henry ossian flipper-第20节

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lf　to　be　by　far　the　better　way；　and　I　don't　think　it　could　well　be　otherwise。

The　one　principle　which　has　controlled　my　conduct　while　a　cadet；　and　which　is　apparent　throughout　my　narrative；　is　briefly　this：　to　find；　if　possible；　for　every　insult　or　other　offence　a　reason　or　motive　which　is　consistent　with　the　character　of　a　gentleman。　Whenever　I　have　been　insulted；　or　any　thing　has　been　done　or　said　to　me　which　might　have　that　construction；　I　have　endeavored　to　find　some　excuse；　some　reason　for　it；　which　was　not　founded　on　prejudice　or　on　baseness　of　character　or　any　other　ungentlemanly　attribute；　or；　in　other　words；　I　wanted　to　prove　that　it　was　not　done　because　of　my　color。　If　I　could　find　such　a　reasonand　I　have　found　themI　have　been　disposed　not　only　to　overlook　the　offence；　but　to　forgive　and　forget　it。　Thus　there　are　many　cadets　who　would　associate；　etc。；　were　they　not　restrained　by　the　force　of　opinion　of　relatives　and　friends。　This　cringing　dependence；　this　vassalage；　this　mesmerism　we　may　call　it；　we　all　know　exists。　Why；　many　a　cadet　has　openly　confessed　to　me　that　he　did　not　recognize　us　because　he　was　afraid　of　being　〃cut。〃

Again；　I　find　some　too　high…toned；　too　punctilious；　to　recognize　me。　I　attribute　this　not　to　the　loftiness　of　their　highnesses　nor　to　prejudice；　but　to　the　depth　of　their　ignorance；　and　of　course　I　forgive　and　forget。　Others　again　are　so　〃reckless；〃　so　〃don't　care〃　disposed；　that　they　treat　me　as　fancy　dictates；　now　friendly；　now　vacillating；　and　now　inimical。　With　these　I　simply　do　as　the　Romans　do。　If　they　are　friendly；　so　am　I；　if　they　scorn　me；　I　do　not　obtrude　myself　upon　them；　if　they　are　indifferent；　I　am　indifferent　too。

There　is　a　rather　remarkable　case　under　this　subject　which　has　caused　me　no　little　surprise　and　disappointment。　I　refer　to　those　cadets　appointed　by　colored　members　of　Congress。

It　was　quite　natural　to　expect　of　them　better　treatment　than　of　others；　and　yet　if　in　any　thing　at　all　they　differed　from　the　former；　they　were　the　more　reserved　and　discourteous。　They　most　〃severely　let　me　alone。〃　They　never　associated；　nor　did　they　speak；　except　officially；　and　then　they　always　spoke　in　a　haughty　and　insolent　manner　that　was　to　me　most　exasperating。　And　in　one　case　in　particular　was　this　so。　One　of　those　so　appointed　was　the　son　of　the　colored　Congressman　who　sent　him　there；　and　from　him　at　least　good　treatment　was　reasonably　expected。　There　have　been　only　two　such　appointments　to　my　knowledge；　and　it　is　a　singular　fact　that　they　were　both　overbearing；　conceited；　and　by　no　means　popular　with　their　comrades。　The　status　of　one　was　but　little　better　than　my　own；　and　only　in　that　his　comrades　would　speak　and　associate。　He　was　not　〃cut；〃　but　avoided　as　much　as　possible　without　making　the　offence　too　patent。

There　was　a　cadet　in　the　corps　with　myself　who　invariably　dropped　his　head　whenever　our　eyes　met。　His　complexion　was　any　thing　but　white；　his　features　were　rough　and　homely；　and　his　person　almost　entirely　without　symmetry　or　beauty。　From　this　singular　circumstance　and　his　physique；　I　draw　the　conclusion　that　he　was　more　African　than　Anglo…Saxon。　Indeed；　I　once　heard　as　much　insinuated　by　a　fellow…cadet；　to　whom　his　reply　was：　〃It's　an　honor　to　be　black。〃

Near　the　close　of　this　chapter　I　have　occason　to　speak　of　fear。　There　I　mean　by　fear　a　sort　of　shrinking　demeanor　or　disposition　to　accept　insults　and　other　petty　persecutions　as　just　dues；　or　to　leave　them　unpunished　from　actual　cowardice；　to　which　fear　some　have　been　pleased　to　attribute　my　generally　good　treatment。　This　latter　fact　has　been　by　many；　to　my　personal　knowledge；　attributed　to　fear　in　another　quarter；　viz。；　in　the　cadets　themselves。　It　has　many　times　been　said　to　me　by　persons　at　West　Point　and　elsewhere：　〃I　don't　suppose　many　of　those　fellows　would　care　to　encounter　you？〃

This　idea　was　doubtless　founded　upon　my　physical　proportionsI　am　six　feet　one　and　three…quarter　inches　high；　and　weigh　one　hundred　and　seventy…five　pounds。　In　behalf　of　the　corps　of　cadets　I　would　disclaim　any　such　notions　of　fear；

First。　Because　the　conception　of　the　idea　is　not　logical。　I　was　not　the　tallest；　nor　yet　the　largest　man　in　the　corps；　nor　even　did　I　give　any　evidence　of　a　disposition　to　fight　or　bully　others。

Second。　Because　I　did　not　come　to　West　Point　purposely　to　〃go　through　on　my　muscle。〃　I　am　not　a　fighting　character；　as　the　cadetsthose　who　know　mecan　well　testify。

