Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-09
ing remarks, made by at the time Of the election
of successor to DR.. Mitchell and published under

ing remarks, made by at the time of the election
of successor to DR.. Mitchell and published under
sanction of the executive committee year ago:
Immediately before proceeding to bollot stated
in substance if not in words that in the selection
Of successor to DR.. Mitchell we could not expect
to secure the services Of gentleman of equal abil-
ty. and attanments, who was not in the decline of
life and that had no hopes of finding any who,
at the present, would be able to supply our loss
That it had been my object in careful scrutiny Of
the pretensions of the gentlemen to whom my at
tention had been directed to find among the gradu-
ates of this University young man of decided
ability, of attainments equal to his years. who had
given satisfactory evidence of capacity to mpart in
struction and who had well established character
as an accomplished Christian gentleman. That as
the University was State institution had always
entertained the opinion that all parties in the State
political and religious should be represented in the
government Of it, and that as member of the fac
ulty was Baptist, other things being equal,
would prefer a member of that denomination, and
next to that Methodist That if suitable person
among our graduates presented himself other things
being equal, would prefer southern to northern
man. 49,
With respect to the manner in which the Board of
Trustees is constituted, l cannot be expected to
speak with as much particularly and precision as in
relation to the Faculty. | am satisfied, however,
that great mistakes exist upon the subject, which
ought to be corrected The entire Board consists at
present of about 30 members; who have been ap-
pointed at intervals during the last 40 years, and
who are widely dispersed over the State, from the
Albcmarle to the Allegheny. A considerable pro-
portion of them are not members in full communion
of any Church. l have examined the catalogue
with some care, and with the best means of norma-
ton at my command, entertain the opinion that if
considered in relation to church preferences, while
the Eplscopaans are greatly the most numerous,
the Baptists MethodiSts and Presbyterians will be
found in nearly equal proportions. Not q third of
the members of the entire Board meet together at
one time and place. at intervals of less than ten
will as believe be able to point to any instance
when the action of the Board was controlled by party
influence, political or religious.
The government of the University is as to most
practical purposes, confidcd to an Executive Com
mittee Of seven, Of whom the Governor is er obcio
Chairman. The Committee is necessarily composed
OF gentlemen residing in or Raleigh, since it is
important that they shall meet frequetly and some
times at very short notice. The only Churches rep
resented in the committee either by membership
Or prediction the Episcopal and the Methodist
Politically the Board is pretty equally divided
In the Executive Committee there are three Demo-
Gratis and four Wings.
1t is singular fact, but for which neither the
Trustees nor the Faculty of the University are in
any wise Responsible that the leaven of Presbyte
rianism, is, in proportion to numbers, more extern
slvely diffused in the Board of Trustees of Normal
College than in that of the University. They are
not found in so large proportion in either as to
portend imminent danger to civil or religious hber-
ty That every Trustee during the quarter of CEN
fury under review, has always acted upon the prin
cples of wise lberalty and Christian charity which
characterized the course of Judge Cameron and
Judge Gaston is neither asserted nor believed; but
that the collective body in their official acts have
never departed from them, is most confidently af-
firmed With reference to the more than $50 per-
sons who, during that period from time to time,
were members of the Board, and many of whom
have watched with anxious solictude over the well
fare Of the Institution, it is no more than justice to
the living and the dead to say that no similar
Der can now be found within borders, of equal
ability, attainments, wealth and influence. The
present state of the Institution compared with what
it was at the commencement of that period, affords
satisfactory evidence that their fostering has
been crowned with the only reward they coveted
Its numbers have been increased five fold and its
revenues and means of usefulness in still greater
proportion 1t is believed that at present there is
but one Institution in the Union which has on its
regular classes larger number of undergraduates.
remain, very respectfully,
Your obd't servant
D. L. SWAIN