The New York herald., 1877-07-27
SOUTHERN BITTERNESS.

POLITICAL PRESCRIPTION IN rKxxEssKx-sEvHS
vncyKssons m TIE EAsr TxSxEssxr uxi-
vKnsrrr DISPLACED WITHOUT vAkSISo AND
ron NO csusk kxcErr sonrnrns nrnrH-
LrcarmIs conn-. July -. 1871
70 rss EpIros aKxALDs-
Among Tue summer visitors u ths lovely place
found Professor n = Barron. lately Professor Of
Chemistry al tho E.a fssrsSsce Usiversty. saa from
him learned The fun parueelsrs Of the late ''reor-
sanIxsuon" OF the faculty OF ,hss nsssauoa by which,
without warning all the professors whose misisrtuse
r) ~ Was TO have bora nortn OF Mason plaon's
line turped out OF their positions 10 make room
for whose political symrsthies we're IN accord
with those OF The dominant majority IN the
South. The iacts IN the case have never yet
been fully presented, and ! propose 90 sivs
them 10 your reaoers they were tod 10 me by
Professor Burton, setting aovn "naugnt IN maice,"
but not copcesing iaets to protect anybody or any
thing The IN question Is on another Illustration
OF the intense longing for power and OF the isevta
BILE prescription OF Northern men residing la The
SOUTH in those States where large democratic major
ity renders political prescription possible To those
who do not agree with my OF thinking the facts
stated may torn q good basis whereon TO buid lev
plausible "cxplsnations" Let me cay IN The trsi
place that while my information s necessarily all de-
rived from gentleman, and he sufferer, neverihe
less the facts cited cannot no disputed and are
amply verified by letters IRON both sides and
by newspaper clippings from accounts pubiished IN the
Knoxville papers In she second place Professor Bur
ton rs not be considered as . complainant anxious
TO ventiiats his own wrongs and seeking 10 thrust
himself before the public What he does wish 10 have
known, ana widely known, too Is Just this--that
without warning, and without any reason 10 expect
q enl <au tsnru
university were turned out OF their places. without .
single charge against their abiy tor tue
sole reason that they republicans and Northern
men not 'carpet bacgcrs' in any sense OF the term
but men who had lived thcre some Tor twenty years,
whose homes and iamiliss werc there, who owned
property the city ana State, aud who were for every
reason anxious for tho prosperity OF the Common
wealth. Nor were they In any manner politician, but
men of sc,ence quietly and unoolrusvciy discnargng
the duties oil thor proiessou and ne,her mingng IN
nor discussing political OF course tncy had
opin ana voted in accordanco with their conyic-
tons.
THE METHOD PURSUED.
The East Tennessee UaIvcrsty aud state Industrial
College located at Knoxville. has about three hun
dred students and Is the most proutueht Institution of
learning IN the STATE IL 10 governed by board oi
trustees, OF which tho Governor oil tho state ~ chair
man aud the president OF the college a member. The
faculty Is composed OF eighteen gentlemen, ol whom
eight including tho president tand constituting all TIC
important o1iccrs), were men oi Northern brth and
education, but permanently settled IN tho city. Many
OF these had been Knoxville Tor ten, twelve aud In
iast tance twenty years. out all oil them had been
elected 10 their positions TOR lie by the Board
of Trustees, and had held their chsirs with
out a single word Of complaint from any Que.
Some enthusiastic friend OF tue south made the alarm
Ing discovery that political ieaty 10 dominant ,oulh
ern principles WAS a necessity for all that
ton and application oil political tests should
be made 10 the scnoolmasters IN order TO ascc
tain thelr ability to teach. The matter was kept quiet,
but tho political magnates carefully selected their
victims. The last Legislat urc passed act adding
eight tho Board OF Trustees OF the University,
ana uray enough lbcse additions we're all Bourboa
democrats. j. +. Deaderick, }. NJ Fleming. John
Williams, A. w. Caldwell j. W. Cant, X. J. Wilson, =.
