LangworthyIsaac18780524_004

But it was received as persecution for
conscience sake by the petitioners & they went
to the adjacent grove to hold their meetings;
feeling that they were martyrs to a great
moral principle. Under the leadership of
two or three bold dearest [?] men some
thirty five bound themselves togetehr by a
solemn pledge to induce the faculty
to grant their request or they would leave
the Academy. As helpful to this alternative,
the exhibition was at [??] this
member was the valedictorian & other
appointees, of those it was very plain
that without their cooperation, the ephi
[lition] would have to be [??]
greatly to the courage of the institutional
chagrine of the faculty. But Mr. John-
son & his collaborators [?] them-
selves as [?] as those young mar
-tyrs also adhered to their decision. The young
men were activited to depart. New appoin
-tess were selected & the exhibition went off very [creditably?] & the Academy [arrived?]
the defection without serious loss.