Diary of Edward Bates, Monday, July 25, 1859

By invitation supped at Mr. Bishop's⁴² in company with Revd. Dr. Wines⁴³ (a professor in Washington College Pa.) who visits St Louis preparatory to the organization of the City University (old school Presbyterian) it being intended to offer him the presidency. I like his appearance very well. He seems to be a plain, solid man, and he has a high reputation for learning.

There were present also Revd. Dr. McPheeters⁴⁴ — and Mr. Bishop's two neighbors [sic], Mr. Brown and Dr. Johnson — I never saw Dr. J[ohnson] before, tho' he tells me he has lived in the City 8 years — Also Mr. Davis, the young gentleman who preaches in our pulpit, though not licenced to preach.⁴⁵ Before, he came in, we — Drs. Wines and McPheeters, Mr. Bishop and I — were conversing on the subject, and all of us agreed that it was entirely irregular and against the laws of the church. Mr. Bishop said that the session invited Mr. Davis entirely at the instance of Dr. Anderson, and that that [sic] the Session presumed of course, that Mr. D.[avis] was licenced.

After Mr. D.[avis] came, the topic was renewed, and he, at first, seemed very confident that it was right — we, some of us, said it was irregular &c — He asked emphatically, who was to blame — I answered, the Session, for inviting a man to preach in our pulpit without knowing that he was licenced (I did not say, as perhaps I ought, you, for accepting the invitation and assuming the place of our pastor, knowing that you were not authorised to preach, by any church judicature[.])[.] He asked, are they to be blamed for their ignorance? I answered, yes certainly — when knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime — He acquiesced in that and remained silent — I added only, I am afraid that the great personal merits of Mr. Davis will make us submit to a great breach of our law.

After supper, a meeting of the trustees of the City University. There was no preparation. Nobody was prepared with a plan. Every thing was at odd ends, and no unity of opinion and views. There was a "free conversation" with Dr. Wines, and a great many suggestions, but no direct proposition. After a while, a resolution was passed offering the presidency to Dr. Wines, at a salary of $3000 — and then I left — Dick driving me thro' the dark, home by 11. p. m[.]

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⁴² See supra, July 17, 1859.

⁴³ Enoch C. Wines : for many years a teacher; then a Presbyterian minister; professor of ancient languages at Washington College, Pennsylvania. When the City University failed and was abandoned in 1861, he accepted the secretaryship of the New York Prison Association and became a penologist of note.

⁴⁴ Supra, April 24, 1859, note 24.

⁴⁵ See supra, July 17, 1859.

SOURCE: Howard K. Beale, Editor, Annual Report of The American Historical Association For The Year 1930, Vol. 4, The Diary Of Edward Bates, pp. 35-6