Chapter CLVII: Military Academy: Its Riding-House

The annual appropriation bill for the support of this Academy contained a clause for the purchase of forty horses, "for instruction in light artillery and cavalry exercise;" and proposed ten thousand dollars for the purpose. This purchase was opposed, and the clause stricken out. The bill also contained a clause proposing thirty thousand dollars, in addition to the amount theretofore appropriated, for the erection of a building for "recitation and military exercises," as the clause expressed itself. It was understood to be for the riding-house in bad weather. Mr. McKay, of North Carolina, moved to strike out the clause, upon the ground that military men ought to be inured to hardship, not pampered in effeminacy; and that, as war was carried on in the field, so young officers should be learned to ride in the open air, and on rough ground, and to be afraid of no weather. The clause was stricken out, but restored upon re-consideration; in opposition to which Mr. Smith, of Maine, was the principal speaker; and said:

"I beg leave to call the attention of the committee to the
paragraph of this bill proposed to be stricken out. It is an
appropriation of thirty thousand dollars, in addition to the
amount already appropriated, for the erection of a building
within which to exercise and drill the cadets at West Point.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Ingersoll] who reported
this bill, and who never engages himself in any subject without
making himself entire master of all its parts, will do the
committee the justice, I trust, to inform them, when he shall
next take the floor, what the amount heretofore appropriated for
this same building, in which to exercise the cadets, actually
has been; that, if we decide on the propriety of having such a
building, we may also know how much we have heretofore taken
from the public Treasury for its erection, and to what sum the
thirty thousand dollars now proposed will be an addition.

"The honorable gentleman from New-York [Mr. Cambreleng] says
this proposed building is to protect the cadets during the
inclemency of the winter season, when the snow is from two to
six feet deep; and has urged upon the committee the extreme
hardship of requiring the cadets to perform their exercises in
the open air in such an inclement and cold region as that where
West Point is situated. Sir, if the gentleman would extend his
inquiries somewhat further North or East, he would find that at
points where the winters are still more inclement than at West
Point, and where the snow lies for months in succession from
two to eight feet deep, a very large and useful and respectable
portion of the citizens not only incur the snows and storms of
winter by day without workshops or buildings to protect them,
but actually pursue the business of months amid such snows and
storms, without a roof, or board, or so much as a shingle to
cover and protect them by either day or night, and do not dream
of murmuring. But, forsooth, the young cadet at West Point, who
goes there to acquire an education for himself, who is clothed
and fed, and even paid for his time, by the government while
acquiring his education, cannot endure the atmosphere of West
Point, without a magnificent building to shield him during
the few hours in the week, while in the act of being drilled,
as part of his education! The government is called upon to
appropriate thirty thousand dollars, in addition to what has
already been appropriated for the purpose, to protect the young
cadet, who is preparing to be a soldier, against this temporary
and yet most salutary exposure, as I esteem it. Sir, is Congress
prepared thus to pamper the effeminacy of these young gentlemen,
at such an expense, too, upon the public Treasury? Is it not
enough to educate them for nothing, and to pay them for their
time while you are educating them, and that you provide for
their comfortable subsistence, comfortable lodgings, and all the
ordinary comforts, not to say numerous luxuries of life, without
attempting to keep them for ever within doors, to be raised like
children? I am opposed to it; and I think, whenever the people
of this nation shall be made acquainted with the fact, they too
will be opposed to it.

"The gentleman from New-York says the exposure of the cadets is
very great and that, among other duties, they are required to
perform camp duties for three months in the year. It is true,
sir, that the law of Congress imposes three months' camp duty
upon the cadet. But the same tender spirit of guardianship which
has suggested the expediency of housing the cadets from the
atmosphere while performing their drill duties and exercises
has in some way construed away one third of the law of Congress
upon this subject; and, instead of three months' camp duty, as
the law requires, the cadets are required, by the rules and
regulations of the institution, to camp out only two months
of the year; and for this purpose, sir, every species of camp
utensils and camp furniture that government money can purchase
is provided for them; and this same duty, thus pictured forth
here by the gentleman from New-York as a severe hardship, is in
fact so tempered to the cadets as to become a mere luxury--a
matter of absolute preference among the cadets. The gentleman
from New-York will find, by the rules and regulations of the
Academy, the months of July and August, or of August and
September, are selected for this camp duty: seasons of the
year, sir, when it is absolutely a luxury and privilege for
the cadets to leave their close quarters and confined rooms,
to perform duty out door, and to spend the nights in their
well-furnished camps. Sir, the hardships and exposures of the
cadets are nothing compared with those of the generality of our
fellow-citizens in the North, in their ordinary pursuits; and
yet we are called upon to add to their luxuries--two hundred and
fifty dollar horses to ride, splendid camp equipage to protect
them from the dews and damp air of summer, and magnificent
buildings to shield them in their winter exercises. I think it
is high time for Congress, and for the people of this nation,
to reflect seriously upon these matters, and to inquire with
somewhat of particularity into the character of this institution.

