From the Herald of Freedom. Exposition of Affairs Connected with Noyes Academy (News Article)
Date: 18351003; Paper: Liberator
[From the Herald of Freedom.]
EXPOSITION OF AFFAIRS CONNECTED
WITH NOYES ACADEMY
The Trustees of Noyes Academy present to the Public the following statement of facts. In the present agitated state of the community, they offer no comments on these facts. Should the agitation subside, and a time of impartial deliberation arrive the public mind will make its own proper comments upon these and other corresponding events of the times. Before the month of June, 1834, a subscription was drawn up for the erection of an Academy In the pleasant village of Canaan, N. H. About sixty persons contributed to its erection. Among the principal donors was the venerable Farmer, Samuel Noyes, after whose name the contemplated School was called. A neat and handsome edifice was erected on a favorable and beautiful location—an act of incorporation obtained in June.
On the 4th of July—a day it would seem not unappropriate for the idea—it occurred to some of the donors to propose having the school established upon the principles of the Declaration of Independence, with its privileges and blessings, open to all lovers of learning coming with suitable moral and intellectual recommendations without other distinctions. A general meeting of the patrons of the school was to be holden on the 16th Aug. Previous to this meeting, the planwas proposed to many of them individually, and mettheir prompt approbation. At the general meeting it was formally laid before them and discussed fully by friends and opponents—the opposition conducted by an Hon. Gentleman, then of Canaan now of Lebanon, not a subscriber. After a deliberate hearing—thirty six of the fiftyone persons present—proprietors—voted in its favor—and fourteen against it—two of these afterwards declared themselves in favor—two did not vote at all, and remained neutral—one who was not prepared to vote at the meeting gave in his assent afterwards—two more of the fourteen hoped the school would go on upon the proposed plan and prosper and flourish and six others who were not present sent in their decided assent. The proposed plan was thus adopted, and the proprietors proceeded to elect a Board of Trustees, and fixed on a day for their meeting and organization. Not content with their opposition and defeat among the proprietors, the enemies or the school proceeded to call a 'townmeeting,' in order to procure if possible, an unfriendly expression from the voting inhabitants. The proprietors had already erected their own building on land belonging to the corporation, and were proceeding constitutionally, lawfully and peacefully in the prosecution of their enterprise. The town meeting was called—great efforts were made to tally the disaffected and create disaffection. The Hon. gentleman who headed the opposition before the subscribers' meeting, led it also in the meeting of the town, and presented the resolutions and made the speech reported in the N. H. Patriot of the day. No opposition was made to him—none attempted—no friends of the School attended, with the exception of a few as spectators. The number voting for the unfriendly resolutions as ascertained by opponents of the School themselves was at most 86 out of the 300 or more voters on the check list. The friends of the School thus considered themselves a strong and decided majority among the proprietors; —and allowing the regulation of a corporate literary institution to lie within the properscope of town authority, did not consider a vote of 86 out of 300, and that too at an ex parte meeting, as an alarming indication of an unfriendly temper among their townsmen, and they proceeded to provide an Instructor and open the Academy. A committee was dispatched to the Theological Seminary, at Andover, and on recommendation of Drs. Wood and Skinner, of the Faculty, who were told that a sound and accomplished teacher was wanted, Mr. Scales, member of the Senior Class, was obtained—the school commenced under his charge on the first of March. The Trustees had issued their circular to the Public on the 10th of Sept. Of this it may be remarked that its declaration offering peculiar privileges, by opening the doors of the Academy to all applicants, without distinction of color, was charged by the periodicals ofthose times, as well as by periodicals of more recent times, as a slander on the other literary institutions of the country. Nevertheless, for carrying that offer into legitimate and proper effect, the Noyes Academy has been visited by the hand of popular violence. Encouraged by the cheering call of the circular, a few colored children and youth, in all 14, resorted to the school advancing with trembling hope to privileges, to them at least unexpectedly presented. They were joined by 28 of the more fortunate complexion, and the school went on in peace and prosperity. Of the demeanor of the colored pupils—their modest and becoming deportment, their inoffensive, polite and unassumingmanners their unblemished walk, their application andimprovement, their promising capacities and intellectualattainments, the Trustees (and the inhabitants of the village generally,) cannot indulge themselves in speaking in terms demanded by truth. They fondly hoped they discerned in it the tokens ofGod's approbation and a brighter day to their country.These prospects have been clouded, these hopes blasted. Rumors were set afloat against the school and these harmless children of the most absurd, ridiculous, but appalling character. Stories that could never have gained a moment's credence with minds free from the peculiar prejudice of the country with regard to complexion, were industriously circulated among the people. The village was to be overrun with negroes from the South—the slaves were to be brought on to line the streets with huts and to inundate the industrious town with paupers and vagabonds—and other tales too indecent and too ridiculous to be repeated were insinuated withwicked industry into the ears of the citizens. As the 4th of July approached, violence began to be threatened, and it was given out that on that day an attack would be made upon the house. The day arrived and some hundreds assembled—some as actors, some as spectators—and the building was approached in a threatening manner by about 60 or 70 men, many of whom were from adjacent towns, and many armed with bludgeons, missiles, &c., uttering high threats and loud denunciations of rage. They drew up in front of the house—the leader presented the object—the door was attempted. Amagistrate appeared at the window of thesecond story—addressed them and began to take names. They hesitated—faltered, and at length retired.
The friends of the school trusting that the unfounded and foolish excitement would pass off without violence had remained firm and quiet—anxious to avoid the dreadful extremity of being the occasion of shedding the blood of their fellow men—they still supposed it possible to remain unmolested—trusting to God and the Law.
The multitude dispersed to assemble again in a week. They then gathered together, but had not the temerity to lay hands on the building or the friends of the school, although both were furiously threatened. Probablythey would have ultimately refrained had it hot been for the opportune visit of some slavers from the South—the Mississippi explosion and the attempt to palm the guilt of this on the Abolitionists—and had it not occurred to some of the instigators and advisers to give their purpose the forms of law and authority, by resorting again to 'Town Meeting.'
The Trustees refrain from considering here the competency of a 'Town Meeting' to commit a trespass or a crime according to . A Town Meeting was holden, and its deliberations and votes given to the public through the newspapers. Under this sanction, the multitude, assembled on the 10th Aug. and with the accompaniments adapted to that kind of administration, forcibly demolished the yardfences, and drew off the building into the highway, at a distance from its former site, where it now stands a monumentof violence and a ruin.
A month was then given to the colored pupils and the Preceptor to quit the town, with condition of forcible expulsion unless they availed themselves of it—and with threatenings of Death, if resistance were made. Many aggravating circumstances accompanying this transaction cannot be here related.
The Institution is broken up. The aggressors declare boldly that they fear no retribution at the hand of the violated Law. They rely on the public opinion and the Public Authorities to sustain them in taking the accomplishment of their unlawful wishes into their own bands. They have been advised that theirgrievance was one which the Law could not redress—that in fact, the Institution was founded upon the principles of our Constitution and the Law, and the Legislature and the Court could afford them no aid, and they must redress themselves by the violent hand, ‘keeping always within the limits of public sentiment.'
In behalf of the Trustees,
JOHN H. HARRIS, Sec. pro. tem.