Administrative Papers, folder 011

ReadAboutContentsHelp

Pages

page_0001
Incomplete

1798 Mr President and gentlemen of the board of Trustees However painful it is to address you on a subject like that we now desire to lay before you, our duty to the university, to ourselves, and to the community require that we no longer remain silent. It was our purpose, the last year, to have presented to you a person belonging to the Fauclty as not fitted for the duties assigned to him in that character, had not circumstances occurred that led us to hope that he would no longer perservere in a line of conduct he had invariably pursued since his introduction at this place. The person we have in view is Mr Samuel Holmes. Unhappily in these hopes we have been dis appointed, and we now wish to inform you that it is our opinion built upon some considerable experience that the university will materially suffer in its interest so long as he shall continue at this place. Our resons for this opinion we will [??] to state, and we hope that you will find them such as to leave no room for a trouble some doubt.

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit over 1 year ago by Kalexander19
page_0002
Incomplete

We will speak of Mr Holmes as to his principles and his conduct, which are both necessary to forma just opinion of his character and of the usefulness or the injury he is calculated to produce here as a professor of the university. In speaking of his principles, we have found them generally since our acquaentance with im to be such as are subersive of all order and regular government in any society. That each mem = ber of any community is bound to pursue his own particular interest against that of every other. That there is no such thing as virtue; lust that it is only a fantastic idea - that the love of virtue is no more than superstition, degrading to the minds of men, and not suited to answer their purposes. That to shake off all its delegations and to bend with ease to the character and the circumstances of the times so as to advance our own interest or ambitions is the best morality. That therefor for any man to profess to be governed by the fixed principles of justice, of honor, of truth, or generosity is sufficient to stamp him a hypocrite and a designing know that is lying in wait under these charactrs for the happiness of others. That there is no need to wait for the proofs of his villany

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit over 1 year ago by Kalexander19
page_0003
Incomplete

to be exhibited in his conduct, but that he is to be denounced at once as an odeous character When Mr Holmes arrived first at this place he with ease anounced the religous belief in which he had been education, and which he had professed and taught with no common zeal. He first called in question every truth of religion, and then proceeded to shake out of his mind every moral sentiment. He soon succeeded to such a degree that he enforced as earnestly upon his pupils and upon the whole university that a profession of honesty or honor was as incontestible evidence of baseness & vice as he had ever before taught that christianity was the only source of happiness to men. Said Holmes has of late openly avowed that he is fully persuaded after long attention and investigation into the subject of morals & politics, that what is commonly virtue and integrity ought to discarded and contrived by every body, for that they are unsubstantial, deceptious, and injurous pretences, suited only to make men miserable and to establish tyranny in the world. These principles he has professed with fondness before the students and has argued [??] nuoresly in their support and it is hardly necessary for us to say how apt the youthful mind which is fond of the utmost freedom to which it can lay claim, will always be to enter itself under the patronage of one who stands here as

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit over 1 year ago by Kalexander19
page_0004
Incomplete

a representation for the board of Trustees, and clothed with the the powers of a professor in the university and a member of the faculty Tho' indeed we have been given the ascendency to different principles from what he has inculcated; yet in a society so largely and so promiscuously made up as that of the university, there must always be a small member that will be licentiously diposed, and convinced with difficulty of the rules of their duty. But when a professor who conduct is to be their example and whose principles are to be respected, openly teaches that morality is absurd, that virtue is a mere name, that patriotism is unrealy, and that vice may always be explained away by resolving its temptations into mrere circumstances that will justify the commission of it, how are we to expect that his friends and dupes will not be numerous and troublesome. And is it not to be apprehended that after having been here nursed in the belief of such sentiments they will enter on the open practice of them when they come to act for themselves. But his principles will be more fully disclosed in the account we are to give of his conduct The particulars of this before we arrived at this place we may not very [??] detail; but it may be of consequence to mention

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit over 1 year ago by Kalexander19
page_0005
Incomplete

express at his situation, and the wish he had in consequence formed to return his office in the hands of the board even beofre the expiration of the first session he acted. Tho' from reasons of delicacy she said professor did not think fit to explain all his motives on those occasions, yet he readily perceived that so long as he was to act with a feeble minded monk, [begin inserted text above] Nicholas Debraiux [end inserted text above] and as apostate and scepticized preachers, whom little mind was fruitful is every kind of villainy which envy could suggest and unprincipled ambitions could move him to effect, whom judgement and courage were to the last degree weak, but whose baseness prompted him to a ecrete train to treachery and falsehood, and as long as the only one on whom he found him = self capable of placing any dependee was a man William Augustus Richard died Dec. 1798) whose previous life had not earned him an exalted character, it required no great sagacity to discover that the public affairs were not to be advantageously conducted & that the character & happiness of said professor were not likely to be greatly enhanced. Nothing therefor could be effect is the faculty but with the utmost difficulty and after every resolution on whatever subject misrepresentations tending to destroy its effect and to blacken the views and the character of said professorwere

This page is incompleteEdit this page
Last edit over 1 year ago by Kalexander19
Displaying pages 1 - 5 of 83 in total