"All that concerns me in the matter is whether you exonerate Mr.Totten, or whether you do not.

If you do not, the midshipman must state his case fully before a court-martial, at which you will be one of the important witnesses." "I exonerate Mr.Totten," replied Crane in a very low tone.
"Do you exonerate him completely ?" "Ye-es, sir." "Then Mr.Totten's offense will be reduced to one or two-simple breaches of discipline," went on the superintendent.
"But see here, sir," interposed one of the other young men, "are your midshipmen to be allowed to go about pounding whom they like?
Are they to be swashbucklers and bullies ?" "Very decidedly not, sir," replied the superintendent in a voice almost thunderous.

"The midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy must conduct themselves as gentlemen at all times." "Did they do that," urged the last speaker, "when they sailed into us as they did ?" "Why did your friends go to the assistance of Mr.Crane ?" asked the superintendent.
"Be--because," stammered the spokesman, "your midshipman had knocked Crane down and was misusing him." "Did you, the friends of Mr.Crane, consider it the act of gentlemen for several to rush in and attack one man ?" That left the callers rather breathless.
"Now, as to our other three midshipmen," pursued the superintendent, "at most they only rushed in to see fair play.

They did not make a hostile move until they saw a whole crowd of you attacking one midshipman.
Gentlemen, I am quite ready to leave it to a jury of any intelligent citizens as to whether the offending midshipmen or yourselves displayed the more gallantry and honor.

For you have all admitted doing something that is not consistent with the highest standards of a gentleman, while our accused midshipmen have no such reproach against them." "Then your midshipmen are to get off, and to be encouraged to repeat such conduct ?" demanded the spokesman of the Crane party.
"No.