Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-07-26
RICH M ON ID:
MONDAY MORNING.. July 20.
Unirtr $40 efya. .fppa nt,n.nt % p,.n.....

| Cn'rushy 81 Va. .fPpe nt,aent Of Professors
| The christian Journal'-the very tespeetabI,
organ OF the Methodist Episcopal church, take,
strong exceptions to OF the appointments r,crn,
ly made 10y the Vi,iters-that OF Mr.. Sylvester :,
the char OF Mathemhtics-because as is ALLEGED h,
isa Jew-and ;hat of Mr. krai,sir to the chair 81
Modem Languages-because he is 'prob,blyn ,
Catholic. The Journal excerpts to these appop,.
ments on account Of their religious sentiments md
inVokes the Legislature to iuterpose it's authority
and nuhy the elections. Another Journal I'M,
Compher) takes as strong exception to the position,
and views OF the "Christan Journal," as il had
On 10 the action OF the Visers and inveghs ay,io,,
them as tTenchIns upon the domain of eli,ious Free,
dom Non 'anss Wewi'l no, undertake TO settle m,
ie-out It seems to us that both sides have run II,
70 extremes. Whilst we conceive that the eoncI,.
sons OF the Journal are unsound and will never bc
realized, We cannot perceive wherein its objection,
iairinse religious freedom. We do no, understand
oy religious Freedom, that because man b,pnsrs
10 oe believer IN the Mahommedsn the Jewish mr.
Tue Na'hohc creed, that therefore he is entit,d r.,
p'e'euenee-tha' he has special claims TO pro,noion
IN a fr'tsstasi ChrIs;ian community on The scor,
oi MS religion, and If he be not promoted R.Iiy;,ps
fresdom Is invaded. BY no means Promo in, i.
not necessary incident to religions freedom. III,
were' we shouli be required fill all the bi,b most,
Oh Government with members of those rare scc,s IN
the exclusion OF Protes,ants- Perfect to,r,,ion-
exemption from pains and penalties-is all that is
implied in the term.
Whilst we regret the comments of the I,,r,,i ..
calculated to do mischief rather than good we -.
not surprised at them. We think the v;si.ers oc,.
with great indiscretion in maxim, the npp,i,,,,o,
they did. They knew tina, our peonle ,rs ch,;,-
tan and Protestant people-and would n,,ur,Ilv
prefer sending their children to an insitu,oo
Professors entertained sentiments identical with
'"er own gu may c'l this prejudice or bgo,ry-or
what you wll-the feeling exists and As wise roc,i
men, 'hey ought to have consulted it, particularly
as there was no occasion whatever TO subject m.
institution 10 this hazardous trial. There were
enough IN our own country-if not so learned and
ee'eoFated as those ssec,ed-amply competent 10
have discharged the duties OF the stations But Soma
gentlemen have notion, that nothing can be good.
which does not come from the other side of m.
'er-and this idea, we fancy, much more than anu
regard to theological tenets, influenced the appont
ments.
From the main position OF the Journal, howeve-
that the religious views of the Professors will in
hlenee those OF the Siudents-we dissent. in toto.
ouF own observation AMI experience satisfy us that
there Is no just cause to npprehend any such result
The Professors confnc their labours to the inrellsc
'ual culture OF their pupiIs-tEey leave the religi
Gus instruction TO him 10 whom il properIv ner.
taIns-Ihe man OF God. Could we appreheni
different result, we might join the Journal in nvok-
ing tie InterPosition OF the Lcgislature-for no
greater misfortune can befsl young man, than TO
have the religious faith, imb.bed at the mothers
knee, shaken or impaired. That eradicated. he
either becomes a iiGc thinker. c. man of rood
moEas and honesty, according TO circumstances. or
an nhdeh without hop, either here or hereafter
and to such one the journey OF life must ever prove
a cherries and gloomy one. But the fears of tie
Journal may be dismissed on this score. Tn.
new Professors msy continue az the Univers-
y for their day and generation, and no one will
ever hear either OF them advert to doctrna point
IN theology. So far as it may come within the
range of their duties they will both by precep, and
example, inculcate sound morality, and that is all
that can be or ought to be required Of them. The
worst effects of the appointments will be upon the
prosperity fthe Institution in inducing some par ents
not to send their sons there, from the apprehension
that their religious sentiments may 6e tempered
with. This, however, will soon wear away, when
It Is found, as 1t will be, to be an idle fear.