The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-08
THE FACULTY PAPER.

The full text of the faculty paper IS
as follows:
In the matter of the agitation for the
Gismissal OF Prof. John S. Bassei from
the faculty by reason OF certain express
sions of opinion made by DR.. Bassett N
the October number of the South Atlantic
Quarterly: "
The faculty of Trinity College deem that
the proposal to terminate Prot. BaSsetts
relations with the college vOlve con
siderations of the deepest concern to every
teacher in the institution and OF the most
far-reaching Importance to its usefulness
in the educational life of the South. We
believe that these considerations are en-
tireiy apart from the wisdom or folly
of certain opinions advanced by DR.. Bias
sett in his articles. We do not endorse
those opinions, and hence are very far
from undertaking any defense of them.
The faculty do, however, desire to place
| upon record their view of the broader
aspects of the questions under discus
sion for the information and use of the
! President of the college for transmits
sion to the Board of Trustees in the event
that the board shall desire to receive and
consider a statement from the faculty.
In that event, we wish to urge upon your
honorable board that the important mat
ter at issue IN your decision is neither
the interest Of an individual nor the par
ticular opinions which that individual hap
pens to hold and to express. 1t is a
question of the maintenance of a great
principle-a principal vital to the whole
work and mission of our college.
But the matter is of far wider import
ance. 1t is a question IN which every
college is concerned-in which every mem
Der OF every college faculty in the en-.
tire country has a personal interest. Other
colleges have been called upon to face the
same issues which you are to decide. Such
as have failed have been disgraced in the
eyes of the academic world. It is the
cause of academic freedom, and we the
professors of Trinity College, by reason
of the very circumstance that we do not
assent to the views of our colleague which
are being criticised, feel that we are left
exceptionally free to devote ourselves to
the great and general principals involved.
We should be recreant to the principle
and false to our brothers in other colleges
If we did not now urge upon your body
the gravity of the crisis at hand. If Amer
lean colleges are to De the homes of seek
ers alter truth, their atmosphere must be
favorable to the free expressions of opin-
ion. 1t is the duty of a college pro-
lessor, as of every other citizen, to con
slider we'll all his opinions and the form
of their expression. If he err, he is sub
ject to criticism, to rebuke. to refutation.
equally with all others. The principle of
academic freedom, as we understand it,
merely requires that while the public
holds HIM to his duty as it holds other
men, it shall not invade his rights, which
are not less than other mems. To perse-
cute him for his opinions sake, to drive
him into exile, to deprive him of the
means OF llyelihood-these are invasions of
his rights. Sue methods, by making men
martyrs, nave given to their opinions an
Importance which they could not other
wise have commanded. 1t is far better to