suddenly in 1894. In announcing his death in a regimental order his
colonel spoke of him in terms of high praise, and did not use the
customary stereotyped phrases of regret. His fellow white officers all
had good words for him. There never was more striking testimony to the
discipline and spirit of fairness at West Point than was afforded by the
sight of Cadet Charles Young, who is of very dark complexion, commanding
white cadets. Nothing else has impressed foreign visitors at West Point
half so much.

An equally remarkable happening, and one which speaks even more for
the democratic spirit in the army, was the commissioning in 1901 of
Sergeant-Major Benjamin O. Davis, Ninth Cavalry, and of Corporal John E.
Green, Twenty-fourth Infantry. Both these men were examined by boards
of white officers, who might easily have excluded them because of color
prejudice, in which case there would have been no appeal from their
findings. Lieutenant Davis's former troop commander, a West Pointer,
openly rejoiced at his success, and predicted that he would make an
excellent officer. These are the first two colored men to rise from the
ranks, but there will be many more if the same admirable spirit of
fair play continues to rule in the army and is not altered by outside
prejudice. It was thought that there would be a severe strain upon
discipline when a colored officer rose to the rank of captain and to
the command of white officers. But in Captain Young's case his white
subordinates seem to have realized that it is the position and rank
that they are compelled to salute and obey, and not the individual. This
principle is at the bottom of all discipline. Only too frequently do
subordinates throughout the army have to remind themselves of this when
obeying men for whose social qualities and character they have neither
regard nor respect. During the war with Spain Captain Young commanded
a negro battalion from Ohio, which was pronounced the best drilled
organization in the large army assembled at Camp Alger near Washington.
In addition to these officers, Captain John R. Lynch, formerly a
Congressman from Mississippi, and four colored chaplains represent their
race on the commissioned rolls of the army. All of these men are doing
well. One colored chaplain was dismissed for drunkenness in 1894. Beyond
this their record is unblemished.

Despite the fairness shown in these appointments, there has been
considerable very just criticism of th