THE MORAL PHILOSOPHY CHAIR. 205 



strous ; an outrage on decency and common sense. Such, without 

 exaggeration, was the view taken by the Whig side in this contest, 

 'and strenuously supported publicly in the columns of the Scotsman* 

 and privately in every circle where the name of Blackwood was a 

 name of abomination and of fear. 



How the proceedings of this election interested my mother may 

 be seen best from her own true womanly feelings expressed without 

 reserve, in a letter to her sister : — 



" My mind has been anxiously occupied on Mr. Wilson's account, 

 by an election in which he has, amongst other literary men, started 

 as a candidate. It is for a Professor's Chair in the University here. 

 The Professorship of Moral Philosophy is the situation, which became 

 vacant about six weeks ago, by the death of Dr. Brown. The gift of 

 the Chair is in the power of the Magistrates and Town Council, and I 

 have no doubt there will be a great struggle between the two polit- 

 ical parties here. The WJiigs hitherto have had every thing their own 

 way ; and the late Professor was one, as well as the well-known Du- 

 gald Stewart, who resigned the situation from bad health, and who 

 has it in his power to resume lecturing if he chooses, and which I fear 

 he will do from party spirit, if he thinks there is any chance of Mr. 

 Wilson's success. Mr. Wilson has been assured of all the support 

 that Government can give him, and Sir Walter Scott has been par- 

 ticularly kind in his exertions for his success. The testimonials 

 which he has received from the Professors at Glasgow, as to his 

 powers for such a situation, are most gratifying and flattering ; in- 

 deed, his prospects are at present favorable ; but I will not allow 

 myself to be sanguine, though I must say that if Mr. Wilson was to 



* A single specimen of the rhetoric used may suffice, being the peroration of a long and angry- 

 leading article which appeared immediately before the election. The electors were, in conclusion, 

 thus solemnly adjured : — "Again we call upon those members of Council who are fathers of fam- 

 ilies; who respect the oaths they have taken; who have some regard for religion, morals, and 

 decency, to read the Chaldee MS. ; the pilgrimage to the ' Kirk oi'Shotts ;' the attacks on Messrs. 

 Wordsworth. Pringle, Dunbar, Coleridge, and others; to weigh and consider the spirit and cha- 

 racter of many other articles in the Magazine, which are either written by Mr. Wilson, or pub- 

 lished under his auspices; and if they can possibly excuse him as a private individual, we still 

 put it to them how they can justify it to their conscience, their country, and their God, to select 

 him as the man to fill the chair of Moral Philosophy, and to confide to him the taste, the moraJs, 

 and the characters of the rising generation." 



When the election was over, the public were informed, through the same channel, that the con- 

 duct of the electors had " stamped indelible disgrace on the Town Council," and that though it 

 was a prevalent opinion that they were already as low as they could be in the estimation of 

 their fellow-citizens, the proceedings of that day had shown this conclusion to be erroneous, f.nd 

 demonstrated that there is in the lowest depth a lower stili 



