Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-09-19
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA,
TO the Editor Of the Aleraadria Gazette.


take it. from his writings, though not proportien,s
ately in Judgment and experience,-who signs
himself Pendleton,' and writes to the Alexan.
dria Gazette once gear, against the Oniversity
of Vrsinia,-expresses much horror of an " un.
htdsed nulifier,' Il wonder what he would
think OF a Rsdged one and of College 'spop.
iniays," (meaning all students who 60 TO Coi'
lege.(--this Pendleton,' say-who has chit
drea! TO educate, aud the means OF procuring
them the advantages Of a College education, T.
e. the means Of making them "poPlnIays. J
and would be glad to have them taught all they
could learn (quite an equivoal expresslon, with.
IN the limits Of his own State,-but would not,
upon any account, patronize the State UniVersi-
~ under existing circumstances;--has neverthe-
less fallen into some few mistakes with regardt TO
his subject, proceeding, fear, from deep.
rooted animcsity, which respects not the manner
of its iasuheauon; the rhy and the tcheretore
need not be asked: as they certainty cannot be
inferred from any thing that Pendleton' has
urged for can) in his publications. We leave It,
therefore, with himself, aud proceed to what IS
more tangible.
The public are fully aware Of the present fluu.
rishing and prosperous condition OF the Univer-
sity of Virginia: so much so, thatit has become
the subject of generalization throughout Virgi
MIA, and affords the brightest aHicipations OF its
future usefulness. For series Ut years, as will
appear by the printed catalogue, the number OF
students has been gradually increasing, and dur.
Ing the last session exceeded that Of any proceed
ing year Except the secondly since the commence
ment of its operations But 'Pendleton' as
serts the opposite of this: he says. il is becOm-
ing an "object Of d,srust," aad has failed to
realize the expectations Of the public. Now,
we should be entirely at loss to conjecture what
was meant by this allegation, waslt not Tor the
assistance of tie succeeding development, which
procaims the University an institution "adapted
to the rich, and not the poor. "-Mpst ingenious
discovery! Myrtle on il, this venerable Pen
dietou' is some discarded political asplrant, who
bases his merit, as a last resort, upon an mai
fectrd interest 10 the peoples weliare.-he nm
sell Is anon. the rich; but he makes common,
cause With the poor 10 defend their riShtS:--hOw
gcrerous Let us look little into the nature.
of ii, charge, Had the Lrgislasuie designed the
tHl.etSlty Tor a tree schoo, f,T tue -gratnitous
instruction of the youth of Virginia. the P0or
nigh, have expected tn nave their ,h,Idren edu.
Gated Without paving cent; they mgt Justly
complain of any charges at all az the University.
But as the case IS widely difuent, the Lrgsla-
ture intending no such thing. any such eypecta-
lions wo1ld ii course be absurd, and. it would
no, be- TIE tdWh Of the University were thew dis
appointed. The University is annually fitting
the measure of ITS design. and consequently re.
a,LIng all reasonable expeo ions: that it is
adapted TO those VINO haze the means OF prOcur
ing its advantages, and not to those who hare
not, we are ready to admit;-so are all Colleges
OF the ssme grade: they are beyond the reach OF
the poor; the poor mast content themselves with
smaller and less expensive seminaries of learn
ing But it Pendieton' means to insinuate
that the walls of the University are less accessi-
bic than its rival Institutions OF the North-that
il is more expensive than Yale, than Cambridge
or Princeton, Jet him prove it; we are ready to
be convinced. D
The main string of Pendleton's' "notes of
renonstrance" is vet 10 be touched: what NE
have already noticed was only the prelude. which
gives US an idea of the keynote Of his communi.
cation. AS Pcndeton' has adduced no salts
factory evidence that the doctrines of the South
are Iuculcated by Professor Davis in hls lectures
upon Constitutional Law, il will only be necessa-
~ to refer to a communication published recent,
ly in the Genius Of Liberty wherein it is denied,
upon the authority Of personal experience, that
the Chair Of Law IN the University Of Virginia
is prostiruted to the doctrines Of any political
creed;-the idea is itself absurd, and could only
gain cvedence with those who are personally hos.
tile to the interests of the University and ready
to catch at any thing which affords handle for
defamation.
We presume that Pendeton' is likewise mis-
taken in surprising that MIR. Davis lectures re-
Quire or receive the aid OF select passages from
the Richmond Wing" [" u. s. Telegraph"
"Dr. Cooper's tracts and pamphlets" &t.--e
Their in calculation Of his own views, or for the
sake Of uariety. NOR do we suppose that any
passage. however select, Of President Jackson's
proclamation, Mr. Webster's speech, or the en-.
forcing bill, &c.. gain admittance IN the Schoal
OF Law at the University. We are more rea-
sonabie IN our prescriptions.
In conclusion, we cannot but regard the com
municatiOn of Pendleton' as mass of most
inexcusable prejudice and unju+i6able enmity.
His assertion that ga great majority" of the
people OF Virginia agree with him in his opinion
against the University, is slauderous In the ex-
treme; and it will be found that his facts are all
such as he rather desires than believes to be true
We trust. therefore, that we have been success.
full IN eur endeavors TO yindicate an institution