Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-01-26

Trustees Of the University.

Trustees OF the University.
North Carolina is justly proll Of her Uni-
yersity. Every true citizon r%ejoiccs at its
prosperity; and must necessarily feel a deep
interest in whatever affects its veal or woe.
It is All institution sustained by tn revenue
AMI the patronage Of the entire State. Eb
neither s~cctarian or denominational, nor par
tisan, and from its very character should not
b, 50 in any sense. Any attempt on the
part Of Its friends to make it so, or to make
it serve the ends of one determination or par
~, would meet with just and deserved re-
bake from every portion Of the State.
Bat it must strike every observing man at
an cosuizant of the ridiculous coarse pur-
suel every two years in the election Of Trus-
toes to that institution by the Legislature, in
the wire-workiug, caucussing and petty scram-
bic for putting a certain class Of men into
that Office, which by the way seems to be
sought for nowadays, as iii paid a salary,
or was a distinguished honor, there is danger
Of makius the University liable to the suspi-
cioa ofbeing mlnagel by those who woald
make ID both a s~cctarian and a partisan insti-
tuition.
AZ a state University, the care Of the Leg
stature should be to place it under the trus-
tccship oc men, not to use that unmeaning
tnisnomer g~sa3sgsn. who are competent,
discreet and honest enough to manage it
with the sole view Of progiding amply for the
educational wants Of the state and country,
in the higher branches Of literature, and to
rive to It's instruction and management, such
70 strong moral impress, as to render it the
most suitable place in the land, for the youth
Of al classes, of all the Churches and Of every
phase of politics. To effect this, the plainest
dictate of common sense and of ordinary pru-
dgnee would suggest that if the idea of
Church or Party ever enters the heads ofthe
members Of the Legislature in the selection
OF Trustees or into the minds Of the Trus-
tees when selecting Profcssors-we do not
saw such an idea ought to be permit
tel {, cntcr.-thlt strict and conscientious
r,glrl should be had, to the claims Of the
different Christian denominations prominent
in the State at least, and its political parties.
The Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist and
Methodist Churches, are largely represented
in Tho students of the University. Three
Iourths. if not q larger share, are from Pres
bytcrian, Methodist and Baptist families, of
this State and the South and West, although
these three denominations have Colleges OF
their own IN the State. How the four
Churches are represented in the Board OF
Trustees, we have not been curious enough
TO enquire, but we have heard that there
were only one or two Baptists and one Meth
odist in the Board. In the Faculty, there is
no member Of the Baptist Church, and but
two Mcthodists; the Episcopal and Presby-
terrain Churches, embracing the rest.
We are not willing to believe, that this or
ganization of the Faculty, is by design. The
great f~orccaste and the catholicity of its able
President, forbids the belief that he woulC
rountcnancc so manifest a disregard to tn,
claims of the two largest denominations il
the State. The selection Of the Faculty ha
been made under such circumstances, as t
preclude the idea yet it it is a manifest in
Justice to keep the two largest Churches il
the State, from a fair representation in tn
Board of Trustees.
If we are to judge from the course whic
has been pursued for the last eight or tie
years, the ruie has been to select the Trus
tee; from a certain class Of men, we mea
Lecyers. There are exceptions, it it is true
but they have been rare in late years. Now
if the lawyers Of this State were the onl
class of men capable OF managing the Uniye
sity, thcrc would be some propriety and ju
tica in the course, but as a few Of the boy
belong to other people, and as there are a ic
turner's, merchants, mechanics, doctors, q
ors and ministers, it is an outrage, to whic
tn people Of this State ought not longer sui
nit. There are lawyers cminently qualiii(
for the position in all respects, already in Il
Board, but other vocations should at least
equally represented. "