r menace of _swearing me perpetually crazy, and of
effecting a permanent abridgment of my liberty_, in case I should
attempt to defend myself, either legally or with my pen, against so
palpable and serious infraction of the dearest rights of an American
citizen. The scenes of last winter, of which I have given you but an
imperfect outline, which were got up for the purpose of consolidating
the power and preponderance of my adversaries, and of frustrating my
efforts to defend my position in my usual way, i. e., by giving positive
proof of my ability by actual services to the cause of academic
education--_these scenes of scandal and of terror I am expected to call
a delusion of my senses, and thus to falsify my personal history_,
_accuse my consciousness of mendacity, and literally to aid and abet
the iniquity of my aggressors_.

The day before my arrest, _I was solicited_ by a number of students to
commence my course, which I consented to do by the beginning of the
following week, and as this year I had already the proof-sheets of
several disquisitions on German literature in my hands, I could have
begun publicly and under the most favorable auspices. But it would seem
that these gentlemen were determined that I should _not_ begin, and that
they adopted this most admirable and effectual method of anticipating my
perfectly regular and legitimate movements. Indeed, by the enquiry,
"_What are you going to do?_" I have already been desired to infer, that
an entire abandonment of my profession was expected of me. Its exercise
had already been rendered as difficult as possible, several members of
the Council having for several years past virtually superseded me by
encouraging two other men on the same spot, which I in all honor was
entitled to occupy myself, and which contained hardly room enough for
one. What would Humboldt, Grimm, Ampere, Burnouf, and some of our other
friends on the other side of the water say to such proceedings? I am
reduced to penury, when from my public position I might be expected to
be independent, I am deprived of the liberty of academic instruction by
the terrorism of a narrow-minded clique, while successfully and
diligently engaged in adding fresh honor to my post, I am bereft of
freedom altogether by men, who owe their power to the fortuitous
concurrence of local and sectarian influences, who are utter strangers
to the large humanity of liberal culture, and who are too ignorant to
decide upon the