Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-08-22

these words" And should the perpetrators O
any offence in order TO avoid detection den,
tne'r guilt, then may the Society require az,
student 10 give information against those siS
pecfed." Here then is an express declaration
mat arrangement must precede the DISCLOSURE
OF information, that the guilty or suspected in
uiViuuais must he particularly designated, and
me Students called on as witnesses and not as
infotmers. So sensible indeed were the Soc
cry that this was the fair and candid exposition
| OF The statute. that they conld not otherwise
! MAINTAIN their own construction, than by hav-
! my recourse to a contemptibic nnibbie--com
! porting much better with the character of the
lawyer, than the professor. Nhen urged by
| us to comply with the injuuctions OF The Iaw
! by designating the individuals 10 whom snspi-
zion attached. we were told, but I'VE suspect
! Hou all. YOU are all arr.igncd'-Ihus 10y bold
ness at asseveration, aud disingeiuous artihcc
e'ading tue candid construction Of the law
i'nt u seems iiiat the Society have since dis
covered II surncicnt argument for their con
SiiHct'on IN our Inability To cons;fnc ii at all.
lie Society can never admit as general
prmcilie that those upon whom the law is
Ia operate. can ever &c emitted to cxnound
i've were then;1 be NOT only subject 20
Laws which yse had no Interest - traRiiag--but
also Ia be hound by obligations the nature and
extent OF. which. serc 10 be asccrtained entire
" IT the discretion or cn,ricc OK others. We
conceive thar the Visitors ard .iot the Sccicty
Constitute the legislative ard judicial poHes.
The dcpa' timer. OF the Society is simply exc
cutiye, and controversies arising between them
<i,lt pit StNItHtS IN lSIdiiOn 10 tle exposition
OF law ought 10 be referred 10 the tlrcsion
OF The visitors as trustees I h:s unqualified
assumption OF power, If II prove any thing
tnen,, wi'l only prove that no construction
which we could have given 10 the law would
huve been received !Iy the Soc,ety. provided
it did not aid them in their inquisi,orini pro-
cess; But The exposition for which we coli
tended Is evident from Tie conIesS sion of the
President himself" Had the Stn1vnis come
" forward and stated that their objection VAS
mot 10 the principle, but 10 the application OF
:" the Law, they would have been Instant,
restored."-We we've punished then not for
q violation OF the law for il is confessed that
through some detect ii did not apply but be-
cause We have declared that uu,icr no cir
cnnistaisGes you'd We give evidence against a
feiiow-studen Were VIC not placed in the
same prrdicAneiet then with those Students
who I;a slgnedI eemonstrarce in which they
avow their determination never 10 comply
with the statute Yet uotwftis landing this
declaration thus formally made by Others
ue were punished whilst they were permitted
to escape with impunity-if we were suspend
ed because of our objection to the principle o E
the law, did not sense of Justice dictate
similar course, in regard 10 those who were
equally guilty with ourselves?
" M Tie very time however that such violent
" opposition was made TO the tyranny ef the So
" ciety, some of the Students eXerteG them
selves, and it is believed did actually prevent
" the desired information from being cOm!nu-
nIcated IN Il less exceptional bic maruei. I'VE
are not at a loss to discover the persons TO
whom il is Intended that this imputation should
attach-The public will better understand
what credit Is due TO this assertion. when thew
are informed that il rests upon the testimony
OF one OF the perpetrators of the mischief, who
was expelled tor telling public so.er3 ard
deliberate falsehood," aud who tois this tale 10
palliate lis offence.
Neither did the suspended Students after
:, theiT SUSPENSION, make amy effort 10 bring out
the evidence'-It would have been strange in
deed, that we vino were Drn;slod because of
OF e.,
quenty Go that, which we would not do when
the terrors of the law were hanging over u.s.
But what motive could We have had 10 g bring
out the evidence :" All the impOrtaut facts
connected with the transaction, were confess
cd To the Society, according TO his own decla-
ration. on the very evening of the day on
which we were suspended. Our objection TO
the " principle oFthe law would still have sery-
ed eiiectuaily 10 exclude MS from the institu-
tlon; and any effort, therefore, to- bring out
inc evidence. could only have gratiied the
President, but would not have heen attended
win any benehciai consequences to ourselves
but whatever might have been the policy of
the law, II is urged that having once promised
obedience, we SHOULD have conformed to its
pr cepts. TO this we answer, that the law
which the Society attempted TO enforce trds not
The lar TO which we promised obedience; aud
even II II had been, we do not conceive mat we
shonld have violated any moral obligation ia
refusing TO give Information. " We niairicu-
" lated with the alternative of conforming to
" tue law or OF going home. As in court of
justice witness IS not considered as mnor-
" ally violating the tacit obligation he is under
" to society when he refuses to give evidence,
:. but submits to imprisonment so with the
Student, suspension or expulsion atoiles for
" the refusal"
The President eXults" that a system of or
der and decorum has now been introduced as
" perfect as The pature of Collegiate institutions
" would admit Of" And how have the adni-
rablG effects of this system been manifested
In the number of suspensions which occurred
between November and April They amount
10 almost twenty, more than one.iiaii of whom
suffered under this obnoxious statute and were
innocent OF any other violation OF The College
regulations. Or to refer 10 his own
rule The number of matriculations were gj--
90 OF whom were there at the termination of
the law lectures, and 10 at the termination of
the course-Admirabie sys,emi by which so
much order has been observed as 10 enable
them 10 retain little less than onehalf OF the o.
rigieal number of students
~ e are 6one-f.et him continue his hoasted
system, and We fear the President will soon
nave cause TO renew his Spostrophcs," aud the
passing stranger his lamentations"
A SUSPEA DED STUDENT
on BEHALF OF OTHERS.
-. lie Editors throughout TIE State irLs rare
DR.. Smiths statement place IN their papers are
respectfully requested to insert this diso.
(AUrHoR.
Our sister States have criticised many
OF The Laws of Virginia paricnary the
one, which exempts lands from exccu.i-