Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-12-17
RICHMOND WIIIG. .
A'e"oedt or no re'aornt. r uifyadircxsea
20 The consideration Of the General .9xseuhh,

20 the consideration Of the Generai .4ssembiv.
WILLIAM AND MARY CoLLEGE.-We have
n'therto RETAINED from taking any part in the
question whicfihas been sometime ,iiscuss;nr
whether the College of William and Mar
should be removed from the city of Williams
oors 10 tnat Oh h'chnond We reaverse from
appearing hostile to the interest fthe CITY which
we inhabited-for we are fully appriscd tI,,t
Richmond expects her own prosperity TO he add
Vanced by ITS removal to her vicimty-but in ,
question OF such interest, we feel bound TO waive
interested considerations, and to place the sinh
Ject on its intrinsic merits
why shoul the Collegcof William and Mary
oe removed from the spot where il has stood.
for one hundred AMI thirty two ve,rs,- ,rI.,so
who are advocates for the removal affirm no,
'tcan never prosper where il is; that its peocro-
phcai position and climate are unfayurabIo and
ufat IT'S ample endowinents are lost to the mr.
poses sol their appropriation These are all tcor
gninehts which have been, or can be urred FIR
the measure of removal. Let MS exarn;ne ,,.;.
soahdness, and see WHO it is that uses them.
= "rhe College of William and Mary can NO.
yer flourish where 1t isl" Yet during the o.r.,f
est portion of its existence it his prosnereL.
ana curing particular intervals, it has prosnered
ennently. 1t has educated MANY fbousands.
who have reflected credit on that venerable
>hsu.u''o''' ana been ornaments to their country
and ITS councils. The alumni of William ana
Mary have not been merely DISTINGUISHED g..
acadenical requirements; but vet moro and
sooVe those OF every other institution, for those
liberal principles which adorn and exaIt tb..
Virginia youth-higL chivalry of character
generosity. ardent patriotism. devot
ed at.achmcnt to Republican liberty. William
and Mary has been the nursery of all these rem
erous aud noble feelings; and If thew exist in tho
minds OF vHginians, antecedenuy to the inn
Pressions OF education, they have been on
conraged, nurturcd and confirmed by the course
OF instruction, the associations, and the CHARGE
ters Oh thoSe VINO have presided over William
anu wary. mat College has never had the mis-
fortune to fall under clerical dominion am,
this circumstance is fairly ascribable in pre,t
degree, to Its locality. Its nearer approach To ,
place where much more of sectional zeal 10
found, than in its present quiet and retired
situation, will at least expose its professorsb;ns
10 inc ann oil clerical ambition-and the institu-
ton at last TO their rule.
William and Mary has been prosperous. How
can those therefore, who wish its removal. nm
dertake to say, that il can never prosper where
1t rs! Is the climate more detrimental to health
than formerly Is its air more gross and Bu.n
tian than it used to be, Are the inhabitants If
Williamsburg less no piable, and less jealous for
theprosperify OF the College, than they once weres
What cause rs 1t that SO mperiousIy calls for Tho
sudden abandonment of the venerable walls of
William and Mary, which have received so MANY
generations OF Virginians, and prepared them so
eminently for the dntiesoflifc, Those who ask IFS
removal, are certainly bound TO give some reason
Tor inc change. Is IT sufficient reason that
the College is not now fiourislinp and flat but
ID students are reapng the benefit ofits liberal
endowments! Let the active partiZans of the
removal account for this dcplorable falling Off
or rather, we will do it for them The same
cause would aveProducedt the une efTactin Rich
monh, IN w iliiainshurg, or in Charlottesville
1t not the insalubrity of the climate for durinn
the months of study no climate upon earth is bet
ter-nor IS 1t the geographical location of the
College, for in pursuit of education, the youth
of Virginia would not regirI a few score of
miles, more or less-but the cause is found i'm tho
professors themselves, vino DESTROYS of
coming within striking distance of the delights
of the capita and in the code of laws which
they have enacted Cor the government of the
College. In ascribiBg the Ianguisiiine condition
of William and Mary 10 this last, as the princ
pal, and in fact, the only cause. of her decline
we speak from personal knowl ledge. and we ap-
peal for its truth to every young man who has
been educated there within the last or Q years
many of whom are members of the nrosent
General Assembly. Those laws which reouire
youth at the time of life when the statutes of
honour are most zealously obeyed, when gene
rosity. IS preferred to prudence, and the anthori
ty which ipculcates dishonour is despised to t,rn
evidence against their fellow students and dear
est friends, aud those youth piryinians, must he
founded III gross ignorance of our national cha
racter, or In the most lanentabIe obhouitv ot
judgment. This IS the cause which has denonu
lsded the rooms of William and Mary CoIIere-
this is the obnoxious cause, which has prema
turely expelled hundreds of students-this ;s
the cause which has inspired universal dispust
among the youth of the State, and that deters
them from promising obedience to laws which
they never can obey, and from placing them
selves in situation, from which if they are mo-
norable, they are almost sure to be igno,ninions
iy eJccted. For it is characteristic of this in
famous regulation, that its victims are ALWAYS
the finest spirited and most promising youth of
the institution-The sneaking, the cowardIv
and the class whose whole exertions are direct
ed to win the partial smile Of the professors by
servile fawning and attentions, obey the law
and disgrace themsclycs-whilst the manly AMI
honorable, who consult only what is due to I,o.
pour, their own character, and the claims nj
friendship, disdain it, and are expelled. Upon
this law. the whole police of the College turns
This very law has created all tue riots distur.
bances aud expulsions, which hive brought
William. and Mary into disrepute-and but for
this law, that College would be now ENJOYING ali
ITS ancient prosperity. Let those gentlemen who
are agitatng its removal, gainsay these facts Il
they dare-they can be established by the ner.
sonai knowledge and experience of hundreds-
Let this degrading law be expunged from the
statute booklet the whole code be revised bv
enlightened individuals, who arc not irn;neIiatc
~ interested in enforcing the laws which thev
have passed-let new one be drawn an adapf.
ed to the age and understandings of youth. who
are old enough to know right from wrong, and
above all, to tie temper of young Virginians
AMI William and Mary under this enlightened
dsPensatlon, will recover from the decline