Weekly Mississippi Pilot clipping

Howard, Merrimon; United States Military Academy

"The West Point Revels."

The New York Sun comes to us with a letter from West Point on the subject of the arrival at that place of a commissioned cadet of color. The writer of the communication goes on to describe "the sensation" after the clap-trap fashion of Northern journals; and in doing so, does not hesitate to set his readers staring by spicing the story with a few touches of fancy.

The subject of the New York "sensationists" is Michael Howard, of Mississippi. He is the son of a member of the lower branch of the Legislature, from Jefferson county, Mr. Merriman Howard. He is a bright, intelligent lad of very conciliatory manners; and when the correspondent of the sun puts into his mouth such words as "gwine," and "sah," he simply "speaks to the galleries." Young Howard speaks with the ordinary pronunciation of Southern boys of his age - neither more nor less - suggestive of "the plantation."

The introduction of a negro student at West Point shocks all the preconceived ideas of that school. A great deal of passion has been aroused by it. We hope the New York sensationist is stating a falsehood when he says that the boys threatened young Howard's life. The Professors are said to have been very angry when Howard presented himself; but we have no doubt this is a statement of penny-a-lining sensation. Those gentlemen are aware that two other cadets have been sent to this Institution; that the revolution has in readiness a continued stream of future additions to the cadets of color, and are, it may be presumed, men of the ripe intelligence and chastened judgment which do not destroy themselves in a wrestle with the inevitable. Malicious comment says that in the most of the appointments, to give an escape to the Professors, the colored boy sent from Massachusetts is known to be under age, he from Columbia is known to be physically disqualified, and Michael Howard is known to be unprepared to pass his examination. But though any such trick were really designed by the gentlemen who have obtained the appointments of these lads - a supposition conceivable only by political malice - the movement will undoubtedly go on until, let men differ as they will about the wisdom or acceptability of such a conclusion, the school at West Point shall have become, as much as the Legislature of Mississippi or that of any other reconstructed State, a "so-called" establishment of "the black-and-tan." There is no wrestling with the tides of the sea.