Musings of the South 179 



of common sense; that a principle misapplied 

 defeats itself, and becomes no principle in that par- 

 ticular case. The trustees, directors, and faculty 

 are men of strictest honor, and would not violate 

 an obligation to save the college from failure. 

 They are determined to execute the wishes and 

 intentions of the donors to the very best of their 

 ability and possibility, but it is very literally impos- 

 sible to follow lines that are projected into the 

 future, where a knowledge of its conditions and 

 developments cannot be foreseen. 



The donors had in mind a co-educational work 

 similar to that of Berea. That cannot be made 

 successful in Tennessee. The college, to exist, 

 must be practically one or the other. It cannot be 

 both. Any attempt to make it the latter would 

 defeat the intentions of the donors, both for whites 

 and blacks. Whatever we may think of the facts, 

 neither sound judgment nor principle ignores them. 

 Southern families will not send their sons and 

 daughters to an institution where colored girls are 

 admitted. The negroes are receiving no benefit 

 from Maryville college. I particularly noticed the 

 few colored boys there — and saw that they felt their 

 isolation, and were not comfortable, much less 

 happy. There is a fine negro school near by, 

 Knoxville College, where they are doing excel- 

 lent work. The trustees will most scrupulously see 

 that the negroes get full benefit; and they can best 



