Orders to End Societies at the Lane Seminary
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
Description
Creator
Source
Publisher
Date
Contributor
Sara Smith, Transcriber
Rights
Relation
Format
Language
Type
Identifier
Coverage
1830's
Cincinnati, Ohio
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
(Lane_064)
(Shown Vertically: No. 4)
Line 1 Order 1 x
Line 2 Whereas the Anti-Slavery Society & the Coloniza-
Line 3 tion Society, lately organized in the Seminary,
Line 4 are considered by the board, as likely, to in
Line 5 the present state of public excitement on
Line 6 the subject of slavery, as tending to enlist
Line 7 the students in controversies foreign to their
Line 8 studies, & to stir up among themselves & in
Line 9 the community, unfriendly feelings, & useless
Line 10 hostilities, thereby counteracting, to some extent
Line 11 the great objects of the Institution; Therefore,
Line 12 ordered, that the students be required
Line 13 to discontinue those societies in the Sem-
Line 14 inary.
(Shown Vertically: No. 5)
Line 15 Order 2
Line 16 Ordered, that the Executive Committee have
Line 17 power to dismiss any student from the
Line 18 Seminary, when they shall think it necessary
Line 19 so to do; & to make any [other] rules & regulations
Line 20 for the admission of students, or for the govern-
Line 21 ment & management of the Seminary, or any
Line 22 of its concerns, not inconsistent with the charter
Line 23 & the regulations of this Board, which they may
Line 24 deem expedient.
(Shown Vertically: 6th Oct Trustees [Met]
(Shown Vertically: No. 1)
Line 25 Resolved, that this Board approve & adopt the
Line 26 report of the sub-committee of the Executive
Line 27 committee, “relative to the proceedings among the
Line 28 students on the subject of slavery,” & the proceedings
Line 29 of the Executive Committee [theron] of the 20th of
Line 30 August 1834.
(Lane_065)
(Shown Vertically: No. 2)
Line 1 Standing Rule 1
Line 2 Societies or associations of the Students shall not
Line 3 be organized in the Seminary without the appro-
Line 4 bation of the Faculty; & where such organi-
Line 5 zation shall be desired, the constitution, & the
Line 6 [ge] object & general regulations of such society
Line 7 shall be submitted to the Faculty for their
Line 8 consideration.
Line 9 Standing rule 2
Line 10 The Students shall not hold ^general meetings among
Line 11 themselves, other than those of a religious or de-
Line 12 votional character, or for purposes associated
Line 13 with the course of studies; nor deliver public
Line 14 addresses or lectures at the Seminary or
Line 15 elsewhere ^in term time other than those connected with
Line 16 ordinary religious exercises; nor make
Line 17 public addresses or communications to the
Line 18 students when assembled at their meals or
Line 19 on other ordinary occasions; nor be absent
Line 20 from the seminary in term time __ with-
Line 21 out the approbation of the Faculty, or
Line 22 of such person as they shall designate
Line 23 for that purpose.
(Lane_066)
Line 1 1
Line 2 ordered, that the following suggestions be commu-
Line 3 nicated to the Faculty, by the Recording Secretary.
Line 4 in connection with the proceedings of the Board
Line 5 at the present meeting.
Line 6 (Shown Vertically: No. 6)
Line 7 To guard against misapprehensions,
Line 8 the Board of Trustees think proper to commu-
Line 9 nicate to the Faculty some explanation of
Line 10 their views, in relation to the regulations re-
Line 11 cently adopted.
Line 12 The Board are very far from designing
Line 13 to impose any undue restraints upon discussion &
Line 15 free enquiry ^ among the students; nor do they design to interfere with
Line 16 the Faculty in the details of Collegiate govern-
Line 17 ment: their object has ^ is been to secure to the
Line 18 Faculty a more direct & certain influence
Line 19 over the conduct of the students, without the ne-
Line 20 cessity of adopting for themselves severe or arbitrary
Line 21 regulations. The Board consider; ^ that the location
Line 22 of this Seminary, in the vicinity of a large city
Line 23 & on the borders of a Slave state, calls for some
Line 24 peculiar cautionary measures in its government;
Line 25 & that the present state of public sentiment on
Line 26 some exciting topics, requires some restraints to be
Line 27 imposed, which under other circumstances, might
Line 28 be entirely unnecessary.
Line 29 On the subject of slavery, the Board are of opinion
Line 30 that public general discussions ought to be excluded from the
Line 31 Institution. at present. So much of excitement, & of par-
Line 32 ty animosity has already arisen from this source; its
Line 33 tendencies at this time are so obviously to absorb too
Line 34 much of the attention, that the minds of the students
Line 35 can hardly come in contact with it without injury with safety.
Line 36 The proceedings of the Students have produced
Line 37 an impression in community, that the Seminary
Line 38 is deeply implicated with one particular party.__
(Lane_067)
Line 1 [?]
