and third resolutions the vote was unanimous, so the report
and resolutions were adopted.

"The president asked leave to withdraw for a short time, and Dr.
Barstow was requested to take the chair.

"The President on resuming the chair read to the Trustees the
following paper, to wit:

* * * * *

"'Dartmouth College, July 24, 1863.

"'To the Trustees of Dartmouth College:

"'In making this communication to the Hon. and Rev. Board of Trustees
I take the liberty respectfully to protest against their right to
impose any religious, ethical, or political test upon any member of
their own body or any member of the College Faculty, beyond what is
recognized by the Charter of the institution, or express statutes or
stipulations conformed to that instrument, however urged or suggested,
directly or indirectly, by individuals or public bodies assuming to be
as visitors of the college, or advisers of the Trustees.

"'The action of the Trustees, on certain resolutions of the Merrimack
County Conference of Churches, virtually imposes such a test, inasmuch
as it implicitly represents and censures me as having become injurious
to the college, not on account of any official malfeasance or
delinquency, for, on the contrary, its commendations of my personal
and official character and conduct during my long term of service, far
exceed my merits; but, for my opinions and publications on questions
of Biblical ethics and interpretations, which are supposed by the
Trustees to bear unfavorably upon one branch of the policy pursued by
the present administration of the government of the country.

"'For my opinions and expressions of opinion on such subject, I hold
myself responsible only to God, and the constitutional tribunals of my
country; inasmuch as they are not touched by the Charter of the
college, or any express statutes or stipulations. And, while my
unswerving loyalty to the government of my fathers, proved and tested
by more than seventy years of devotion to its true and fundamental
principles, cannot be permanently discredited by excited passions of
the hour, I do not feel obliged when its exercise is called in
question, to surrender my moral and constitutional right and Christian
liberty, in this respect, nor to submit to any censure, nor consent to
any conditions such as are implied in the aforesaid action of the
Board; which action is made more impressive upon me, in view of the
priva