The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-07-16
TDe Ellquirer.
RICHMOND July Is. 1911.

EXTRACT Of ieffeT rum tPaidmSoHrS, 20
The Editor Of the Enquirer.
I have the pleasure of assuring you,
tbat fhe- 9Th of July has been observed by
our c slege with no dipinution of It's litera-
ny merit On the CONTRARY, 1T may judge
fr5sh the exbibitions OF that day, it appeared
{, 0le, that a purertaste in composition, than
char which I have sotttelmes whine ssed, was
evident Instead of that turgid, vague de
clamatior, so captivating TO young men, a
more chaste and tempered style, as well as
a more logical mode of EXPERIMENTATION, &c.
morally pteyaiIedin the Oeations which were
delivered. Besides, TO well Informed
snd candid mind. the compositions evinced
chat one of the great and primary objects
OF wise education, such as is particularly
called for by our political institutions. had
been happily prosecuted and attained-
When a-young man rs entering upon the
public theatre, he ought 10 be fitted for the
Office of civil life; His mind ought to be
Stored with that knowledge which ne finds
applicable upon The most interesting and
frequent occasions: aud not inflated with
kind Of learning which he necessarily for
gets within year or two because no occa
SION occurs in which il can be Of any real
use. He ought to be identified with the 60
~ernmenr of which he is now member
Is the government founded upon the only
rational principle which social union will
admit, as its legitimate basis, the unquali-
fed right of self-government? What can
be so absurd as a system of public educate
on. which tends to prejudice the mind in
favor of contrary principle, unjust in it
self. unphiiosophical as it respects political
science * Heterogeneous to every fundamen-
Ga article of the social compacte This So
lecism, this fclo dc sc is here avoided. A
young man is here taught what the Consti-
tutioh OF bis country really is. the princi-
pies upon which it rests, and is shown, that
shcsc principles, so worthy his veneration
and his love, are as universal as eternal
b. is instructed in the science of legislation;
III the duties of the legislator and the i'm
prescriptible rights of the sovereign; he
is shown what are the proper objects of
legislative attention. and in what cases
che individual should be left to the ma.
nagement OF his interests in his own way !;
che causes Of national wealth are fully
developed, and, in general, all those
Lnportant subjects which are embraced by
. profound and luminous 81 stem OF political
economy. To these branches OF cisii edu.
cation. / was highly gratified to ind, that
the attention of our young men had not only
beer turned, but with success which excl
ed my warmest appreciation and though
Ihad not an opportunity Of being present at
abe public examination, yet, FROM informa-
sfO" upoH ThiSh tttts or'CTdi, particular
" the graduates. were distinguished for
their extensive acquisitions in M athem atics,
nd Natural Philosophy as we'll as in those
branches Of moral Philosophy, to which
have alluded.
The Orators were. Messrs Francis
McCaulay, Ferdinand Campbell. Augustine
Smith, ,hn Nelson, of Maryland. Benja-
p,iu 3. Jones, John Andrews and Theophi-
bls Field.
They met With the applause Of hume
R'us audience. After the first GRAFTON, the
degree Of Bachelor of Arts was conferred,
With the usual formaity, upon Ferdinand
Campbell, BENZ B Jones' Wn. Meriwether.
Francis MeCaulay, John Nelson Augustine
Smith and II. l.. Wilson
And me degree OF Bachelor of Law. upon
Augustine Smith, Benz. Il. mes, Robert
kart andish, VIM. T.. GreenhiIl and Geo
Eyeyy.
Tue degree of Bachelor Of Law has also
Ne grduted, during the last term, to VIM
q; q wal, Herbert Gaines and Benjamin
Pollard,