The Removal Of Dr. Tappan

By referenoe to the proceedinga of the Board of Rogents of the University of Michigan, to be fouud in another column, our readers who have not already boon posted, will learn the fact that on Thursday o-f last week tbc Board removed Dr. Tappan from the Preoidency of the University and the Professorship o Philoaophy thereiu, and offected other important changes. "We need hardly say that thiB unexpected and unsuspected aötion oreatèd' great surprise in our piet oity, and that ita announcement was received with a burst of indignation 'rom the maas of our citizens. A meetng ot students and alumni preaent in the city ..as immediately held, and condemnatory reaolutiona passed ; and on Friday evening a citizens' meeting was jeld - the Oourt House being filled to its utmost capacity - and resolutions passed strongly cenauring tho action of the Regonts, and the manner of that action, and calling for its reversal and the re-instatement of Dr, Tappan. Tho proceedings of these meetings, together with a series of resolutions adopted at an alumni meeting held iu Detroit, on Monday evening last, oar readers will find in connection with the extracis from the Regenta' prooeedings. No official announcement of the causes for tho removal having been made, the public assign various reasons, malice ou tho part of Regenta, seotarian and political intrigues, jealousies in the Faculty, neglect of duty and arbiorary oonduc on the part of the PreBident, and athousandand one othor things. With all this out-door talk-we havo nothing to do, and as a friend of the University, and of all the parties immediately and personally effeoted by the charjges, we can not give ear or placo to the scandal we hear on the etreet corners, and beg to suggest both to the many who condemn tho aotion of the Regents, and to the comparativa fetr who sustain it, that personal criraination and re-crituination will be productivo of no good, eithar in the event of tho aotion of the Eegonts being sustaiuod or reversed by the incoming Board of Regents ; we Bay incoming Board, for we take it for granted that pressure auffioient can not be brought to bear upon the present Board to make it reverse its action. We do not approve the secret and summary manner in whish the Board has aoted. lts reasona may be good, inay be better than wo or the public know, but thia mothod of taking ofif beada smacks too much of the arbitrary course of the goverument in makiiig arresta to secure out endorsement. Dr. Tappan haa long been at the head of the University, has given it - in connection with his associates- character at home and abroadi and we think that justice both to Lim and the public, granted that the Regenta my have or thonestly think they have well grounded reasons for his removal, required a more oandid, courteous, and manly procedure ; or, at tho very least, if the reinoval muat of nocassity be summary, that the aot of removal ohould have assigned reasona therefor. "We think, too, considering the semi-hoetile relations which have so long exiated between the Regenta and Dr. Tappan, and the approaching expiration of their terra, they might with propriety havo referred tho matter to their successors, and ao the people will rightly think unless recent developments, unknown to the publio, have iaduced or rendered immediate action neceesary. Further than this we have Httle to say at this time, except to oxpress a hope that the public will discuss this matter, not as partisans of this man or that mao, of this deoornination or that denominatioD, but as frieods of the University. If, on cool, careful, and oandid investigaron it shall become evident that Dr. Tappan has been removed to gratify personal mal ice or pique; thal his removal is preju dicial to the beat nterests of the University ; and that the oterests ol the Univetsity can best be subserved by a reyersal of tlio action and his reinatatement as President, then shall we heartily join our iellow-eitizena in asking the in-coming Board to re-instate hiin. If, on the other hand, it ehall beoome evident that a reversal of the uclion ol the Regenta will be more likely to prove detn mental to the best interests of the Univeraity, then neither we nor any friend ol the Univeraity should a6k euch aetion. To-day we are not a Tappan man, a Haven man, or any other man's man, but for standing by the Univeríity, whoever may for the tim being be at its head. And we have not the least doubt that Dr. Tappan will concur in thia advioe, for we beiieve that whataver faults may be at tributed to him - and no man is perfect, - whatovor short comings uiav be charged upon him, he has the intereste of the University at heart. We beliüve Ihat the constant and unwaveriug support we have given tho University duriog an editorial lifo of 3iteen years, that the relations which save peisoually existed between solí and Dr. Tappan, that the frequent endorsement wo have given him both n an editorial and individual capacity, will relieve us from any charge of personal feelinj, and warrant us in this attempt to pour oil' upon the troubled waters. Of Dr. Haven, oleoted to succeed i Dr. Tappan, we need say little. He is known to m&ny of the citizcns of our city and State, and we might say throughout the eastern States as a fine acholar, an abla educator, a ohristian gentleman. We cannot say that a better succesaor to Dr. Tappan eould not have boen chosen, but we have confidence that under half favorable circumstances, with the support of the educational men of the State, he would make a popular President. Report saya bo haa accepted the position.