612 
Mrs. IFnghts Truvt 
interest you more than a sketch of the 
rocks anti woody precipices upon which 
it stands. This interesting academy, 
which flourishes under the eye of the 
Central Government, Was established 
m 1802. Its first organization was de¬ 
volved by Congress upon the late Gene¬ 
ral Williams, whose talents and unre¬ 
mitting industry did honour to himself 
and to liis country which employed 
them. The average number of youths 
educated at West Point varies from 
230 to 250 ; 338 dollars are expended 
yearly upon each cadet, and the support 
ot the establishment is rated by the go¬ 
vernment at (lie sum of 115,000 dollars 
per annum. The branches of education 
taught at the academy are similar to 
those taught at Woolwich and the Poly¬ 
technic school of Paris. About 1,000 
youths from all the sections of the 
Union have here received a liberal and 
scientific education. A few of these 
now fill respectable posts in the corps 
of engineers, artillery, and other 
branches of the little army, amounting 
to a few thousands, which, scattered 
through this vast empire, are actively 
employed in the erection and conserva¬ 
tion of folds, the protection of the In¬ 
dian frontier, drawing of boundary 
lines, roads, &c. By far the greater 
number, however, retire from this little 
military fort ress to the shade of private 
life, as peaceful cultivators of the soil, 
trom whence some have been called bv 
the voices of their fellow-citizens to fill 
important civil-oflices : and all would 
be found ready at the first call of the 
republic, to rush foremost for her de¬ 
fence. 
It is judged by this government, ever 
liberal in all that touches the real wel¬ 
fare and dignity of the nation, that mi¬ 
litary knowledge can never be idly be¬ 
stowed upon a citizen, who, whatever 
be his condition or calling, must al¬ 
ways form one of the civic militia ; and, 
looking to the event, always possible, 
and therefore always to be provided 
against, ot attack from foreign powers, 
it is perhaps the wisest of all conceiva¬ 
ble precautions to scatter thus the seeds 
of military science among the peaceful 
population. It is true, that these may 
never be required to put forth their 
fruits. These infant soldiers may Jive 
and die as peaceful tillers of the soil ; 
but it is well to know, that the trump 
of defensive war could summon skilled 
heads as well as devoted hearts to the 
field. This establishment has yet in it 
the seeds of more good. These youths. 
-Is in the United Stales r. 
natives ofdifferent states, gathered from 
the north, south, east, and west of this 
vast confederacy, and here trained to¬ 
gether for the defence of the great whole , 
under the fostering and liberal care of 
the government of that whole , neces¬ 
sarily forget all those paltry jealousies 
and selfish interests which once went 
nigh to split these great republics, and 
to break down (lie last and noblest bul¬ 
wark ot freedom erected on this earth. 
Scattered again to the four Minds of 
heaven, these sons of the republic bear 
with them the generous principles here 
imbibed, to breathe them perhaps in 
the senate, if not to support them in 
the field ; and to hand them down to 
future generations through the minds 
oi their children. 44 The most interest¬ 
ing and important consequences,”—-I 
quote the words addressed to me by an 
enlightened American officer. Genera! 
Swift, to whom I have often been 
obliged for many particulars regarding 
the condition of this country, and to 
whose politeness I am chiefly indebted 
for my information respecting this Es¬ 
tablish ment— 44 The most interesting 
and important consequences which T 
have noticed as resulting from an edu¬ 
cation at West Point, are a zealous at¬ 
tachment to the political institutions 
ot the nation, a devotion to country, 
an ardent love of liberty.” This last, 
indeed, I have observed in the mind of 
an American to be synonymous with the 
love of the other two. In this country 
the government is the very palladium 
of liberty ; her throne is at Washing¬ 
ton ; upheld there by the united force 
of the whole people, she throws back 
light and beat upon her children and de¬ 
fenders. Generally speaking, all those 
connected with, or forming a part of 
the Central Government, engaged in its 
service, or in any manner placed under 
its more immediate direction or pro¬ 
tection, are peculiarly distinguished 
for elevated sentiment, a high tone of 
national feeling, an ardent enthusiasm, 
not merely for American liberties, but 
for the liberties of mankind. 
Among the most promising scholars, 
there are at present two Indians, the 
sons ol chiefs. In the second class, at 
a late examination, they carried away 
several of the prizes. There was an 
instance of the same kind some years 
since, but, ere the boy reached his six¬ 
teenth year, lie left his diagrams, (as a 
young geometrician he had been one of 
great promise,) ran to the woods, and 
forewent all other ambition for that 
of 
