Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-13

our ancestors, under the mild adminsira-
ton of Bishop Madison, that they could
De governed 10y rules uustackied b. so
phis.ry, and free from the trammeis of w
ranny-whcn reason and honorw were law 2
1t Is onr pride now. to prove we are in
deed their Observation-Disclosures we claim
our right to so valuable aninhcritance.
But" says Dr. Smith, "wllatever
doubt may heretofore have existed on
this subject, the events which have taken
place must now satisfy every person. that
it is utterly impossible for any thing Ike
order TO be maintained without the law in
questlon-During the last course, no per-
ceptible Indignation was excited among
The Students against those who, after be-
ingenuity ofciisurderly acts, nledtheia-
and consequently evil-,lispusedyoung men
enioyedan impuuiiy, oi' which they did not
fail Ito take advantage. This has allusion
t0 an affair OF last session, which, for the
honor OF the Faculty, IL was TO be hoped,
would never again be brought before the
Puhlic-The unjust suspension of forty
odd Young men, for the indiscretion OF
one, is Il circumstance not much TO their
credii--And although the President has
been assured, by the solemn declaration
of every Member Of the Chemical Glass
that they are not acquainted with the cul-
prit-aitliough lac mas often expressed lis
satisfaction at the voluntary exertions
made by thc Students 10 discover him.
and exclude him from the insiitution--
vet, because II Is the cn,y plausible argu-
nnent In support of The eXpediencv az the
law In question:, he ventures 10 hazard The
assertion, that that man was not onlv
known, but supported and couutenanced
"A poor compliment indeed, fellow-stu
dents, toyou, who formed a part of that
class, and who now form large portion
of the present session i-contempt!ble IN
deed must you appear in his estimation.
when he SAYS, Your conduct induces Il ri
gitl execution OF this obnoxious statute
The Public are led to believe. g hat a
combination has been entered into with a
Young man III town, but unconnected with
the College, that he should do allthe mis-
chiei,and they would DEFY every test that
The Society could devise, So that neither
his offence nori.leir guilt should Toe bro't
10 light. This is q dIscOY cry which none
could more devoitly wish than the suffer
ing ten and we are rejoiced 20 find DR..
Smith so confirmed OF the truth of the as
serion as 10 publish ii, for by this we are
assured Il cannot be bare SUSPICION he
must be possessed of evidence that will
lead to a deyclonemant of the plot-ihat
will lead " to grosser issues and 10 larger
reach than mere sHsplclon," or else he
would not J ave veniured 10 cast stigma
that he was unable 10 establisIi-If this
be the case, We appeal TO the world. and
ask :-iias 1t MOI been strange proceed
ing TO suspend us, some Otwhon were on
~ liz possessions ofremote facts, lhatmiuht
possibly lead to Il discovery. when he al
ready has evidence that convinces him
TO Il certainty of this combination His
informcr certainly can disclose to him o.
ther iacts-ior if moi, DIR. 5. is still more
unpardonahlc to publish his suspicious.
founded only upon the suspicious of ano-
ther-and if he is able 10 trace this con-
hinatlon, we call upon him TO do it, for
the honor of the Institution, and for the
! benefit OF those who are now suffering i'm
Consequence of t.-Ofany sucil plot we
declare ourselves 10 bcignOrant, and shall
be among the first to exult i'll the detecti-
! on Of this monster, that has so disturbed
the peace Of the College.
One more remark and we are done with
the subject.--'' Pnickyum est Gccnsa,i ob
accwsand;S. "-HeSays that g the new code
of Eihicks, upon which these unfortunate
Young men have acted can scarcely find
many advocates He conceives II
breach of promise, to refuse giving the
testimony required of u.s. forgetting we
had right 10 the construction Of This
statute as understood when we mairicli-
lated, and not 10 be bound TO accept that
construction wliichthc Faculty may please
| 90 i'nposc, when they wish 10 make ii suit
| particular cases. Who, that will read
! that statute, can say that under ii we are
| bound to disclose facts that ONLY induce
suspicious, but which have nothing to do
! with the immediate offence itself And.
we ask, is it not d natural construction,
| that the criminal ought TO be arragncd
| before any testimony can be required of
us, for the words are, then may the
| Society call upon any Student TO give
| testimony against those sIiSpecfed"-and
! even IN Tins case, we were under no fur
| Their obligation than our own will-ior
| where is the promise we made !-It is not
| TO be found III this statute, and no where
we presume, but in the notions of tie Ia
Guilty. Is there any thing more 10 be
squeezed from the words, than the bare
| power and privilege of calling upon u.s.
| Is there any contract which binds us 10
| obey that call! Consult the impressions
of the Students when they ntairiculatcd
and You will find, with very few excep-
tons, that they considered that it womid
neither be criminal nor immoral 10 refuse
| giving information when called upon
but that such refusal WAS only TO be ac.
cOmpaned with the consequences III
q Court Of Justice, a witness is not con
sidcied Is immoraliy violating the taci