Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-12-06
PRESIDENT DEW.

The address of this gentleman delivered to the stu
dents of William and Mary the first day of their
;iua assembling has appeared from the press of Mr.. l.
w. White of Richmond. the autlo! having yielded to
the request Of his students for lis publication AS Nigh
fairly be supposed the president cxhD:lS the members
Of the College to fow Of liberal study, anu
confirms his advice hy opposite Illustrations. lie pali-
cuaTiy entrees le Importance of moral and political
sudcs but it is Impossible to read this part Of the ad
dress without coming 10 the concuslnn that it's designed
for students ola advanced than the under gadu
ale has attained Above ALL does President Dew eXilort
the students avoid gambling, drinking, and their
ca;c vices. The wise precautions taken by the Facny TO
proven. students from running into debt are menli"nrd,
and honorable to all concerned in Tic arrangement
There sober eGrnrstn"ss and genuine philanthropy in
the address, that must have appealed strongly to the au-
dorS. II sc pat our black CAP, would say
that The different pars Of liberal education not
sufficiently spread out, and that those studies dwe
upon which somewhat beyond the strict line OF
dnary academlcal education. But doubtless President
Dew fully cnlrprchcnds tho wants of his pupils, and
will administer TO them with skilin hand. We have
than sad that if we caught any OF cole
gatc gentlemen tripping in their quotations from Tic
Latin Greek classics, would touch them up, and
are not guile sure that President Dew dues
for shot, when he quotes the well know title Of Pubus
Syrus, SO long buZOEed the escu;chc0n of the Ed
hurgh Review Us 10 destroy It's prosody to say no.
thing Of the change of number. These, however, are
little things and readers will agree with US, that the
appropriate illusions TO jamestown, where the seeds OF
the young co"ny were planted, and 10 York, where the
last great battle of the Revolution fought, and 10
Williamsburg famous the theatre Of some Of the most
interesting incidents Of history, which conclude the
address, are worthy of all praise:
" You here placed amid scenes which may we'll
excite noble and audabe ambition: and make The bo
sum Of the patriot th.ob You tread classic sofia
soil connected with associations which carry the imagi
nation back TO bygone days, and fix 1t on the noble
achievements Of phanhropisls heroes, statesmen and
sagcs There is every Thing here 10 excite generous
praons. Ga :hc side Of you is tho almost lallow
o kor
nlcnt of rivziton portion Of the Western world,
in The face of the wilderness and the savage foe On
another side, far removed, is The spot where the Fa
Their Of his country wound up The drama OF The Revolu
ton, by that great and signal victory which gave
peace and ensured US so important u station among
the nations of The earth. You will assemble daily in
those classic halls, which have witnessed the collie
pntc aburs Of Of the greatest and nohlest men
who have ever lived in the tide Of trne men who
have raised up their countrys glory, and gone down
10 their graves covered with the aureS which their ge
MUS and their virtues won. Fronting this building, at
the other end Of street, and in full view, stands the
interesting remains Of tile Old Capitol Of Virginia. which
every true Virginian must gaze on with mingled eRlo
tons of pride and peasure-a building in which the CHI
vaIry and talent ofour State assembled during the
dark days of the Revolution, when Wyhe, Pcndieton
and Jefferson displayed their wisdom in councl-and
Lee Mason, and the nachess Henry poured forth those
strains Of sublime eoqucnce Which animated and cheer
ed the dropping spirit of the land and warmed the hear.
and bruced up the OF the patriot. Looking such
scenes IS these-contcmplali the great minds that
have been nursed i'll institution. and the in
,elleclual Titans who have won their trophies on
this interesting theatre, you fail TO Be inspir-
ed with noble ambition '-an ambition 10 initiate
those mighty men who have gone before you, and
whom the genius of The place. in silent eloquence
summons to your recollection. The author Of the De.
cline and Fall of the Roman Empire, tells us, that he
first caught the inspiration which gave rise to his great
work, while gazing from the modern capitol of Rome,
on The ruins thai lie scattered the vacs and The
seven hills May We not hope, then, that many of you
will catch similar Inspiration amid the interesting OBJ
jrc,s which surround you while breathing, in this old
and hospi,able city, political atmosphere that still
,ans all the urdor and patriotism of former days' Again
then, gcntlcmen call on you for perseverance and un