Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-03-26
The Bethany College Difficulty.

gave another version Of the story, with
long comments. In the February mum.
Der, he has another article. This last
We have been requested by several indi.
yiduals to publish, or give such extracts,
as will show to readers, Mr.. Camp.
bells statement of the facts on his side
of the question. This we ch~eerfully do,
reserving to ourselves the right of com
menting upon it. Mr.. c. says, that early
in the session, these young men 1.-THE dis
missed students) made a demand in the
following terms
That there be secured to US by the
Faculty &C., and that We demand the
right to discuss the merits of American
Slavery in public debate, and also in the
pulpit, amendable to the rules of true
morality, and the laws of the land.
The merits or dement's of the Faculty,
in this whole case, may be summed up
in a few words
1. Should they, or should they not,
act in conformity with the constitution
and laws of Bethany College, enforcing
obedience to them, as professed and
promised by every student in his matri-
culation and covenanted allegiance to
these laws?
2. Should they, or should they not,
concede 10 any or to every student the
right, on his demand, to introduce into
the college any political or partizan ques-
lion, agitation society, such as pro-
slavery or anti-slavery, in their popular
currency and a~cceptation I?
8. Should body or conspiracy of stu
dents offer to the Faculty, as a Term or
condition of their continuance IN the co.,
tege, that they shall have a special right
to introduce, any WI ere or every where,
on college premises, the questions and
attitudes of %pro-slavery or anti slavery,
should the Faculty entertain such aprop-
~osition, and countenance, or grant such
a license
4. There being three chartered lite.
rary societies in Bethany College, having
all the rights, immunities, and honors of
corporate bodies, ought the Faculty of
Bethany College to interfere with, or
veto, their acts and proceedings under
such charters, in any matters tolerated
in church or state, not conflicting with
college duties
The occasion of disturbance in the
church was a sermon on stLiberfy," de-
livered by Mr.. Burns, of Canada, on the
evening OF the Lords day. 1t was, in
its spirit and aim, understood to be a
rerversion or accommodation of The text
to political liberty, in contrast with the
institution of American slavery. Its in
direct illusions were construed into a
masked attack on Southern institutions.
Some boys walked out /; whereupon Mr..
of Ohio, in stentorian tones, called
out, Go on, sir-go on" The boys
who left the house attempted to raise a
window not far from the pulpit, which
suddenly falling, shattered some panes
Of glass. This has been exaggerated
into throwing stones against the windows
and the walls of the house. In all OF
there is not n word of truth, as
affirmed by all that we heard speak on
the subject.
As TO any purpose or attempt to ''mob"
or "duck him in the creek" as gone
abroad, there is no foundation whatever.
After as diligent an inquiry as could
have been instituted, it was ascertained,
as Mr.. Burns came out of the door
Of the meeting house, some boys around
the gate mi~schievously said, "There he
comes--duck him ;" ''Duck him in the
The most reliable spectators and
auditors present SO depose. There are
rash, and unthinking boys every
where. There are some in Bethany,
but as few, l presume, as can be found
any other village of The same popula-
ton. But that any such intention was
cherished, or expressed, by the students
of Bethany College. we have not an ink
link of evidence. We do not believe one
word of it.
But this is notthe only poetic invention
cherished and published by these imag-
NATIVE youths. There are tales of chains,
and files Of men eight deep, and maya
zines of eggs, in all the poetic l%uxuriance
of frantic romance, floating in their WIS.,
ions, like the brilliant adventures of.
Knights, with tilt and tourna-
ment, and joust and justle. ala mode the
romantic Erranty of the Feudal age, in
quest of brilliant adventures in the glo-
imaginations of being enrolled in
brilliant shrines of bloodless Adolf
ton heroes We have searched into
these matters reported by them, and, on
diligent inquiry, have found them all
pure romance. The stories of chains,
and eggs, and files of students, are origi-
nal creations of their own superexcited
imaginations, and can be proved to be
such in any court, civil or ecclesiastic,
IN our community.
To Mr.. Burns-whom, on q former
occasion, we noted as having introduced
The subject into one OF the societies in
which we have since learned
was not the fact-we must now assign
The disturbance recently created in the
church and in the college. of a morbid
sensibility so excessive as to affirm that
be will never become an American citi-
zen, because the United States will not
the relation of master and SER
want, in the Southern acceptation of these
he regards it a paramount duty,
on his part, to agitate and re-agitate the
Of the subject. He seems not
have regarded as canonicaE what Paul
said 10 the church at Ephesus, chap. So;
Or he cannot imagine that Paul was or
.hordox when he says, whether the SER
wants "be bond or free" Col. iii. 22,
Ii. ii. $40, Phil. 10-14. Or what Pc
ter said on the same subject, /. Ep. ii.
Is. He does not think with Paul or Pc
ler on these premises. In the Christian
Scriptures these relations do exist. ard
both masters and servants, T" bond and
Iree," are taught their relative duties
and accountabilities.