Line 2 Another part of the regulations has been adopted with
Line 3 some reference to the intercourse of the Students with the
Line 4 city. Considering, that the students will classes will be com-
Line 5 posed of at best some diversity of character, will be
Line 6 assembled from all parts of the country, some indi-
Line 7 viduals but little conversant with men and manners, &
Line 8 many of them entirely unacquainted with the pecul-
Line 9 iar state of society & public sentiment in the city place,
Line 10 it cannot be expected, that ^all will all be prepared to mingle
Line 11 at once in ^ its the society of the place, even to engage in the
Line 12 benevolent operations of the day, without some danger of
Line 13 evil consequences. They will at best need advise; _ to be
Line 14 directed in the course & the objects most suited to their
Line 15 several capacities; & to be cautioned against indiscretions;
Line 16 & some times to be restrained in pursuits, which to them
Line 17 would seem laudable. A few instances of indiscretion in
Line 18 the inexperienced, repeated & exaggerated as they will be by
Line 19 the ill-disposed, will do much injury both to the in-
Line 20 dividuals & the cause. In this case, also the Board
Line 21 consider, that the ^ safest & the mildest, remedy guard against evil is, to bring the stu-
Line 22 dents in the first instance in contact with the Faculty
Line 23 by way of asking leave of absence.
Line 24
Line 25 In the regulations, which they have adopted, the Board
Line 26 have had in view the great objects of excluding from the
Line 27 seminary, matters foreign to its legitimate objects purposes;
Line 28 securing the greatest prosperity to the Institution, & the greatest
Line 29 weight to its religious influence; & guarding the students
Line 30 against causes tending to lessen their usefulness in the world.
Line 31 They have acted upon the principle, as they will ever consider
Line 32 themselves bound to do, that wholesome regulations in a
Line 33 seminary of learning, must be carefully established, &
Line 34 rigidly enforced, with mildness, but with firmness; & that
Line 35 pupils, who do not cheerfully acquiesce in such a [unclear] of
Line 36 government, will not be deserving^ or useful objects of its care.
(Lane_068)
Line 1 3.
Line 2 It is evident to all, who are accustomed to observe
Line 3 the signs of the times, that there is at present in
Line 4 our country among all classes & departments of
Line 5 Community, a strong & growing propensity to
Line 6 insubordination, _ a disposition – to set up ^individual; private
Line 7 opinions notions or constructions in opposition to lawful
Line 8 authority, _ to justify resistance to law by private
Line 9 opinion against its policy or propriety. When such a
Line 10 spirit develops itself in midnight riots, or public rebell-
Line 11 ion against the laws of the land; we all regard
Line 12 it with horror: Yet it is but the workings
Line 13 of the same spirit, which arrays the students of
Line 14 our colleges in hostility to the regulations established
Line 15 by their constituted [rules]. If allowed thus in youth,
Line 16 it may become most pernicious in age; &, if indulged
Line 17 at all among the reputable & the educated, what must we
Line 18 not expect among the profligate & the ignorant! If
Line 19 students of a theological seminary are allowed thus,
Line 20 unconsiously, but most efficiently, to act in alliance
Line 21 with the rioters & [unclear] of the day, we may
Line 22 well despair of the Republic.
Line 23 Entertaining such views, the Board have
Line 24 regarded it as no objection to the rules ^ now adopted, that they
Line 25 may be met with decided hostility by some indiscreet
Line 26 individuals among the students, or that in practice
Line 27 they may be sensibly felt by the pupils as a contin-
Line 28 ued restraint on their movements. Among the free
Line 29 institutions of our country, where every thing is freedom,
Line 30 there is little danger of too much restraint; all the
Line 31 tendencies are to the opposite extreme; & a course
Line 32 of intellectual & moral discipline, which habituates
Line 33 the mind to ^implicit submission to rules, however reluctantly, will
Line 34 be greatly useful in its influences on the character.
Line 35 if not [partially] necessary, to the proper formation of
Line 36 character.
(Lane_069)
Line 1 the slavery question, & unless this impression can be re-
Line 2 moved, that the prosperity of the Institution will be much
Line 3 retarded, & its usefulness ^greatly diminished. To avoid these
Line 4 difficulties, the Board can discover ^ no to way but to require
Line 5 the societies referred to, to be discontinued. The students
Line 6 themselves, who are sufficiently informed on the subject, &
Line 7 look upon it dispassionately, cannot object to this
Line 8 step: & the Board also think it important, that
Line 9 all societies in the seminary should be organized
Line 10 under some sort of supervision on the part of
Line 11 the Faculty.
Line 12 Such societies are framed to perpetuate them-
Line 13 selves, & may exert a great influence upon the opin-
Line 14 ions & moral characters of many successive classes.
Line 15 It is due to the students, & to those, who entrust their
Line 16 children to the care of the Institution, that the door
Line 17 should not be left open for employing such influ-
Line 18 ences in a way to counteract the efforts of the
Line 19 legitimate Instructors. The same consideration is
Line 20 applicable to the practice of public [unclear] addresses &
Line 21 lectures among the students. In relation to ^both these ^ matters the
Line 22 Board consider, that the [least] exceptionable mode
Line 23 of securing to the Faculty their proper control, is to
Line 24 require leave to be obtained from them in the first
Line 25 instance. This restriction does not imply any disap-
Line 26 probabation of proper associations societies, or debates: It merely operates
Line 27 to bring the ^ subject matters before the Faculty in the first in-
Line 28 stance, before any feelings are excited; & gives ^ which a
Line 29 favorable opportunity to the contemplated proceedings, &
Line 30 suggesting ^ useful modifications. It will, secure an easy &
Line 31 genial control over a very important class of moral
Line 32 & intellectual influences; ^ in the seminary & it is with this view a part
Line 33 of the regulations have been adopted.