My Dear General:1
I believe I never have asked even m the most [t◇rifling ] favor of the Government of the United States, in behalf of any friend or relative of mine, although I have a number who are suffering for office——but when I come forward to confer a vast kindness upon the country, I feel a grandeur in keeping with the greatness of the situation, & a just pride in it, withal.
But skip
My sister’s boy, who will be fourteen 6 months hence, wants to go into the Navy. He lives in Mr. Sessions’s District (State of New York)2 but there is no vacancy belong in its gift now., or shortly to occur. From my experience I should say that there is a sufficiently large proportion of leatherheads in the Navy, now, & what I want to do is to increase the proportion of officers with brains in that department of the public service. This lad’s head eats up his body, but he has no disease. He ought to pass medical examination. He has never been allowed to go to school any worth mentioning, but it is considered safe, now, to let him begin.3 He could pass that Naval examination, though, simply on what he has picked up by being allowed to listen to High School pupils recite, without taking ‸any‸ part.4
I can get him plenty of positions, but I say a perfectly sincere thing when I say I think his brains (& those of boys like him) ought to be secured to his country. Statesmen could not be much better employed than in looking out for the country’s future a little in that way, perhaps.
Now I have gathered the idea somewhere, that the Secretary of the Navy has power to appoint a few cadets at large, himself. If this is so, will you kindly ask him, when you see him, if he would object to making this appointment provided I can demonstrate that I have not overrated this boy’s promise?5
Please pardon me for occupying so much of your time.
Yrs Truly
Saml. L. Clemens.
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
All candidates must be over fourteen and less than eighteen years of age, and no one is examined whose age does not fall within the prescribed limits. They must be physically sound, well-formed, and of robust constitution. To test this, they are required to pass a satisfactory examination before a medical board, composed of the surgeon of the Academy and two other medical officers designated by the Secretary of the Navy. Any one of the following conditions is sufficient to cause the rejection of the candidate: Feeble constitution, greatly-retarded development, permanently-impaired general health, decided cachexia, diathesis, or predisposition, and all chronic disease, malformation, or results of injuries, that would permanently impair efficiency. Attention is also paid to the stature of the candidate, and no one manifestly under size for his age is admitted. No candidate rejected by the medical board is allowed a re-examination. (Soley, 151–52)
Candidates must pass an examination before a committee of the Academic Board in reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic, geography, and English grammar. All the examinations, except in reading, are written. Candidates who fall below the standard (62.5 per cent. in each branch) receive a second and final examination in the subjects in which they fail. Deficiency in any one of the subjects at the second examination is sufficient to insure rejection. By the Revised Statutes, § 1515, “candidates rejected at such examination shall not have the privilege of another examination to the same class, unless recommended by the board of examiners.” (Soley, 152)
The examinations were given on 21 June and 12 September (Soley, 151). Samuel would be fourteen on 5 November 1874, and therefore, if nominated, first eligible for examination on 21 June 1875.
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Previous publication:
L6, 211–213.
Provenance:
The MS, owned in 1930 by Daniel P. Woolley, vice-president of Standard
Brands, was deposited at ViU by Clifton Waller Barrett on 15 May 1962.
Emendations and textual notes:
Elmira, N.Y., • [possibly inserted; ‘E’ malformed; possibly ‘S Elmira’]
t◇rifling • [partly formed character]