　The　enlisted　men　in　this　regiment　are　all　negroes。　Ben；　senior；　doubtless　engineered　the　assignment　in　order　to　make　himself　solid　with　the　colored　voters　of　the　South。　Ben；　like　old　Joe　Bagstock；　is　devilish　sly。〃

It　is　in　error　as　to　my　assignment。　Lieutenant　Butler　（whose　name；　by　the　way；　is　not　Benjamin　F。；　Jr。）　was　assigned　to　the　Ninth　Cavalry。　Here　is　the　truth　about　my　assignment；　given　in　the　Sing　Sing　（N。　Y。）　Republican：

〃Cadet　Flipper　has　been　appointed　to　the　Tenth　U。　S。　Cavalry　（colored）；　now　in　Texas。　Secretary　of　State　Bigelow's　son　has　also　been　assigned　to　the　same　regiment。　We　wonder　if　the　non…intercourse　between　the　two　at　West　Point　will　be　continued　in　the　army。　Both　have　the　same　rank　and　are　entitled　to　the　same　privileges。　Possibly　a　campaign　among　the　Indians；　or　a　brush　with　the　'Greasers'　on　the　Rio　Grande；　will　equalize　the　complexion　of　the　two。〃

The　National　Monitor；　of　Brooklyn　（N。　Y。）；　has　this　much　to　say。　It　may　be　worth　some　study　by　the　cadets　now　at　the　Academy。

〃Lieutenant　Flipper；　colored；　a　recent　graduate　from　West　Point；　is　a　modest　gentleman；　and　no　grumbler。　He　says　that　privately　he　was　treated　by　fellow…cadets　with　proper　consideration；　but　reluctantly　admits　that　he　was　publicly　slighted。　He　can　afford　to　be　untroubled　and　magnanimous。　How　is　it　with　his　fellows？　Will　not　shame　ere　long　mantle　their　cheeks　at　the　recollection　of　this　lack　of　moral　courage　on　their　part？　A　quality　far　more　to　be　desired　than　any　amount　of　physical　heroism　they　may　ever　exhibit。〃

Here　is　something　extra　good　from　the　Hudson　River　Chronicle；　of　Sing　Sing。　To　all　who　want　to　know　the　truth　about　me　physically；