Henry Crabb Robinson, 30 Russell Square, London, to James Yates, Highgate, 7 March 1851.

30 Russell Square

7 March 1851./.

My dear Sir

       It has given me great pleasure, the hearing that nothing untoward occurred at the Un: Coll: General Meeting. I should otherwise have reproached myself for not attending: For I feel deeply interested in the welfare of the College – Your letter too interests me – I can assure you that it would give me great pleasure to think as favorably as I once felt kindly towards Mr J. C. A. And I feel no anxiety to remove from you those impressions which I once entertained towards him – I will content myself with stating generally how I came to know any thing about him – Since I have been on the Committee of Management, I have sat twice as one of a board of discipline – Once on a Mr Beevor, Son of a Norfolk baronet who had dashed a basin of water in the face of a teacher And the other of J. C. A. for grossly insulting the librarian (I find that in talking of these afterwards I strangely confounded the two cases) – They were pretty much of the same kind And all that the court required was an apology, And it was given by Beevor with so much grace that he really gained rather than losted in the estimation of the court – On the other hand when J. C. A. was before the court, tho the fact imputed to him was not denied, yet he exhibited a sort of sulliness [sic] which was not understood, And he was dismissed but told he would be sent for, And that an apology must be made – On this occasion I was struck both by his person & name And finding him to be of a family which I had been intimate with I spoke with him very kindly And I certainly was pleased with the manner in which he received my remonstrances – He intimated that his silence proceeded from awkwardness – He did not know what was meant by apology &c &c However it ended in his doing what I recommended And very becomingly And I thought I had shewn myself to be his friend And hoped that he would be glad on a future occasion to act as a mediator – And when those serious matters arose in which not himself but himself friends of his were the parties concerned And I was desirous of interposing beneficially, I sought him out And with great frankness told him my opinion of his friends conduct I must own that I did not benefit as I hoped from his interposition, but I do not mean to impute this to him as a fault – he might not be able – I must state as a fact also that I was given to understand by those who I am sure meant to be just, that I had been taken in by him And that he was at the bottom of the most serious disturbances – I heard this with regret, And would not give credit to the charge & to its full extent, At the same time I had not a firm conviction that it was not true –

       I have often thought that I should have made a bad criminal judge or police officer – I should have distrusted my own judgement – And I have often rejoiced that it was not I who had to say – Guilty or not guilty – In these police cases I am accustomed to look at the men – And say to myself – Who is likely to be in the right? I wish you would apply this to the court of discipline who sat lately – The two Chairmen were John Wood And when he could not sit – Dr Boott – In both, perfect integrity & benevolence In one, great familiarity of ^with^ business – The other members were – Revd Mr Scott And [    ]  M. D. the two deans – Baron Goldsmid & his Son the barrister Richd Denman – Mr Prevost – On the merits of the case, there was no diversity of opinion – The misconduct of the two who were ultimately removed was flagrant – I was in the first instance over persuaded to an act of ill requited good nature moving the reconsideration of the Judgement which only led to further outrages –

       My dear Sir I have the firmest confidence in your benevolence as well as integrity, but I believe these virtues have been abused –

       It is not easy to reduce these ethical & practical questions to the simplicity of scientific propositions – And in life one is forced to be content with what falls short of demonstration One can only wrap oneself in the consciousness of meaning & striving to be in the right –

       What a flagrant illustration of the uncertainty attending political propositions – Here are Lord Aberdeen & Sir James Graham are of civil opinion that civil & religious liberty demand that the Pope of Rome should be permitted to establish a hierarchy of Church Govt in this realm – With its Episcopacy – Synodial authority & parochial government – The Canon law being recognised as supplyg the law among Catholics!

       I can only lift up my eyes with wonder!

            I am dear Sir

                          with sincere respect

                                     faithfully your’s

                                                 H. C. Robinson

 Jas Yates Esqr

Highgate

NB: I omitted to put H.C.R. to the Article “Words of Christ” in the last Christ: Reformer

Text: Yates Papers, MS. Misc. 3R, University College University of London.