Congressman Davy Crockett's Resolution to Abolish the Military Academy at West Point

1. Resolved that if the bounty of the government is to be at all bestowed the destitute poor and – not the rich & influential are the objects who most claim it and to whom the voice of Humanity most loudly calls the attention of Congress.

2. Resolved that no one class of the citizens of these United States has an exclusive right to demand or receive for purposes of education or for other purposes more than an equal & ratable proportion of the funds of the national treasury which is replenished by a common contribution and in some instances more at the cost of the poor man who has but little to defend than that of the rich man who seldom fights to defend himself or his- property-

3. Resolved that each and every institution calculated at public expence [sic] and under the patronage and sanction of the government to grant exclusive privilidges [sic] except in- consideration of public services is not only aristocratic but a down right invasion of the rights of the citizen and a violation of the civil compact call the Constitution.

4. Resolved further that the Military- academy at west point is subject to the foregoing objections-in as much as, those who are educated there, receive their instruction at the public expense and are generally the sons of the rich and–influential who are able to educate their own children–while the sons of the–poor for want of active friends are often–neglected–or if educated even at the–

expence [sic] of their parents or by the liberality of their friends are superceded in the service by cadets educated at the west point–academy.

Resolved therefore, and for the foregoing reasons that said institution should be
abolished, and the appropriations annually made for its support, discontinued

[handwritten across center as cover when paper is folded]
Mr. Crockett
Abolish West Point Academy
[handwritten line]
February 25, 1830
Laid on the table. –
[handwritten line]

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Crockett 33. To [illegible]
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