Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-01-30

PROFESSOR IN THE UN1vERsIrY.--A writer from Ra-
leigh to the Petersburg Express INDUCES in severe
the late appointment by the Board Of Trustees Every
lew we suppose being presently OF one OF her sons
to the Proessorship of Chemistry in the University
OF North-C Carolina, over a native of this State, an
Alumnus of our own University, lover and prof.
cient in that branch of Science, and graduate of
the Medical University OF Pennsylvania. The writer
fecitates the Express upon the fact that Unver
sy has not turned out man fit for the Professor
ship during go or 70 years of its existence, whilst
the Virginia University supply US, though it
has been in operation only 90 or 80 years. -a
Virginia influence has long been as potent in our
State Councils as French influence was once sup
posed to be in the National Councils. We certain
~ did hope that this vacant chair would have been
filled by an Aumnus of this University, if not by
citizen of this State. But it is the habit Of peo
home, for Teachers, Professors. &c. We recently
heard of remarkable case of this kind in an Acad
envy in neighboring county, which would be
inclined to relate if could do so without indug-
ing in personalities. How different from all this
are proud to say, is the of this community.
Look at the Fayetteville Female High School, where
we find among the Faculty natives of our own
town and county, one native of Chatham and one
only from abroad.
It may not have occurred to- some of the friends
of this cherished State institution the University of
North Carolina that in thus looking abroad for Pro-
fessors they in a depreciate its character
not by putting incompetent men in; by no means
but by asserting, in effect that the institution itself
is incapable of qualifying gentlemen to fill such sta
tions-an assertion the truth of which we are by
no means willing to admit There soas a time, we
admit, when it was both necessary and proper to
look beyond the bounds of our own State, and be-
yond the list of the Alumni of institutions,
for Professors; but it might have been supposed
that that time passed away with the induction into
office of the present distinguished and most success
full Head of the Institution, and by the acquisition
of such corps of Professors as the present, who
have so thoroughly gained the public confidence as
to swell the number of students to nearly 500.
Fayetteville Observer.
For the Standard.
MEssRs EDITORS Nv attention has been called to
editorial article in the Fayetteville Observer of the
18th inst, in relation to the recent appointment of
Professor of Chemistry in the University of North
Carolina. With the Senior Editor of the Observer
have been Familiarity acquainted during period of
nearly thirty-six years. The Junior Editor gradua.
ted at the University in 1e49. My personal inter.
with both has been without exception respect
full and kind, and to them fee' at liberty 10 make
statement and explanation, to which anonymous
accuser could not with propriety lay claim.
The appointment of Professor Martin was made
on the night of the 9th inst. The Trustees present
were, His Excellency Gov. Bragg, Hon. Daniel M.
Barringer, Judge Battle Hon. John H. Bryan, Treas
urer Courts, William Eaton, jr., Esq, Gov Graham,
Gov. Manly, Bartholomew F. Moore, ESQ.,, Judge
Rufin, D. L. Swain and Patrick Fl. Winston, Esq.
The letter-writer of the Petersburg Erpress the
authority referred to by the Observer gives the fol
lowing account of the circumstances connected with
the election:
$50 great is the reputation and influence of the
University of Virginia and it has such strong hold
upon the admiration and affection of the Faculty of
the University of N c., that the President express
ed himself before the late election decidedly pre-
ferrng graduate of the University of Virginia. 9TH
err things being equal to graduate of any other in
stitution to fill the Chair of Chemistry, &C., made
vacant by the death of the lamented Mitchell, and
as have informed you above, the Trustees have
dersed this opinion of the President by eecng Mr..
Martin to that Chair"
At the close Of a minute and pains taking exami-
nation Of the testimonials of the several candidates
for the office, which occupied the attention of the
Board. during the sessions of the 4th and 5th nsts,
Immediately before proceeding to ballot stated in
substance, if not in words:
6" That in the election of successor to Dr. Mitch
ell we could not expect to the services of
gentleman of equal abilities and attanments who
was not in the decline of life, and that I had no
hopes of finding any one who at present would be
able to supply our loss. That it had been my OBJ
ject in careful scrutiny of the pretensions of the
gentlemen to whom my attention had been directed
to find among the graduates of this University
young man of decided ability, of ettanments equal
to his years. who had given satisfactory evidence of
capacity to impart instruction, and who had well
established character accomplished Christian
gentleman. That as the University State in
stitution, had always entertained the opinion that
all parties in the State, political and religious should
be represented in the government of it and that
no member of the Faculty a Baptist, other
things being equal, would prefer member of that
denomination, and next to that, Methodist. That
if no suitable person among graduates presented
himself other things being equal, I would prefer
Southern to Northern man; and that while had
no disposition to change the plan upon which ours,
in common with the great majority of the colleges
in the country was organized, to that known as the
University system, disposed to conform to the
wishes of those who differed with me so far as to
desire that their views and opinions might be repre-
sented and that as all the members of our Faculty
were educated on the old plan, other things being
equal, would give the preference to candidate
who had undergone the peculiar system of training
and instruction which prevailed at the University of
Virginia"
1 have simply to say, in conclusion that neither
in the Faculty, nor the Board in public in pri
vate, have l expressed any other opinions on the
subject than are set forth in the foregoing state
ment
D. L. SWAIN.
Chapel Hill, Jan. Is, 1868.
SUICIDES AND SrRIcHNINE. New Orleans BuL
letin. commenting the alarming progress of self
destruction in this country, expresses the opinion