Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-08-22
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
CE ITER[fM CHISp(NIrS

lft lite suspension CNcIu-
SION OF ten OF its members rom that insiitu-
| tioa.
II was 10 have b.en expected that punish
nent once cjed, ami an undisguses appc:,!
| preferred 10 the tribunal cf the public for
| The propriety of the course which was pnrsu.
ed, the Society wonli have deemed every
| obligation, bath OF public duty aud private
| ieehiiy, amply DISCHARGED. Motives, which
we are at nc loss TO discern, have, however
induced a second and mere labored Address.
| IN which that transaction forms the most
! pronront feature, and in which the learn
! ny AUD logic OF :he PRESIDENT have been ia
uoStfionsiy eAerted 10 prove the neceSS.-
| t. and the eApedicncy of the law nnder
! winch we were recently punished. Had
/ the object Of i'is publication been confined to
asi;iple detcnce ot the law itself; had the So
cie'y neeii satisfied with dctsi.o OF the reeula-
| uors tor The l::orai government of the College
anh lts present relative situation NE should
not nave presumed 10 ohtrude ourselves upo.,
| the attention ct the public. Concerted ~ IN
d" '2.ciilition from the operation al aa OtliOuS
Jaw we should have forgotten The supposed ie-
nOinny o! our punishment, in the conviction OF
rs JnS,ice. Bnt AZ aiienp, has been made
10 di"w upon us the full measure Of pui,lic re
probation, under the preisxt of yindicatinr
Tie reputation of the College The same spir.
II, therefore, which first in,.elled us 10 resist
INC principle Sc application OF the law, now in
tuces us TO defend ourselves from al, unpro
NokCd attack.
beginning with retrospective review Of the
incidents OF the session of ISl6, the President
mas iound IA the imaginary inSuiiciency of the
laws, add The hdniteSt reluctance nf the Stu
dents. t..e original causes which led 10 the
PRONUNCIATION of the obnoxious statute.--We
Willingly accompany him in ibis retrospect,
rerstaicd that no conclusion can be drawn
tfom the general situation ct the College, or
from the disposition OF the Students. 10 .:arrant
the ciiarsc either ofinsufficiency in the laws,
or oil rcpusnauce in those attached To the ia
stitriio;i.
During The period alluded TO, the regulations
which, had been previously promulgated t tor the
moral government of the College were striking
~ marked with the features OF bcraity and
hrmlicNs. They neither degraded by the alb
Irct sub,iissios. which they exacted, ncr favor
cd iceniiouSneSs by mistaken leuity and for
nearauce. They accorded with the generous
feelings, and were adapted TO tho iudepeudent
hahlts which belong 10 native soil. They
uiinot Encourage inlurm:rs by the hopes OF
eNccutiNe patronage and impunity. We refer
10 the experience of our contemporaries, when
we assert that the effects of the system cor
responded with its excellence " Obedience
oihe laws was cheerful, voluntary. and almost
unlimited indications of a turbulent and in
subordinate spirit were confined 10 few dis
ahecteu individuals, and never manifested
themselves IN acts of notorious outrage aud
indecorum. Involuntary confessions of guilt
were ever withheld il was because the indivi-
dnaiS who had offended were the sole deposit
ories OF their secrets, and could therefore,
more readily promise themselves mpunity-
" hateyer ACES OF mischief were perpetratcd
were Oh z nature 10 - affect only light and gid
~ nor diminished the reputation ofthe Col.
iese. On the contrary, its character was al
ready established, its prosperity certain, aud
the friends "a science and lovers of their
country, saw al lis sudden renovation and sa-
niary laws, the auSpicous plesages of future
aud continued celebrity.
Nor can any better argument he deduced
from tiie disposition of tile Students, To way
rant the impnt ation of d decided resistance on
| their part 10 AID in tie detection and convic-
ton OF those who might violate the laws oftIie
CoiieSe. An incident which occurred at this
very time, VIII serve to show not only that the
charge is unsounded, but also with what little
emotion or reluctance the feelings and inter-
ests OF others may be forgottei., nay sacrificed
III Inc capriclcuS indulgence OF obStinacy and
retuiahce. An act OF indecOrun, rendered
mere fiagrantly objectionable from the object
OF II beng d transient visitor and stranger was
exhibited IN the public lecture room during The
hour OF recitation, "A formal Complaint was
preferred by The injured individual to the Pre-
sident-the test-oaths was resorted to in order
10 discover the culprit--and finally, every re-
source proving Intellectual, the whole Of the
chemical class were involved in The indiscre-
tion OF single individual, and suspended With
ont distinction. a written confession ttbeir
innocence, aud voluntary expression Of their
Willingness 10 co-opeFatei III any measures whicli
might iead to the punishment OF future Offend
ers, Sui'lced alone 10 restore them to their for
ner standing in College. However, therefore
the President might have anticipated that a
Tune would come when the situation ttle Col.
der such Il law necessary, il is sufficiently evil
gent mat no reasons then txisted which justi-
fled the measure
But the iaw was indispensable not ONLY from
the PecuIiar situation of the College but q,
bundant reasons exist, also, to show its zen
erai policy. In the PRONUNCIATION ofs laws
a wise and discerning legislator will pay
due regard TO the csta hIished character and ha
bits OF those upon whom they a, e intended TO
operate. The severity of an Asiatic code would
excite resistance and rebellion i'll "A nation of
ireemen ana the rigid, debaslng discipline of
other SeIninarieS can he substituted in the
College of William and Mary with as little
hope OF success. Estimating then, the conse-
quences which! would result from the introduce
tion OF such a law, and considering the cirliac-
Ter of ITS subjects, we do not hesitate To de.
clare, that we believe the law not only useless
but uni ust. There is sense Of honor peculiar
to ile inmates ola College, as well as TO the
.dSi,ionaD'e and vrtuouS part of mankind
HackDied and perverted" as " may be, it
brands with lndeliOle intamy and reproach the
individual who should aid, even indirectly, in
tile punishment of II fel)Ow-student. Neither
promises OF unpuuItY and protection can iuilu-
ence, nor the severity OF collegiate denuncia-
tohS lniImddte those who acknowledge its
sway Tvs sense OF honor ruled with unboun-
WH S power over the minds of the Students of
"lHian aud Mary. Ii taught them that no
penalties denounced by tile law could be com
Paieu WI" tue indignation of equals and the
contempt OF contemporaries. The law was use
iessf men because II could never attain the oh.
ieV' lV' when ~ was enacted. III was unjust
necduSe II otfered mpunity to the guilty, whilst
II involved the innocent in punishment equal.
| y certain -apunIshment, too, which followed as
~. l'"'i 'he oDstTTdnce as from the cioiation
| OF the iaw--We might have been the VEINS
| bat could never be the subjects of such y
| law. o'
! But, the advocates ofthe system. even tl,ouoI,
! they shOpid succeed u demonstrstinS H., ~
| iaw is eNPedient, have yet expressly admit,ed
| that it would he founded ON principles obvi'
| ously incorrect; that whilst an acauiescence
1 in prQrputg miwbf utncurc co,,,.