Third。　Because　it　is　ungenerous　to　attribute　what　can　result　from　man's　better　nature　only　to　such　base　causes　as　fear　or　cowardice。　This　seems　to　be　about　the　only　way　in　which　many　have　endeavored　to　explain　the　difference　between　my　life　at　West　Point　and　that　of　other　colored　cadets。　They　seem　to　think　that　my　physique　inspired　a　sort　of　fear　in　the　cadets；　and　forced　them　at　least　to　let　me　alone；　while　the　former　ones；　smaller　in　size；　did　therefore　create　no　such　fear　until　by　persistent　retaliation　it　was　shown　they　were　able　to　defend　themselves。

Now　this；　I　think；　is　the　most　shallow　of　all　reasoning　and　entirely　unworthy　our　further　notice。

Fourth。　I　should　be　grieved　to　suppose　any　one　feared　me。　It　is　not　my　desire　to　go　through　life　feared　by　any　one。　I　can　derive　no　pleasure　from　any　thing　which　is　accorded　me　through　motives　of　fear。　The　grant　must　be　spontaneous　and　voluntary　to　give　me　the　most　pleasure。　I　want　nothing；　not　even　recognition；　unless　it　be　freely　given；　hence　have　I　not　forced　myself　upon　my　comrades。

〃But　the　sensible　Flipper　accepted　the　situation；　and　proudly　refused　to　intrude　himself　on　the　white　boys。〃　　Atlanta　（Ga。）　Herald。

Fifth。　Because　it　is　incompatible　with　the　dignity　of　a　〃cadet　and　a　gentleman〃　for　one　to　fear　another。

Sixth。　Because　it　is　positively　absurd　to　suppose　that　one　man　of　three　hundred　more　or　less　would　be　feared　by　the　rest　individually　and　collectively；　and　no　rational　being　would　for　an　instant　entertain　any　such　idea。　There　is；　however；　a　single　case　which　may　imply　fear　on　the　part　of　the　cadet　most　concerned。　A　number　of　plebes；　among　them　a　colored　one；　were　standing　on　the　stoop　of　barracks。　There　were　also　several　cadets　standing　in　the　doorway；　and　a　sentinel　was　posted　in　the　hall。　This　latter　individual　went　up　to　one　of　the　cadets　and　said　to　him；　〃Make　that　nigger　out　there　get　his　hands　around；〃　referring　to　this　plebe　mentioned　above。

I　happened　to　come　down　stairs　just　at　that　time；　and　as　soon　as　he　uttered　those　words　he　turned　and　saw　me。　He　hung　his　head；　and　in　a　cowardly　manner　sneaked　off；　while　the　cadets　in　the　door　also　dispersed　with　lowered　heads。　Was　it　fear？　Verily　I　know　not。　Possibly　it　was　shame。

Again　I　recall　a　rather　peculiar　circumstance　which　will　perhaps　sustain　this　notion　of　fear　on　the　part　of　the　cadets。　I　have　on　every　occasion　when　I　had　command　over　my　fellow…cadets　in　any　degree；　noticed　that　they　were　generally　more　orderly　and　more　obedient　than　when　this　authority　was　exercised　by　another。

　　　　　　　　Thus　whenever　I　commanded　the　guard　there　were　very　few　reports　for　offences　committed　by　members　of　the　guard。　　They　have　ever　been　obedient　and　military。　In　camp；　when　I　was　first　in　command　of　the　guard；　I　had　a　most　orderly　guard　and　a　very　pleasant　tour；　and　that　too；　observe；　while　some　of　the　members　of　it　were　plebes　and　on　for　the　first　time。　On　all　such　occasions　it　is　an　immemorial　custom　for　the　yearlings　to　interfere　with　and　haze　the　plebe　sentinels。　Not　a　sentinel　was　disturbed；　not　a　thing　went　amiss；　and　why？　Manifestly　because　it　was　thought　and　rightly　toothat　I　would　not　connive　at　such　interference；　and　because　they　feared　to　attempt　it　lest　they　be　watched　and　reported。　Later；　however；　even　this　semblance　of　fear　disappeared；　and　they　acted　under　me　precisely　as　they　do　under　others；　because　they　are　convinced　that　I　will　not　stoop　to　spy　or　retaliate。

〃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。〃New　York　Herald。

And　just　here　it　is　worthy　of　notice　that　the　press；　in　commenting　upon　my　chances　of　graduating；　has　never；　so　far　as　I　know；　entertained　any　doubts　of　my　ability　to　do　so。　It　has；　on　the　contrary；　expressed　the　belief　that　the　probability　of　my　graduating　depended　upon　the　officers　of　the　Academy；　and　upon　any　others　who；　by　influence　or　otherwise；　were　connected　with　the　Academy。　Some　have　even　hinted　at　politics　as　a　possible　ground　upon　which　they　might　drop　me。

All　such　opinions　have　been　created　and　nurtured　by　the　hostile　portion　of　the　press；　and；　I　regret　to　say；　by　that　part　also　which　ought　to　have　been　more　friendly；　if　not　more　discreet。　No　branch　of　the　government　is　freer　from　the　influences　and　whims　of　politicians　than　the　National　Military　Academy。　Scarcely　any　paper　has　considered　how　the　chances　of　any　cadet　depended　upon　himself　alone。　The　authorities　of　the　Academy　are；　or　have　been；　officers　of　the　army。　They　are；　with　one　or　two　exceptions；　graduates；　and　therefore；　presumably；　〃officers　and　gentlemen。〃　To　transform　young　men　into　a　like　ilk　as　themselves　is　t