The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-15
President Swain's Resignation.

under the present acts of Congress.
President Swain's Resignation.
We publish to-day the letter of Gov.
Swain, rendering his resignation as Presi-
dent Of the University of this State. This
event has been looked for for several months
past, and is an important step marking the
disintegration of the old association of man.
ayers and rulers of this venerable institution.
Several Of the Professors have also resigned,
including Prof. Hepburn, who was entirely
too loyal man for that hotbed of disloyal-
ty, Chapel Hill.
The University is State institution. Par
tizan feeling should have no place in it. At
the close of the rebellion, though many OF
the students had taken an active part in it,
and though some of the Professors had, to
greater or less extent, favored it, it was sup
posed and hoped that sound national feel
ing would pervade the institution, and that,
forgetting the bloody and unfortunate past,
all unite in building up the University on
such principles as would foster affection for
the Union, and render it suitable place for
the sons of all classes of our people. Not
so, however. The Board of Trustees, under
the lead of such gentlemen as Graham
| Worth, and Ruffin, have acted in such a way
as to encourage rather than repress sectional
| feelings and sentiments in the students and
though some of the Professors have labored
to discountcnance these feelings and senti.
ments, and to nationaZize the College, yet it
is to be regretted that neither they nor the
venerable President have succeeded in this
laudable purpose. Gov Swain, though he
has suffered from his family connection with
| loyal and patriotic men, such rs his son and
his son-in-law, is by no means blameless for
the consequences, which, indeed, may be said
to have occasioned his resignation. His age,
his former invaluable services to the State
and to the University, and his deserved in
fluence with the solid men of the State,
would have enabled him, if he had promptly
cut loose from the influence of Gov. Graham
and gentlemen of like stamp, to have i'm
printed national and liberal views and aims in
the beginning of this new era on the Uni
versity, by which it would have been raised
from the slough of sectlonalism, cured of its
useless, if not injurious regrets for the "Lost
Cause and impeled forward in a career of
great usefulness to the present and future
generations. But, deferring to the spirit of
disloyalty, or from the want of moral cour-
age-the result of his amiable disposition;
or from the want of a proper appreciation of
the expectations and demands of the age,
Gov. Swan failed to avail himself of the
splendid opportunity which was presented
to him and the result is, disloyalty makes
rapid Roadway among the students hatred
for the Union and the flag increases, Pro-
fessor is sighted and ignored because he had
taken part in a Union meeting, national SEN
timents are smothered, or derided as dishon-
orable; and the venerable President, seeing
an end to his usefulness, and most unpleas-
antly situated because of his supposed SYM
patty with the Union and its friends, at
length resigns, leaving his place to be filled
by the same power that has winked at, ifnot
actually encouraged this perversion of the
States bounty to sectional, disloyal ends.
1t is known that Gov. SWANS son-in-law,
Gen. Atkins, is a distinguished Union Off
GER: and that his son, DR.. Swain, crossed the
lines and took service in the federal army
This has been used to annoy him and render
him unhappy, when it is known that much
of the protection extended to the College
buildings and to the citizens of Chapel HILL
while the federal troops were there, was due
to Gen. Atkins. We have heard, ard we
have no doubt it is true, that when the lat
ter gentleman visited Chapel Hill few
months since, when the President was there,
certain graceless, rebel students tolled the
College bell all night in derision and that
the remarkably loyal village government
brought none of them to punishment for this
cowardly insult to gallant Union officer
1t is also known that Prof. Hepburn deliver
ed a Union speech in Wilmington, in 1865,
soon after the Union troops got possession of
that place; and that, on this account, and
because he was known to be an unfinching
Union man, the students treated him in such
a way as to compel him to resign. We have
no hesitation in saying that the institution
should at once be closed, if such scenes and
such conduct are to be repeated.
This journal has always been friendly to
the University. We have rejoiced when it
prospered, and we have sympathized with it
in adversely. Hundreds of our best citi-
zens are of its Alumni. They still regard it
with affection, and because they do, it is
their purpose to place it on new basis and
give to it a benefcent perpet''ity. Its day,
under present auspices, is over. A new and