The embryo colored soldier
and all his friends--black, white and tan--believe
that the administrationists have used him shamefully,
especially in view of their professions and of the
chief source of their political strength. Grant went
into the White House by means of colored votes, and
his shabby treatment of the first member of the dusky
army who reached the point of graduation in the country's
military school, is a sore disappointment to them.
"Cadet Smith has been a thorn in the side of the
Administration from the start. He could not be bullied
out or persecuted out of the institution by the insults
or menaces of those who, for consistency's sake, should
have folded him to their bosoms. He stood his ground
bravely, and much against the will of its rulers. West
Point was forced to endure his unwelcome presence up to
the time of graduation. At that point a crisis was
reached. If the odious cadet were allowed to graduate,
his commission would entitle him to assignment in our
much-officered army, which contains Colonel Fred Grant
and a host of other favorites whose only service has
been of the Captain Jinks order. The army revolted at
the idea. Theoretically they were and are sound on the
nigger, but they respectfully and firmly objected to a
practical illustration. The Radical General Belknap was
easily convinced that the assignment of the unoffending
Smith to duty would cause a lack of discipline in any
regiment that would be fearful to contemplate.
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