J. Mckinney aud George Brown wero ADDED TO tho
Board ana ney proceeded to reorxanizo" the univcr
sy. Although the professors had been elected Tor lie,
the Board practically declared their positions vacant
and having changed the name OF the SO called unver
sty, went into the election OF faculty.
Rev. DR.. Humes was nominated for rec election. La
speaking OF Dr. Humes, tho Knoxville Age the leading
democratic journal, frankly said d-"For over hall
century has he gone in and out before this community
ana during that long lapse OF time not a d. reputable
has suilied his fair tame, who his management Of
the University has been as favorable as coud have
been expected Before The meeting The trustees had
repeatedly assured Dr. Humes that his election
a formaty, the Rev James Park being especially
conspicuous In his testimony 10 tho efficiency oi tho
President and his friendship for hun. Al tho
faculty meeting Rev. James Park nominated
ID. II. BOYD, OF LOUISIANA, for President Dr.
Humes was, however, reelected by majority
oil only vote nearly iuIl meeting OF thlriysix
membersl His sole offence was that he had been an
earnest and consistent Union man. The accusation
was that ne vas not in uI sympathy with the SOUTH
j. X. Payne, Professor OF Mathematics; b. Burton,
Professor OF Chemistry; s. II. smith, Instructor In
Drawing; albert Ruth, Principal OF Preparatory Do
partment; l. W. Phlson, Instructor IN same, and
Lieutenant Bloom, Fourth United States Artillery
ali turned out OF their positions by about the same
votc--l5 70 II. Lieutenant Bloom was supp!anted
by cavalry officer from Kentucky Professor Easton
was also dismissed aud his assistant appointed in
his place. On his declining to serve, the Professor
French elected TO ll his char (thai of Ancient
Languages and Literalure) and 1t was only on being
with Greek, and Incapable OF filing The position, that
Professor kasion was Reelected 10 different chair
with ao same duties as before Professor sason
have accepted the position. Lieutenant Boon was
ONO and bis special offence seems to have been
(spar from his Northern birh that he expelled three
cadets found guilty OF theft. The Knoxville Age ac-
Lieutenant Bloom OF undue severity 70 tho cadets
because they were democrats!
CAusELEss OUTRAGE
Almost all the professors dismissed were OF on their
vacations and had no notice that they were to lose
their positions OF Professor Burton Mr. Boyd lone
oi the trustees who voted Tor his dismissal wrotc:-
"My acquaintance with the conduct oI his chair as
chairman Of Committee on Chemistry has given me
especial opportunity 10 know that his comprehensive
Knowledge oil his branch Is equal TO the wants Of The
best collie yes IN the land
In closing this letter will only add one or two ex.
from letters received since the affair occurred
from prominent gentlemen residing in Knoxville
These show what The outside feeling IN reality, out
which II mght be unsafe to express publicly.
onc OF the Board Of Trustees writes to Professor
Buron:-
Tbe outrage committed upon tho Northern professors
OF East Tennessee University IS keenly eis oy their
friends here. No charge was made against
any Northern professor ON The contrary all argu-
menGs OF IN their favor polnted 10 the TACT
that they had deserved well OF the institution; that
they had been In every way faithful and wcro
prceminently capable and successful as teachers.
This position was fully conceded. Merit was
not taken INTO the account at all Ruth, Philson and
Karus wcro superseded by couple OF brcncss lawyers
who never taught day in thor lives You may well
know that the blow struck at the men 10 tbe college
Is recognized as blow at each and every Northern
man here and has disclosed vein OF bitterness toward
us that we had hardly beieved to exist There are
numbers OF Northern men here who II not tied down
by business connections and investments IN re ii estate
would shake OF tho dust from their feet ana co."
Another gentlemen, not a member OF the board,
writes :''lt Is daetardly pcco OF business aud has
excited the Indignation OF tho better class OF the com
muny to great extent being, oil course the outcrop
ping OF the bitter reoel sentiment which Is pre-
dominant with the democratic party OF the
eutre Souh. We are all disgusted WITH what has
beeu done and would Va rIud TO leave knoxviiie