The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-08-26
Fl CITADEL EMBROGtIO.
A STATEMENT FRoM COLONEL JOHN
p. THOMAS.

AS late Superintendent of the South
Carolina Military Academy, justice to
myself as well as to the cause of sound
discipline in The States military school
constrains me Reluctantly to break my
reticcnce in connection with my reisg-
nation and to place the facts before the
public tribunal. The case is best
stated in the logical order Of the fol-
lowing Communications:
1. Under date of July 5, 1885, Col
Thomas, Superintendent, wrote as fol-
lows to General Hagood, Chairman of
the Board of Visitors:
"The Executive Committee of the
Board of Visitors having on Il recent
occasion declined to investigate a re-
port made by me as Superintendent,
of combination of serious character
among the cadets ofthis Academy, and
having further excused n meeting of
said cadets, boldly held without the
previous knowledge or sanction of the
Superintendent, both cases involving,
rs | hold, principles vital to discipline
| take leave to state hat | feel that |
have not been sustained, and that Tie
Executive Committee has not given to
my office the consideration due to it
underthe law of the Academy.
"Hcncc L have the honor, %agrccably
to Article 9th, Regulations, to give the
required notice of resignation"
Soon thereafter l applied to the
Chairman for his consent to IN. making
public this notice of my resignation in
order that the issue made might be
.ltcftnnf and ltcnnn,0nfnl E,~,> H.
puent developments. TO this the
Academy, declined to assent.
,. Under date of August ., 1885,
Colonel Thomas, superintendent,
wrote as follows to General Hagood,
Chairihaan Board of Visitors:
''My communication of July 5, 1885,
contains the Immediate grounds of my
resignation. Desiring the Board Of
Visitors to understand fully my cansG-
Of action, l have the honor to request
that you submit to that body the re.
ports Nos. l and 2, enclosed herewith
which the Executive COMMITTEE of the
Board did not deem it cxpcdlent TO
investigate.
"While the serious differences of
opinion growing out ola grave qucs-
ton of discipline, and some discord
in general between the Board of Wis
itors and the Superintendent, make
my retirement from my offices imper-
alive and irrevocablc, let me here cX-
press the sentiment that moves me of
unimpaired devotion to my anna mater
Connected for nearly twenty years
with the old Academy and the new,
and thus bound to both by strong ties
and tender memories | shall continue
to maintain with unswerving LOYALTY
the cause of the Citadel. No longer
serving the Academy under the Board
| shall be found in the ranks of the
citizenship of the State doing all in my
power to magnify South Cardinals
schoolofarts and arms, aninstitution alb
solutely indispensable to the full devel-
opmcnt of the mental andSmoral forces
of her youth. No longerthe executive
of the Board, | shall be its ally and its
champion in every wise measure Of its
future administration.
"Allow me to close with the express
sion, heretofore made three years ago,
of my appreciation of the CON
tidcnce of the Board Of Visitors
in calling me to tho work of re-
establishing this school, Of rcluming
the fires on the academic altar. In my
l'iltl I navy SotlS Ut oOtl hllO"S lONN
earnestly, to lay the foundations broad
the Academy thorough, accurate and
polished; its soldicrship industrious
and genuine; its code OF ethics high;
in fine to cast it in q mould as lofty as
| could fashion. This has been nv
firm purpose. How far have effect
ed it, and to what extent | am myself
responsible for my unrealiZed ideal, |
shall leave to the public Judgment.
But this know, and will declare, that
l buildcd the best | knew how that |
have tried to comprehend my trust
and to keep faithful to it withsinglencs
Of aim.
"That the Board of Visitors has
sought the good of the charge cons
mittcd to it have never doubted; and
my prayer is that its administration
may be blessed with the largest andb best
results for the Academy and the coun-
try.
"When the time shall come for me
to rclinquish m y trust, / congratulate
myself upon the fact that | shall be
enabled to turn over to the Board of
Visitors the Academy in excellent
working order, and without one dol
lars Indebtedness"
3 On August 4, 1885, when the
Board of Visitors sitting at the Citadel
were on the eve Of adjournment sine
die, Quartcrmaster White, saying that
he had been directed SO to do, handed
me the paper annexed, signed S. b.
Jones, Secretary. 1t came without
previous consultation with the Super.
intenden,t and was a surprise to that
officer, because he had been led to con-
clude from the individual views cx-
pressed to him by q member of the
Board that the finding of the Court Of
Inquiry would be the end of the Schir-
mer matter, and that my promotion of
Cadet Scirmer would not be called in
question.
[Ertracts from Minutes.
"CADET SCHIgMER's CAsE.-When
the recent Court of Inquiry was con-
vened the Board ofVisItors reserved to
itsclfto inquire, beyond the charges and
specifications presented, into the fitness
Of Cadet Schirmer for the Office to
which he was appointed. Having dis
charged this duty,