The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-16
his church or any ether have ever
been taught at Oxford, OF aver will be.
REIZ0D.
A word For the stadsats and Trus'
rARa

columns have been Civ ing news from
the commot 'ons at ouI school, so hat
I imagine your reader are beginning
to say, "Oh, Lord, hov long" Many
Of the authors Of thest different arii'
Giles seem to imsgine I al the students
are responsible for tb whole affair,
and they seem to think that the stu
dents are a wild set vi D should not be
allowed to express tn ir opinions in
public. | suppo'e the 60 on the idea
that "litt Q children S ould be seen
and not heard" Blu, al hough We
ale guilty of the "atrC ious crime OF
being young men," we are babies
no longer; this is a foe county, and
we have as much rlgb totelk as those
who think they kno a great deal
more than we do. B auee the Tfus'
tees have declared 8 ne of the seats
open for competition Q sep which they
have a perfect right e take, they are
denounced, and the boys are growled
at becaused they are opposed 10 have
iohuepced the truste IN the matter,
Let it be known in tie beginning that
l say nothing against these professors.
Some OF them ara arm friends oil
mine and / have DO desire to FAY a
word against any Of them; these sen-
timents are those Of near,y all the stu
dents l know. In ny room during
last commencement, petitions were
written to the tiuste % IL questing the
resto alton of all ihe se five gentlemen.
| l, myself, took one 4 these petitions
arouad, and every student / met, ex-
cspt two, sigped t wi h pleasure.
Other petitions wet through the same
way. / placed my petition in the
hands OF B shop { allowsy, with the
request that it be : aced at once be-
fore the board. n)es that show a
spirit of rebellion and discomfort?
Since my connection wi h the schoo,
l have not been requested to sign but
one petition again { any one. l re-
fused 80 did nearly every n else,
and l believe the ma ter fell through.
The students did complain bitterly Of
many things which took place at diff
ferent times. Among these was the
action of the faculty, epe cifyipg who
should speak for the society medals,
when the members Of the society paid
out OF their own pockets every cent OF
the expenses for medals, muse, pro-
sr9mmes and eve ytbing else. An
other was the giving of zsros for every
absence, whether with or without an
excuse, thereby making sickness q
chine, the result OF which was that
absences increased as never be-
fore. Then q host OF boys
were summoned before the grand
Jury to give evidence s minors ag iinst
minors 10 every little o%ffense, no mat
ter how trihjng, and to act es ganeral
informers agsinstc CT I'd playing, whisky
selling end letting ding on in town or
at the university. OF course the boys
took to the woods, thereby democrat
ling the whole eel )ol, breaking up
all discipline, destroying scholarship
ind making anarchy supreme. One
young gentleman was Chased over
town by a deputy three times because
one of those summoned testified be
had been guilty of the atrocicus crime
OF playir @ an innocent game Of euchre
for amusement. But the grand jury
found out nothing the lew boys who
"got religion" at the Methodist re-
vivsl a few weeks before, lost it in the
woods during the reign Of terror. No
body was reformed, and so ended the
grand farce. The citizens Of Oxford
were almost all in sympathy with the
students. All that l talked with were
warmly in our favor. The boys bitter
" complained, aud they have no apol-
ogies 10 make. But / do not think a
single student has written to your pa
psr about these matters. All your
communications were from Others.
We kept silence in peace and for peace,
We submitted TO all our superiors. We
did not charge these things on
the gentlemen whom the trustees
have removed, and we complained
publicly of no one in partic'
ular. But / do say that the students
have a right to petition the trustees
whenever they please and the ~truktest
have a right to do as they please In
the mater. The s'udent3 have beer
with their instructors every day, many
!, OF them for three, four and five year
or mere. They are kindly disposed
toward these instructors, and l have
said, and still say, that their com
| menda,ion is worth ten times as mucf
es that OF those outsiders who have
never been students audknow nothins
of the matter. l regret very mu !
that the people find fault with thu
trustees. An ADLER and better body o
| men could not be found in the Safe
} At their head ia Gov. Lowry. AmouI
them are the Hon. II, M Sullivan, thu
Hon. @. B Howry, Judge r. A. Hill
Judge H. F. Simrall, Col. I. w. White
} the Hon. H. L. Muldrow, Gen. YateN
Freeman, Bishop Galloway and man!
others, whose purity, f%aithfulnesl ant
sterling integri;y command the high
est esteem of all. Whoever denie:
their ability makes himself ridiculous
/ These men cannot be frightened St
few squibs in the newspapers. The.
will do jus ice to all they will put IL
| or retain men of ability and integrit!
: without any regard to what they thiul
sbout iofant b ptism, predestinatioI
or any other quirks Of theological jar
, gon; they will be guided by mel
alone, as they should be. l havJ
heard many rumors here abcu
/ the character of the boys a
Oxford. They are all unfounded. w
do net care a straw for these emptl
rumors OF thu street. If there are on.
/, fifty students at our school next year
on account of these unkind expires
sione, we will be coltented with quail
/, ity If not quantity.
I l never knew more warm heartet
and generous boys in my lile' Neve
can / forget the many happy days
!, spent among them, and it is with bite
: regret that l remember that am eooi
: to rant with the true, noble boys OF tn
; Un,v rsity of Mississippi. If all tn
people of The State loved the grand Of,
/ university es the students love ii
1 there would be no shadow upon it, nj
: cloud on its sky. No one would eye
gr1mble at paying the debt which ta'
. State is honor bound to refund to her
/: To the Board OF T US ees we would ex
press our entire confidence in thei
3. conduct OF affa re-. Inc old universit,
4 boo oparo;n, anourb N anV com