ies, and
permeates the pupils during their whole after life; 2d. That the
prevailing spirit in West Point was and is rather monarchical and
altogether Pro-Slavery; 3d, that of course some noble exceptions
are to be found and made,--but they are exceptions; 4th, that such
educational monasteries nurse conceit and arrogance; and this the
mass of West Pointers have prominently shown during this war in
their relations with the noble and devoted volunteers, and that this
arrogant spirit of clique and of caste works mischievously in the
army; 5th, that exceptions, noble and patriotic, as a Reno, a Lyons,
a Bayard, a Stevens, and other such heroes and patriots, do not
disprove the general rule; 6th, that Lyons, Grant, Rosecrans,
Hooker, Heintzelman, etc., have shown glorious qualities not on
account of what they learnt in West Point, but by what they did not
learn there; 7th, that these heroes rose above the dry and narrow
school wisdom, and are what they are, not because educated in West
Point, but notwithstanding their education there. And here I
interrupt the further enumeration to give an extract from a private
letter directed to me by one of the most eminent pupils from West
Point, and the ablest _true_, not _mock_, engineer in our army:

"In regard to your views of West Point's influence I am at a loss
to make any answer," (the writer is a great defender of West
Point,) "but would suggest that it may be after all not West
Point, but the want of _a supreme hand_ to our military affairs
to _combine_ and _use_ the materials West Point furnishes, that
is in fault. * * * _West Point cannot make a general_--no
military school can--but it can and does furnish good soldiers.
All the distinguished Confederate generals are West Pointers, and
yet we know the men, and know that neither Lee, nor Johnson nor
Jackson, nor Beauregard, nor the Hills are men of any very
extraordinary ability," etc., etc., etc.

To this I answer: the rebels are with their heart and soul in their
cause, and thus their capacities are expanded, they are inspired on
the field of battle. (Similar answer I gave to General McDowell
about six months ago.) So was our Lyon, so are Rosecrans, Hooker,
Grant, and a few others; and for such generals, Senators Trumbull,
Wade and Lane ardently called in the above debate.

I continue the enumeration: 8th. The military direction of the war is
exclusively in the hand