Analysis and refutation of the Statements of facts in relation to the expulsion of James C. Cross from Transylvania University --recently published by Dudley, Mitchell & Peter / by James Conquest Cross.
- Cross, James Conquest.
- Date:
- 1846
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Analysis and refutation of the Statements of facts in relation to the expulsion of James C. Cross from Transylvania University --recently published by Dudley, Mitchell & Peter / by James Conquest Cross. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![Dr. Short deserted us, as 1 firmly believed that he would, even after being placed in the chair of Theory and Practice, the school would have been irrecoverably ruined. But this, my colleagues, blinded by passion and biassed by prejudice, could not see. We hid, and my old colleagues still have, an indefatigably in- dustrious and a decidedly able rival in the Lou- isville Medical Institute to contend with, and I ask, is there a single human being out of the Transylvania Medical Faculty, so incurably stupid as to believe that had Dr. Short left us, after having been transferred to the chair of Theory and Practice, our enemies, at Lou- isville, would not have proclaimed, and with every appearance of plausibility, if not of truth, that the Transylvania Medical School was ruined beyond redemption—that it had lost two of its ablest men—one from death, and the other from desertion? Thus, by my foresight and management, I shielded the In- stitution a second time from a fatal blow, that the infatuation and folly of some of my col- leagues were willing, and would no doubt have exposed it to.* Mitchell in his statement says: When it was announced that Dr. Eberle was no more, the ex-professor commenced his secret efforts to procure the vacant chair, and hearing that Dr. Short and myself were named as candi- dates, [the latter certainly by nobody but him- self,] he publicly denounced us to the class, as unfit for the place; called on the pupils to dis- countenance every thing of the sort, alledging that our appointment would disgrace the school, and consequently disgrace its pupils. This, and more, 1 heard with my own ears, in tht. Chemical Hall, immediately below the place where this most brotherly harangue was made There are facts in abundance to prove that du- ring the session named, he was perpetually endeavoring to depreciate the labors of his col leagues, and to elevate himself. I vainly and *The infamous Mitchell says that Dr. Short left the Med cal School of Transylvania because he was unwilling- to tie associated with me, when he knows it was because he could not endure to remain in the same institution with his broth- er-in-law, Dr. Dudley, on account of his scandalous treache- ry towards men for whom he had respect, and in whom he had confidence, and this is proved by the fact that he volun- tarily abandoned the former in a great emergency, and fol- lowed the latter when their prospects were, in the general estimation, any thing but bright or promising. Resides Dr. Short knew, or might have known, for Dr. Richardson in- formed me of it, that Dr. Dudley hated him with so deep and malignant a hatred, because he would not testify falsely on the occasion of the sacrifice of Drs. Caldwell, Yandcll, and Cooke, that he refused to have anything to do with presenting his name to the Board of Trustees on the 29th of April, 1837, when the faculty was reorganized. This was done, if I was correctly informed, by Dr. Richardson. Be- sides, if my informant did not mislead me, Dr. Short very rarely entered the house of Dr. Dudley after the day of the dissolution of the faculty. For this inform ition I am in- debted to an individual who also told me that after the re- signation of Dr. Short, Dr. Dudley boasted that he had not suffered the former to enter his house except on extraor- dinary occasions, and then only for the sake of appearan- ces. Dr. Short knows whether this is true or not. foolishly thought I had in my Appeal so firmly nailed this counterfeit to the counter that he would never again attempt to foist himself into circulation, even where only a spurious coin circulated. But in this I was mistaken. He has still the assurance to look honest men in the face with the frantic and desperate hope that with His weapons holy saws of sacred writ, he may be rescued from the fathomless depths of contempt into which he is precipitately sinking, while he silently and secretly solilo- quizes: Thus I cloathc my naked villainy With old odd ends stol'd forth of holy Writ, And seem a saint when worst I play the Devil. Did I not believe that it would be wantonly provoking Providence I would suffer this hy- pocritical cheat and base counterfeit to pass for what he is worth, and that is what in algebra is called a negative quantity, something worth less than nothing. But this he has not permitted—he has rendered forbearance im- possible—it would prove me incapable of con- ceiving a generous sentiment, or of perform- ing a worthy action, were I even to wink at a reversal of the infallible and eternal de- cress of Divine wisdom by shrinking, when such an opportunity is presented, from the palpable exposure of a man who has sto- len The livery of the court of heaven To serve the Devil in. Mitchell knows that in preferring the charge embodied in the above extract he was doing noth- ing more than revamping an old, exploded and a disgusting falsehood, that had been trium- phantly refuted eight years ago. The con- ceiver is no more guilty than the shameless reproducer and propagator-of a falsehood. But this Mitchell sticks at nothing—his soul, although he affects to be making ample pros- pective provision for it, is like that of the li- centiate Pedro Garcias which lay among the ducats in his leathern bag, is in his breeches pocket among the ragged bank notes that he has dunned out of the students, one of whom was never known to have a moments rest from his importunities so long as he owed him a cent. Indeed his cupidity is such that the telescopic shadow of a dollar in the moon would make him, Judas-like, betray his Saviour, even should he have transferred his homage and devotion, as everyone believes he has, from the immaculate Being that suffered and died on the cross, to the maculate and poisonous reptile that glories in the name of B. W. Dudley. From the multitude of deponents who are hurrying to the witness-stand to pro- nounce the sentence of condemnation upon the retailer of this foul and infamous slander,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21112022_0020.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
