The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-08-06
Published by Request.
THE UNIVERSITY.
Prof. Alex. McIver Writes of it Under
Reconstruction.
Special Cor. State ChronIc.e.

ceedlngs of the University published
June 9Th, you quote that part of the
address of Hon. Paul G.. Cameron de-
livered in Memorial Hall, June 3,
1885, which purports to give the his
tory of the University under recon
strpction. This extract was published
by the u S. Bureau of Education In
circular of Information, No. 2, 1888.
may add that it contains in con-
densed and mild form statements
made by the public press for the last
twenty years or more, and it will,
therefore. probably be accepted as
part of the history of the University
| must beg you, however, to give
THE OTTER SIDE A. HEARING
4 was connected with the Univer-
slty during the greater part of the
period referred to, first, as Professor
OF Mathematics, second, as Secretary
OF the Board of Trustees and OF the
State Board of Education by virtue
of the Office of State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, which I then
held. l had possession of the seal
and all the. records of the University.
I attended all the meetings of the
Board of Trustees and know every
thing that was done relating to the
University and the intent with which
it was done. l can therefore speak
that which I do know and testify to
that which [ have seen.
When the Trustees who were
elected under the constitution of 1868
took possession of the University they
found that its funds were lost, that
its patronage was gone, that its most
popular professors had resigned and
sought other employments; that the
remaining members of the faculty,
conscious of their loss Of patronage
and want of funds, had rendered their
resignation to the former trustees, a
mortgage had been given upon all the
property of the University, including
its buildings and grounds TO secure
the payment of large debts improvi-
IDENTIFY made to the amount of ninety
thousand dollars or more; the land
scrip which had been transferred to
the University by the Legislature had
been sold at half its value-ffty cents
an acre, while in the other States it
had been sold at a dollar an acre, or
more, and ten per cent. of the price
received had been used. -
What could the trustees do2 They
could do nothing unless they could
first undo what the former board had
done. They first decided to set aside
the sale of the land scrip. In this
they failed. They next attempted to
set aside the mortgage. They en-
ployed Mr.. Ed. Graham Haywood to
bring suit in the Federal Court, for
this purpose. This suit remained on
the docket four or five years. Mr. B.
F. Moore, trustee for the creditors
under the mortgage, brought suit to
foreclose. Well do remember when
by the order Of the Board of Truseees,
[ employed Judge Fowle to resist the
order of SALE The order, however,
was made and an appeal was taken to
the Supreme Court of the United
States. Treasurer Jenkins and my
self giving the appeal bond. Well do
| remember also when, at the fall
term, 1874, of the Federal Court in
Raleigh, Chief Justice Waite rendered
the decision in the case brought by
Mr.. Haywood and made a decree set
ting aside the mortgage.
This decree was the first light that
dawned upon the University after the
dark night brought upon it by the
management of the former Trustees.
If, as NJ. Cameron SO eloquently
expresses il, the shadows of dark
night we're falling around President
Swain and his faculty, and the object
of their care, and preparing for them
a painful exile from homes, honors,
Offices and affairs, the shadows of that
night fell from Mr. Cameron and his
management and not from that of the
new Board of Trustees.
But who constituted the new board2
If you examine the list you will find
in it the names of Chief Justice Pear
son, Justices Reade, Rodman, Dick,
Settle, Buxton, Tod r. Caldwell, By
mum, Barringer and others of no less
honor in North Carolina. These are
the men that rescued the property of
the University from the grasp of its
creditors. These are the men that
Mr.. Cameron, in his address, has been
pleased to call UNKNOWN MEN" These
are the men from whose control the
University was taken in 1874 by an
amendment of the State Constitution.
and returned to Mr. Cameron and his.
present Board of Trustees, called in
the address referred to, "the true
sons of North Carolina" No tablet