Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-10

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aud happiness of their fellow citizens, OF
the parent especially, and his progeny :,
Oh which all his affections ars coucen-
trated
Ia entering on this field. the commissi-
oncIS are aware that they have To cnconu-
Ter much dlilerence OF opinion as 10 Tie
extcut which II IS cNpedicnt that HIS in
siitntion should occupy. Some good
men, and even oi respectable information,
consider The learned sciences "a. useless
requirements THINK that they do
not better tie condition OF man; and o.
HERS HAL educaiiu1, like private and M
dvidual conccrus, sliunld be ie.i 10 PM
saie and indlvIlual effort nol retirciing
HAT an establishment. embracing aii the
Sciences which may be usctuiand esenne
cessdry n,tlc- various .yocaiioDs OF life,
with tAe buildings aud apparatus belong-
my 10 each, are far hey ond the reach OF
Individual means and must either de-
riveeXistence from pablo patronage, or
no, exist at all This would leave US then
without those calliugs which depend OH
education, or seud US 10 other countries
to seek he Instrul ton they require. But
the commissioners are happy in consider
ing the statute under which they are as
sambled as proof, that the Legislature is
far from the abandonment of objects so
interesting. they are sensible HAT the
advantages of well directed education,
moral, political and economical, are truly
above all estimaie.- Education gene
rates habits of application, of order, and
tie love of virtue; and controuls, by the
force OF habit, any innate obliaulties in
our moral organiZaiion. We should be
far too from the discouraglng persuasion,
that man is fixed, by the law OF his ma
ture, at a given point; that his improve
ment is a chimera, and the hope dclnsive
of rendering ourselves wiser, happier, or
better than cur foretathers were. As well
might il be urged that the Wild and un-
cultivated tree, hitherto yielding sour
and bitter fruit only, can never he made
10 yield better. Yet we know that the
grating art, implants new tree on the
savage stock, producing what is most es-
Unable both in kind and degree. Edu-
cation, in like manner, engral,s new
man on the native stock, and improves
what in his nature was vicious and per-
verse into qualities of virtue aud social
worth. And il cannot be but that each
generation, succeeding 10 the know ledge
acquired by all those wlo precededit, adj
ding 10 it their own acquisitions and dis
covrrirs, and handing HE mass down for
successive and constant accumulation,
must advance the knowledge and well
being Of mankind, not infinitely, as some
have said, but Indefinitely, and to a term
which no one can Tx. or foresee. Indeed
we need look back only half century, to
times which many now living remember
well, aad see The wonderful advances in The
sciences and arts which have been made
within that period. Some of these have
rendered the elements themselves sub
servient TO The purposes of man, have
harnessed them 10 the yoke of his labors,
and effected the great blessings of mode
rdtng his own, of accomplishing what
was beyond his feeble force, and OF ex-
teirdiny The comforts of life to much
c1larged circle, TO those who had before
knoWn i,s accessories only. That these
ace MOI The vain dreams of sangune hope,
we bave before our eve zeal and living cx-
anpics What, but education, has advanced
us you'd the condition IF our Indigenous
neiShborS And what chains them 10 their
present late Of barbarism * wretchedness,
but bIgoitsd yeneralIou for the supposed
SGperlalIve wisdom OF their fathers, and
the preposterous idea that they are 10
look backward for better things, and not
forward, longing, as ii should seem, to
return 10 the days OF ealing acorns and
roots, rather than indulge in the degene
racics of civilization and how much
more encouraging TO the achievements of
science and Improvement, IS tins, than the
despondlng view that The condition of
man cannot be aheliorated, that what
has been must eve: be, and that To secure
ourselves where we are, we must tread
Will awful reverence IN the footsteps of
our fathers. THIS doctrine is the genuine
frat OF The alliance between church and
siair, the tenants of which, finding ,hen-
selves but too well in their present posi-
ton, oppose all advances which might
Iinmask their usurpatlons and tnonopoies
Oi honOrs, wealth and power, and fear e.
very change as endangering the comforts
tLsy pow hold. Nor must we omii 10
mehtion among The benefits of ednca-
ton, the lncaIculab!e advantage ftrain-
ing up able counseIlors, TO administer the
affairs Of our country, in all lis depart-
inenis, legislative, executive and Judicial
~, and 10 bear their proper share i'm The
councils ofonr national government: no
thing, more than education, advancing
the prosperity. the power and lie liappi-
ness OF u nation.
Encouraged, therefore, by the scnt-
ments of the Legislature, manifested i'm
'his statute, we present Inc following Ia
hular statement OF the branches of learn
ing which VIC think Should be taught IN
the uniyer'iy, forming them INTO groupes,
each oI which are within the powers Of
single professor.
Latin.
/. Languages Antient. Greek
{ Hebrew.
( French.
7panisli.
2. Languages modern. Italian.
IGerman.