Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-03-06
THE COLLEGE DIFFICULTY.

OF course many Of them think they have found
signs, but we are unadyised as to the facts
------<>Os<-
THE COLLEGE DIFFICULTY.
We were deeply panied last week by the rumor
of serious difficulty between the students of the
College and the citizens of Columbia; but as our
information was by no means definite and reliable,
we made no mention of it. The following state.
ment, which is taken from letter of Judge o.
NEALL to the editors of the Greenrlle Patriot, is
the most satisfactory Of any we have been able to
obtain. We therefore copy it entire:-
Genhemen:-I came here yesterday under sum-
mons to attend an occasional meeting of the Board
of Trustees of the South Carolina College, to sup
ply the place of DR.. Henry.
Before reaching here, met the account of the
fearful "emente" of the preceding night. 1t was,
rs is to be expected, very much magnifed in the
rumor. 1t 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 stu
dents was, unfortunately, very much intoxicated
He, having some pique against one of the guard
men, separated from his companions, and ap.
preached the guardman and struck him; he in
stantly, with his stick, struck and knocked the
young man down, who 10y for some minutes; but
on being raised up, made some further demonstra-
tions Of resistance, and thereupon was taken to
the guard house. The students, who were with
him, returned to the College with the usual cry,
"The College," All the students turned out for
the rescue, and proceeded to the guard house, and
by force, took the young man out, broke the win
dows and injured the door. They bore their prize
off to 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 for
ced themselves in, and commenced an attack on
the guardman, striking him, and he retaliating
very 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 assembled. 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 con-
sent Of the Mayor, proposed to submit the whole
matter to the arbitrament of twelve named gen.
temen. TO this the young men acceded, at one
time: but the two young men, engaged in the af-
fair the preceding night frslly prevailed on ma
jorty to reject this proposition for peace and good
order 1t is stated, that they had agreed to seek
and obtain satisfaction out of the guardmen; they
left the College without the knowledge of the stu
dents and were seen, with their cloaks around
them, approaching the guardman, who was speak
ing 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 their cloaks, and both struck the guard
man-one with an iron. and the other with wood
en- bludgeon. He fell to his knees, but rose and
struck with his stick, and others assisting him,
beat the young men very severely. The guard
mans left hand is, as 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 single student to the campus. The
young men, with their 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 the posse eomtatus were parad-
ed under arms. The boys returned to College,
forced the room where the rifles of the College
Company were kept, possessed themselves of them,
and returned to the field of action. The scene
thus presented was such az Columbia never before
saw, and which, / hope, she never will again see.
Two hundred armed citizens, with guns loaded
with ball cartridges, opposed to more than hun
dred enraged young men, with rifles in their hands
The order to take aim was given, and n fire might
have followed, had not Col. Goodryn and others
thrown themselves between and called on the citi-
zens not to fire. After much persuasion by DR..
Thornwell, LaBorde, Lieber, and others Of the
Faculty, the students were induced to return to
College.
Last night we went to the College, in the dis
charge of our duty-everything was quiet. l did
not even hear "whoop,' which is very unusual.
To-day was equally quiet; and have been assur-
ed by the young men that there would be no fur
ther outbreak on their part. To-day, on the re-
quisitlon Of the Board, the rifles were deposited
in the room where they were formerly kept. The
Governor, under the direction of the Board, will
take the arms and place them in the Arsenal
The musters of the College Campany are directed
to be suspended, and the propriety of suppressing
and disbanding the College Company is referred to
Committee, to report next May.
This statement gathered from the best sources
in my power, places the facts before you. The
unfortunate violence of the guardman in knocking
down student who, when drum, struck him, is
the cause of this affair." which may so much injure
the College.
The fact of drunkenness among the students
shews to the Legislature the necessity of removing
this fearful curse of mischief from the town of
Columbia.
The occasional meeting of the Board had no
power to do more than they did. A great duty
will devolTed on the Board at the stated meeting in
May to examine into the College, both as to its in
ternal and external government, and full and ade-
quate justice must be done to the Faculty the stu
dents and the State. Mr.. Rivers, of Charleston,
was elected to fill Dr. Henry's chair until the stat
cd meeting in May. Your friend,
JOHN BELTON O'NEALL.
In addition to the above, we ore advised that the
College exercises have been suspended for time
by the President and all the student have left for
their homes. Previous to their departure, the
students held meeting and sent in to the Board
memorial asking for reorganization of the Fac
ulty, reconsideration of the election of Presi-
dent, and thousand and one other reforms, too
tedious to mention. All We now have to soy, is,
if the Board of Trustees permit themselves to be
influenced by the dictation Of the Faculty, the
students, or the very good people Of Columbia,
they will deserve and ought to receive very de-
cded mark Of public censure There are some
things in reference to this lamentable state of dis
organization which must be brought to the light.
We learn from the Carolinian that the exercises
of the College will be resumed on Wednesday,
18th instant, with full Faculty-Prof. RIVERS and
Prof. LEcoMpTE having accepted their appoint
ments by the Board.
SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
We have On our table the January and Februa-
ry numbers-the first and second of the twenty
second volume, Of the Southern Literary Ihessen-
ger, long and favorably known Southern Maya
zine conducted in Ricbmond W. by JoUy r.