"But the honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Ingersoll),
has volunteered to put the reputation of the West Point Academy
for morality in issue at this time, and sets it out in eloquent
description, as pre-eminently pure and irreproachable in this
respect.

"Sir, does not the honorable gentleman know that the history
of this institution, within a few years back only, bears quite
different testimony upon this subject? Does not the gentleman
know the fact--a fact well substantiated by the Register of
Debates in your library--that only a few years since the
government was forced into the necessity of purchasing up, at an
expense of ten thousand dollars, a neighboring tavern stand, as
the only means of saving the institution from being overwhelmed
and ruined by the gross immoralities of the cadets? Is not the
gentleman aware that the whole argument urged to force and
justify the government into this purchase was, that the moral
power of the Academy was unequal to the counter influences of
the neighboring tavern? And are we to be told, sir, that this
institution stands forth in its history pre-eminently pure,
and above comparison with the institutions that exist upon the
private enterprise and munificence, and thirst for knowledge,
that characterize our countrymen? I make these suggestions,
and allude to these facts, not voluntarily, and from a wish to
create a discussion upon either the merits or demerits of the
Academy. When I made the proposition to strike from this bill
the ten thousand dollars proposed to be appropriated for the
purchase of horses, I neither intended nor desired to enter into
a discussion of the institution. I have not now spoken, except
upon the impulse given by the remarks of the gentlemen from
New-York and Pennsylvania; and now, instead of going into the
facts that do exist in relation to the Academy, I can assure
gentlemen that I have but scarcely approached them. I have
been willing, and am now willing, to have these facts brought
to light at another time, and upon a proper occasion that will
occur hereafter, and leave the people of this nation to judge
of them dispassionately. A report upon the subject of this
institution will be made shortly, as the honorable gentleman
from Kentucky (Mr. Hawes) has assured the house. From that
report, all will be able to form an opinion as to the policy
of the institution in its present shape and under its present
discipline. That some grave objections exist to both its shape
and discipline, I think all will agree. But I wish not to
discuss either at this time. Let us know, however, and let the
country know, something about the expensive buildings now in
progress at West Point, before we conclude to add this further
appropriation of thirty thousand dollars to the expenses of the
institution; and, while I am up, I will call the attention of
the honorable gentleman who reported this bill to another item
in it, which embraces forage for horses among other matters, and
I wish him to specify to the committee what proportion of the
sum of over thirteen thousand dollars contained in this item, is
based upon the supposed supply of forage. We have stricken out
the appropriation for purchasing horses, and another part of the
bill provides forage for the officers' horses; hence a portion
of the item now adverted to should probably be stricken out."

The debate became spirited and discursive, grave and gay, and gave rise to some ridiculous suggestions, as that if it was necessary to protect these young officers from bad weather when exercising on horseback it ought to be done in no greater degree than young women are protected in like circumstances--parasols for the sun, umbrellas for rain, and pelisses for cold: which it was insisted would be a great economy. On the other hand it was insisted that riding-houses were appurtenant to the military colleges of Europe, and that fine riders were trained in these schools. The $30,000, in addition to previous appropriations for the same purpose, was granted; but has been found to be insufficient; and a late Board of Visitors, following the lead of the Superintendent of the Academy, and powerfully backed by the War Office, at Washington City, has earnestly recommended a further additional appropriation of $20,000, still further to improve the riding-house; on the ground that, "the room now used for the purpose is extremely dangerous to the lives and limbs of the cadets." This further accommodation is deemed indispensable to the proper teaching of the art of "equitation:" that is to say, to the art of riding on the back of a horse; and the Visitors recommend this accommodation to Congress, in the following pathetic terms: "The attention of the committee has been drawn to the consideration of the expediency of erecting a new building for cavalry exercise. We are aware that the subject has been before Congress, upon the recommendation of former boards of Visitors, and we cannot add to the force of the arguments made use of by them, in favor of the measure. We would regret to be compelled to believe that there is a greater indifference to the safety of human life and limb in this country than in most others. It is enough for us to say that, in the opinion of the Superintendent, the course of equitation cannot be properly taught without it, 'and that the room now used for the purpose is extremely dangerous to the lives and limbs of the cadets.' In this opinion, we entirely concur. The appropriation required for the erection of such a building will amount to some $20,000. We can hardly excuse ourselves, if we neglect to bring this subject, so far as we are able to do so, most emphatically to the notice of those who have the power, and, we doubt not, the disposition also, to remove the evil."