Swain, David L. (David Lowry), 1801-1868
Page 1
Chapel
Hill,
7 Oct. 1856
My dear Sir,
Your note of the 4
th by some oversight at the
post-office did not reach me until late yesterday evening & this morning
brought me that of the 6
th with
Judge Saunders's
letter enclosed.
Hedrick
has the courage of a lion and the obstinancy of a
mule. He can neither be frightened, coaxed, nor diplomatized into anything. He
rarely asks advice and never follows it. He consulted me as to the propriety of
replying to Alumnus, and entered into the contest in opposition to the most
earnest circumstances. He communicated his doctrines to reply and exhibited the
reply itself to no one but his wife. He will lie in the tracks without moving a
muscle, and I am not certain that he does not covet the crown of martyrdom.
Page 2
Has the Ex. Com. the power of a motion? It has, if it can be
conferred by Ordinance. But can
the
Board delegate the power of approachment and removal to a Committee? If
it can is it expedient? "If it were well when done, twer well, twere done
quickly." As the ball was not taken at the first hop, will it not be
better to bring the resolutions of the Faculty to bear upon him at the present,
and postpone the exercise of Supreme authority, until the election is over and
the
Board in session?
If you award the crown of martyrdom immediately and
Col.
Fremont
succeeds in the election, you make his future. He understands
this too well to think for a moment of resignation. Sparing him at the present
will gain the free soiler, new strength at
the South,
which the charge of persecution for opinion sake will add to the tempest of
excitement which is sweeping over
the North.
If you proceed to extremities, at once, I would avoid a political issue, and
assume the ground taken by the Faculty and approved by
the
Trustees, in the Arch Bishop case, a violation of the usages of the
institution, not as a free soiler, but a partisan.
Page 3
The accompanying correspondence, you may show to Judge Saunders, to
remind him of my arraignment before
the
Board of Trustees, by our friend
John D.
Hawkins 20 years ago, for permitting the late
Perrin
Busbee
to advocate a dissolution of the union on the public stage. In
the matter of politics, no one knows when, and what issues may arise, and
freedom of speech on religious and political matter must be restrained, if
restrained at all, very skillfully.
The boys exhibited transparencies, hung & burnt in effigy
Saturday night and again last night, but the affair was neither very noisy nor
tumultuous, and the Faculty gave themselves no great trouble about it. Unless
excited by foreign influences I do not apprehend serious commotions.
Herrisse
, was I understand permitted by the Secretary, to
append some remark to his name. He is a great admirer of
Hedrick
, & has I fear written something foolish, or
worse. If so & you publish, as the appendage ought not to be then, strike
it out, and suffer him to illuminate the benighted world, in a separate
article. If you think proper to do so, you may prepare a
Page 4
history of the
proceedings of the Faculty, in such form as you may consider
most advisable without confining yourself to the
removal.
Let me know day by day, anything that may be necessary to
enlightened action.