The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-03
BASSETT WILL REMAIN
RESIGNATION NOT ACCEPTED
 BY TRINITY TRUSTEES.
They Say His Utterances Were Anoss of Q Private Individual and Not c Professor of the
 College.

Raleigh, N. C., Dec. 2.-The trustees of
 Trinity College having voted IS to to
 refuse to accept the resignation of Pro-
 lessor Bassett, gave to the public to- day a statement of their position in the matter which in substance Is as fol- lows: ''' we had before us the offer of John s. Bassett. to resign his professorship of history, and 1t is made clear to us that 1t
 was not presented out of voluntary decision to sever his connection with the college, but that t was rendered un- der coercive influences from the outside and because Of q feeling that his fur thef connection with the college night bring injury to 1t. "CaHdor .inpels. us to admit our re- | Ikrat that Professor Baseeet has expfess- ed certain opinions. which gave offense to many and we are glad to find that
 these opinions were expressed solely on his own authority through medium which Is in no sense an organ of the col lege and not at all in his capacity as col lege official so that neither this board
 nor the college can be held responsible for them. On the contrary, 1t clearly ap- pears that the faculty and students dis agree from certain of Professor Bas- sett's opinions-so far as we can as- certain, unanimously. Neither do we agree with him. Nevertheless both fac ulty and students. with equal unanimity, have manifested their desire that this board decline to accept Professor Bas- sett's offer of his resignation. and for the following reasons. which seem to us vital, we do decline to accept 1t. q. Any form of coercion of thought
 and private judgment is contrary to our
 constitutional aims of Trinity College.
 which is to cherish a sincere spirit of | tolerance
 '2. We are particularly unwilling to
 lend ourselves to any tendency to destroy
 or limit academic liberty.
 "3 We believe that society. in the
 end. will find a surer benefit by exercis- ing patience than 1t can secure by yield ing to its resentments. The search for truth should be unhampered and in an atmosphere that is free. Liberty may some time lead to folly; yet it is better
 that some should be tolerated than that all should think and speak under the denying influence of repression. 4. The matter that has engaged our attentions Is of more than local interest
 and will be far reaching in its results. "5. Trinity College Is affiliated with a great church. whose spirit and doctrines ,, are tolerant and generous. and a due re- gard for the teachings and traditions of l this Christian society requires us tc
 exercise our judgment in harmony with
 its spirit and doctrines.
 Viewing the matter in the light oi
 those wider interests and finding that | there Is no complaint against Professor Bassetts moral character, his scholarly | fitness, his energy. his competency as q l teacher, or his command of the confidence
 of his classes, we are sure that duty
 requires us to decline the offer of hls resignation.
 We state as a fact that Professor
 Bassett does not believe in ncr does ht
 teach social equality and we have con | fidence in him both as a man and q
 teacher.
 TT. F. Mar,