Francis H. Smith

“ The point was so sharply made, that one of the Hotspurs rose, and asked, “If we go at once to duty, will you overlook the past?” “Surely I will,” was my prompt reply. They evidently saw they had made a mistake under the impulse of disappointment, when their feelings were fanned by a heady leader, and they were glad to get out of the difficulty. ”

“ Walker, I have tried in every way to influence you that I might ensure greater diligence in study, and make you keep down your heavy list of demerit, but all in vain. I know you have many good qualities, but you will let your love of mischief get the better of you. ”

“ The meetings being purely voluntary, and in no respect compulsory, gave full opportunity to the leader of the meeting to make his addresses close and practical, and many were thus made ready and willing to accept the terms of the Gospel.
There is no part of my life at the Institute that I look back upon with more real pleasure than the cadets’ prayer-meetings. Sometimes I would only have two or three present. But I was never discouraged by the small attendance. We had always enough for the Divine blessing. ”

“ Great wisdom and judgment are required in all such cases. The cadets invariably have in all these applications some show of justice or equity, in their demands, founded either upon precedent or exciting interest of the moment, or upon some excitement that has been brought about by the influence of a leader or leaders among them, when reason loses its sway and passion reigns supreme. ”

“ I have postponed the consideration of the topic of religious training for separate handling, because of the distinctive methods prevalent in the Virginia Military Institute.
Shortly after the establishment of the Institute, say in 1840 or 1841, a general religious interest prevailed in Virginia, and the cadets as they came in brought me letters from the pastors of their respective churches, asking my special interest in their religious life. Here was a new duty added to my lifework. I came here to teach mathematics, and to discipline the young men. ”

“ Besides the discipline as affected by demerits there have been crises in the school, the result sometimes of a spirit of lawlessness; at others, a refusal of what seemed to cadets, at the time, reasonable privileges, when the powers of combination would be resorted to, to overawe the authorities, and to compel a resort to a breaking up of the school for the time, or a forced yielding to their demands. ”

“ It was difficult for parents and others to understand why it should be necessary that extreme penalties should be resorted to when the demerit showed no moral delinquency in the report, all for getting that habitual neglect or incorrigible idleness or carelessness must lead to evil results, unless corrected in time. Still, these complaints against our discipline continued until finally they were brought to the attention of the General Assembly, by a formal complaint made by the guardian of a cadet, dismissed at January for exceeding 100 demerits. ”

“ The military organization of the institution had a tendency to fascinate such unruly spirits, who might be made valuable men by the military pride which promotion to the military offices of the school held out to them. ”

“ It was the aim of the Superintendent from the beginning to try and organize a Literary Society among the cadets, and thus encourage public speaking, declamation, reading and writing. The military and scientific character of the institution was not unfriendly to such a means for literary improvement. The Dialectic Society of Cadets at West Point, although without a public hall, or library, was a potent influence for the cultivation of speaking and writing. ”

“ In the restoration of the cadets’ barracks the library halls were put in their former good order, and these two societies have continued their appointed work with varied success, but rarely has either of these societies worked with the energy, zeal, and united effort that the members of the Society of Cadets labored from 1839 to 1842. ”

“ At West Point the cadets received ample pay to provide for their entire expenses, and, then, on graduation, received a commission in the army of the United States, thus adding great strength to the power of the government Here, the State cadets only receive as a bonus, and, that in the early history of the school, not aggregating more than $150 a year, board and tuition, and never exceeding $280 a year, with no expectation, after graduation, except what individual energy and thrift could secure. ”

“ The case excited universal interest, the committee meeting in the Senate chamber at night. The testimony was wide, and argument was made by Governor Gregory and the Superintendent. The report of the committee was unanimous in sustaining as it did the policy of the institution, and the conduct of the Superintendent; it so satisfied the guardian of the dismissed cadet of the wisdom and justice of the administration, that he entered subsequently two of his own sons as cadets, both of whom graduated, one killed in battle as a Lieutenant of C. S. Artillery. ”