Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-09-09

teur and uncalled for herocs Of the rebel youths.
And with all Difference must be allowed to
add that the action Of the grave seniors consttu-
ting your honorable body seems to me to have
been hasty and ill-considered. =,
wLarge streams from little fountains flow" /"
and the origin Of this serious business, to me,
appears very small indeed. The ill-bred youth
who applauded in the chapel during service OF
religion, might we'll have been left to the re-
buke of his fellow-students. The circumstance
was scarce worthy Of a Faculty meeting at all I;
but having met, word or two gently spoken,
apnealine to the sense OF decency of the young
men, would have been more appropriate than
any attempt at screrer discipline. But having
acted, negotiation with Glass committee was
certainly grave and serious error. AS to the
Presidents subsequent conduct shall say moth
ing. I certainly do not wish him back again,
vet would not if could, recall the vote OF
the Trustees absolving him from imputations OF
dishonor and intentional mendacity. The Pro-
fessors, doubt not, are, by this time, aware OF
their own indiscrction. And as for the students,
besides the strong conviction that they should
have no voice in the government OF the college,
know that poised, as they conceive themselves
to be, on the "point of honor" they are lmper-
vious to argument. ;,
But President, Professors and Students, all
| together, have not done that which ought to
destroy time-honored institution, absolutely
essential to the best interests OF the State Yet
the action of your Board has placed it in jeop-
| ardy. A movement so sweeping and reToiu-
tionary as the vacation Of every office in the
College, should have been deliberate, and, in
my Judgment, should have been preceded by
something of concert and agreement as to the
work of Reconstruction. There was, at least,
the appearance of haste, and certainly no con-
cert as to the manner in which the places were
to be filled. The result is, that the College has
but three Professors, and there is no President; !;
four vacant ProfcssorshipS, and no students. In
addition to this, a scheme is suggested Tor chang
ING radically the whole character OF the lnstltu-
| ton. And the Board is required 10 re-assem-
| ble in September for the purpose Of a re- organi-
zation, without previous knowledge OF the
| precise character or number Of the Professor
Ships to be filled or even Of the character OF
the institution itself in the future. Candidates
for these offices, under the circumstances cannon
| be expected. Among whom are you to choose
Who will accept office with so uncertain a iu-
ture before him? 1t seems, at all times dill
cult enough to get q proper man to accept tiie
Presidency. In such q state Of things, would
it not be impossible?
Can any one fail to perceive that, depending
as the College does for its continuance ON poPu-
lar favor-eXisting at the will of the Legsla-
ture-bcsct as it always has been, by numer-
GUS cnemies-its present condition IS extremely
precarious would suggest, then, IN a case
So pcrlous hot exactly mastery: inactivity, :
but certainly moderated action; the avoidance
Of everything revolutionary; Of "root and
branch" reform; of the attempt. for tho pres.
ent, to be thorough" Resusctate first, and
then consider the best means of renovating tie
constitution OF your patient; for, be assured,
he will not stand much medicine just now.
The College has now three very excellent
Professors. There are two gentlemen, not yet
passed upon by the Board, who have proved
| themselves competent, and, but on single oc'
cason, exceptionable. They are out of employ
ment, and probably would accept their former
places. Cannot the Board re-elect them?
DR.. Tsnrnwell, from his great interest in the
College, mig t, perhaps. be induced to accept
trm,urarily, il moi permanently, the Presidency
and dividing the duties among the SIX, the Col
lcre might proceed until December, arHhou
further ciuage. In the meantime, committee
appointed by the Board, might devise scheme
OF rcfnrm tu be acted upon at that time, and
the election of the additional Professors and
permanent President might be deferred Until nj
men could be found to fill the places.
Nv own Judgment, will state frankly, IS
opnoscd 70 what has been termed the CnircrSl-
" system, unless it cali he in some way engrat'
ted Oh the present scheme. requiring course
| of compulsory studies. With all its mperlec'
| -. in
Of numbers our own College has, think, Sc
cured better results than the University of Eir,
einia Surely numbers alone cannot be consld'
cred as decisive. Judged by such standard
''pent-up Attica" would be small concern IL
every way, and the groves OF the Academy
must yield. without contest, to a New iork
| Common School. But whatever the merits Of
the proposed change, September, which is just
at hand, insist is not the time to introduce IT.
or even to decide on its propriety.
It is a question with many whether reform
should not begin with reorganization of the
Board of Trustees. One objection to the Board
rs at present organized, is certainly not without
its weight. 1t is TOO numerous tor consistent ac,
lion. and too numerous for full sense q ind.
rdua! responsibility OH the members. Might
not this be obyiatcd by the Board selecting
from their own body (or elsewhere, If you
please) fire persons, to be called Visitors OF
Cuyators for what you will, charged with the
active duties, rcserving to the Board merely
such power Us the Senate of the United State:
has in regard to treaties and nominations made
bv the President. We would have then the
prestige of the dignitaries; and the veto check
in case of emergency, in their hands, united
with the greater uuily of purpose, efficiency and
sense of responsibility belonging, to smaller
body. It is some merit in scheme that It's
execution should ask as little Us possible tnal
is new, from the Legislature.
Would it not obyiate much of the tendency
to nsubordnation and organized rebellion (tor
! that, after all, is the gravamen OF the charge
against the College, if each student, on enter
ing, were required to sign written pledge that
rs Iong as he continued member OF the Col
lege, he would submit himself to its discipline
and would neither directly or indirectly attempt
| to interfere with its government pledge to
obey all the regulations would never be obserV-
ed, and would lead to dupcity. But pledge
to submit to the penalties OF the Law, IN case
Of violation, without rebellion or attempt at
revolution, is like an oath Of allegiance, and
calls on the young man to do no more than is
required of every citizen in we'll ordered gov
i'ern,nent. If citizen is hardly dealt With in
| the Court of Sessions, or suffers, us he thinks,
from an iniouitous decision Of civil suit, either
in Law or Equity, does he ever dream OF COM
bincd and organized resistance to the Judgment
of the constituted tribunals 2 Yet, this is the
right which the students arrogate to themselves
the right of rebellion and revolution whenever
the laws are not administered to their satlsiac-