The true Democrat., 1856-03-25
The South Carolina College Rebellion Letter from one of the Trustees.
 Co7t,ahjo S T Fah OO

COtunlbtG, 5. C., Feb. 20. I0 the Eltors of he Patriot and Mountaineer:
 GENTLEMEN:-l came here yesterday under a summons to attend an occasional meeting of | the board of trustees of the South Carolina Col lege to supply the place of pr. Henry. Be- 1 fore reaching here 1 met the account of the fearful " "enaeute" of the preceding night. It was, as is to be expected, very much magni6ed in the rumor.
 It seems that three of the students, who were out of the college walls, met with the guard as they were about turning out One of the students was, unfortunately, very much in toXicated. He having some pque against one of the guardmen, separated from his companions and approached the guardman and struck him. He instantly, with his stick, struck and knocked the young man down, who lay for some min utes, but on being raised up made some further demonstrations of resistance, and thereupon, was taken to the guard d-house.
 The students who were with him returned to the college with the usual cry, "The College!''
 All the students turned out to the rescue and proceeded to the guard house, and by force took the young man out, broke the windows and in jured the door. They bore their prize of to the college.
 The President remained and was talking with the guardman who had been struck, and who knocked the student down, ascertaining from him the facts, when two of the students forced themselves in and commenced an attack on the guardman, striking him, and he retaliating ve- ry severely on them. They were probably struck, too, by others of the guard They were forced out of the guard house.
 By this time the students had again assem- bled. The President and Mayor were unable to quell the riot, the alarm bell was rung and the citizens called up out of their beds to wit ness and suppress if necessary the action of the students At length they returned to the col lege.
 The President, next morning, by the consent of the Mayor, proposed to submit the whole matter to the arbitration of twelve named gen. temen. To this the young men acceded at one time; but the two young men engaged in the affair the preceding night finally prevailed on majority to reject this proposition for peace and good order. It Is stated that they had agreed to seek and obtain satisfaction out of the guardman. They left the college .wthuot the knowledge of the students, and were seen, with their cloaks around them, approaching the guardman, who was speaking to gentleman on the subject of withdrawing from the guard as he regarded his life in danger. As soon as the young men were near enough, they dropped thelr cloaks and both struck the guardman, one With an iron, and the other with a wooden blud- geon. lie fell to his knees, but rose and struck With hls stick, and, others assisting him, beat the young men very severely The guardman' $ left hand is, as 1 am told, broken by the blows and he and the two young men are under the care of physicians from the injuries which they respectively received
 The cry of "College" was borne by sin gle student to the campus. The young men, with the accustomed devotion to their brothers in distress, were soon in the field. The alarm. bell was again rung, the citizens were turned out, and as posse con,mitatus, were paraded under arms. The boys returned to college forced the room where the rifles of the colleoe company were kept, possessed themselves ot them, and returned to the field of action
 The scene thus presented was such as Colum- bla never before saw, and which, I hope, she never will again see. Two hundred armed ci- tizens, with guns loaded with ball cartridges, op. posed to more than a hundred enraged young men, with rifles in their hands, The order to take aim was given, and a fire might have fol- lowed had not Colonel Godwyn and others thrown themselves between and called on the citizens not to fire. Alter much persuasion by Drs. Thornwell, La Borde Liebe, and others of the faculty, the students were induced to re- turn to college.
 Last night we went to the college in the dis charge ot our duty. Everything was quiet. I did not even hear "whoop," which is very unsual. To-day was equally quiet, and have been assured by the young men that there would be no further outbreak on their part To- day, on the requisition of the board, the rifles were deposited in the room where they were for merly kept. The governor, under the direction ot the board, will take the arms and place them ln the arsenal. The musters of the college com pany are directed to be suspended, and the pro- prety of suppressing and disbanding the col lege company is referred to a committee, to re- port next May.