ALEXANDRIA, Nov. 4,
1860.
Sir: Yours of 3rd
inst. is before me having been received last night just after the Academic
Board adjourned, having awaited your attendance one hour.
The duty of
classifying cadets either of a new or old class belongs to the Academic Board,
voting by a majority. The Academic Board yesterday after a patient sitting
arranged all the cadets now present into two classes, third and fourth, lists
of each being recorded in the proper book. This classification must not be
disturbed by any professor. It is your duty to arrange your sections, subject
to that classification and I specially require that you make no list of cadets,
for recitation in French, except the classification fixed by the Board. Were
you to publish a list of sections, styling any cadet as a member of the Fourth
Class, whom the Academic Board has adjudged a member of the Third Class, you
must see plainly that you would be treating the Academic Board with contempt.
And would introduce disorder and confusion, where system must prevail.
In all bodies where
a majority rules, there must be a minority; and for a member of the minority to
say he is treated with contempt he must show marks of contempt other than
a bare fact that the majority thinks different from him. Now you remember that
every member of the Board assured you repeatedly of their personal respect,
called on you to suggest a remedy for the difficulty that surrounded us, and
even adjourned one hour for thought and deliberation. Even then you could not
suggest a remedy and the Board proceeded on their consciences and honor to
arrange the Third Class. If some cadets in that class are below the standard
you think requisite, it is no fault of yours. You are not responsible for it,
but the blame is justly chargeable to the Academic Board, whose clear duty it
is to "classify" cadets (see par. 10). The mode of imparting instruction
is left to the professor by par. 7. But that is a very different matter from
"classifying" the cadets which is clearly the prerogative of the
Academic Board.
You should have
attended the session of last night, and if confusion in the recitations of tomorrow
result therefrom it will be clearly traced to you. . .
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