No doubt but the papers have made you acquainted with our proceedings at Chapel Hill. They have been such as will excite a lively concern throughout the state. The University seems destined to experience many trials. The desertion of the Students however, at this time portends its ruin. Every friend to science must lament the injudicious conduct of the Trustees in passing so odious a law. If the Institution does perish, and I sincerely hope it may not, it is to be ascribed alone to the pernicious influence of that law. It was very objectionable in theory, but much more so in practice. It banished all harmony. The consequence of every return of the Monitor was contention between the Students and the Teacher, and the Students & the Monitors. Frequently have I heard the return of the Monitors contradicted in the Public Hall, tho he was acting upon oath. What young man of feeling would be willing to place himself in such a situation as this? Who would suffer himself publickly to be called a perjured villain? And a Monitorcertainly does this when he permits the correctness of his returns to be questioned. When our Remonstrance was presented to the Trustees, they consented to take off the oath, but substituted a promise no less binding, and introduced some provisions into the law, which made it much more objectionable than it was originally. Upon examination it will be found that the Monitors have cognizance now not only of the conduct of their particular classes, but of the whole school. Thus a Member of the lowest class can admonish and return a member of the Senior or Junior Classes. And is it not degrading to put a young man of the first standing in College under the absolute control of a little Boy — a Boy that may be incapable of discriminating between proper and improper conduct? It certainly is. I could say much more on this subject, but I will postpone it until an opportunity offers of doing it personally. And perhaps, an apology is due to you for troubling you with this letter. If so, I beg that you will ascribe it to the uncommon solicitude that I feel to satisfy my friends as to the part which I have acted. If they condemn me, it is my misfortune to be condemnedfor doing what I conceived to be right and proper.

I expect to return home about the 7th or 9th of October, when I shall engage in some pursuit with indefatigable zeal. Be good enough to present my best respects to your family, and accept yourself the strongest assurances of my regard.