Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-08-16
dddress Of fhs Society Of Alumni Of he Untsersy Of
Virginia, through fAeir Committee,
To TILE PEOPLE OE VIRGINIA

~ HE fEOfLf. Of NlhtlNlA.
Al tho late meeting Of the Society OF Alumni Of the
University OF Vrgnis held in the Rounda the 3rd and
4lh Of July this resolution adopted "Rssoirsd That
ca committee Of seven be appointed to prepare and pub
ish address the people Of Virginia, setting forth the
views OF this Society regard the University. char
acter and prospects, and especially the views embodied
q in the resolutions adopted this meeting" The under
signed appointed the commitce and in discharge OF
the duty gned ihem submit the following to the public
The University oi Virginia founded by n of the
General Assembly pissed in 1919, and into operation
in 1895. An act concerning the Literary Fund, passed
also in 1879 alter securing the OF 5OOO 10 he
pended annually IN the education Of INDECENT children
propristes $4,000 per the support Of the Uni
versiy, which designed To introduce higher standard
Of education than could be then obtained in Virgns and
furnish better qualified teachers academies and
elementary schools. II the Literary fund should any
time yield than the SEQ, 900 thus applied, the
wish OF the best friends of education the
propriaed 10 the endowment Of colleges, necessary
part of the plan OF education then proposed But although
this fund has increased till its SSS
s69 A. it is all applied to the education OF tho poor chi
dren, except the original annuity oil $4,000 10 the Unver
sity While do presume To call question the wis
dom Of the Legislature expending the whole OF this
primary schools we will express our regret that por
OF IL has been diverted from the support Of colleges aud
academies, without which. and the University, system
OF popular education be completely successful.
We any principle in the creation of the
literary fund which renders its proceeds especially the pro-
perry Of the or, be expended for them il primary
schools, except that $4,000 required be annually
appropriated IL the education at this class. We
reason why portion OF the remainder should not be
pended for the benefit ri oil classes in the establishment
and support OF intermediate seninnries of learning.
Although Virginia spproprHyes annually more than
SS 900 Of the honor the appropT
alton il somewhat diminished by crcumstanccs-fst
by the that this raised by open aud manly
alton, for noble purpose but by accidental eschea
hnes foreitues, penalties conscaions, which may
the State and by the further fact that other States
able than she. appropriate much more, and
the people TO Get it, Virginia gives 900 per annum To
support her University South Carolina gives S2 O00 Ala
bama about $4,000 Louisiana about the TO her Col
Ieges; and the Of Harvard University is aboutsIy
thousand dollars year. Leaving out OF the comparison
altogether the expended popular cduca
the States where system OF schools has
been established may ask does Virginia give too much
Tor her University II would not II she intends
have such institution all; for similar institutions
more elsewhere II she cannot s3rd Ia have State Uni.
yersiiy she will withdraw her support oi course, and her
must learn 10 seek, IN the beTsty oi other States
the education denied them in their The question is
moi between the existence OF the University with or with
out tho annuity but between having such institution at
oil, and being willing pay for II II do have IT, For,
surely the support of the State 10 Withdrawn, the In
stuon will dwindlo from its rank To that OF ner
academies and Virginia will have no University, but
William g. Mary, which is otherwise endowed and
NJ oil under the supervision and control OF the State Ii
should always be recoleced by the people OF Virginia that
the University, its foundation. permanently
dowed by the mun6cence Of private individuals, as
other Colleges generally are or by the bostowment
Of fund by the State, the interest of which should
DO sufficient to sustain it but undertaken upon
the general and implied guaranty Of the Legislature.
that IL should always receive annual appropriation
Of $4,000 The permanent fund Of the University
definite portion OF the Literary Fund Of the State Upon
this fund IL Is compelled 10 place the reliance which IL
placed by other institutions upon their original endOw
ments Without those endowments, those institutions
could not be sustained and without the annual appopra
ton, the University must inevitably down. In consider
ing the proprfy o Withdrawing the appropriauon there
FORE Is necessary 10 contemplate the consequences OF ut
erly destroying great institution which Is the creation o
the State and entirely under its and the
cessfn which OF
oil the people. The annuity OF $4,000 to the University
even il it be considered direct the people, which
IL is no-s less than q and quarter head for the
whole population Of vgina-s pance rather derogatory
TO the true honor Of 30 noble and wealthy
than proper Of Boosting with and complaint
with others We do not well see how il can be Withdrawn
without subccng the present generation 10 the singing
imputnon ut being too nggnd bear the indirect burden
Of cent and quarter a head support a seminary of
learning which our fathers spent hall million OF dollars
10 build
OF the sum annually appropriated by Virginia to the
cause OF education the the least productive Of good
Is that bestowed on tho University. That which app
ed TO tho rducaiion Of poor children has. doubt not
been productive Of good effects in the counties where IL
has been wisely and judciousy managed but in many
counties, owing to msma defect inherent
In the SYSTEM nothing has been achieved and the money
might well have been thrown into the sea. In in
stance however has been effected than the very
perfect instruction Of limited number Of children in the
lowest rudments Of education spelling, reading and
writing. The $4,000 appropriated the support OF the
University Though the institution has been existence but
20 years, and has scarcely had time exhibit all the benc
fits il capable Of confengl has the contrary amply
repaid tho bounty Of the State, by introducing higher
dard Of education than previously atsnable in Va
thereby keeping home hundreds Of young men who
would else have paid other States for their education and
by furnishing supply Of the most competent teachers
our schools and academies, many Of which better odu
cation be acquired than could have been where
IN the United States 80 years ago thus realizing in short
time the chief objects Of its foundation To prove that the
Unworthy has done its part In furnishing teachers to the
State, we need only point to the classical schools under
charge Of ils aumni-fvz: Coemsns Powers, Turner'S
Galrs Harsons Barksdalo, Bushncls and many others
TO professors IN Of colleges aud three in the Uni
yersy iisef That the standard OF education has been
VASTLY elevated in Virginia in Tho last 90 years, candid
person will deny snd while far from claiming for
our alma mater The whole merit Of the elevation We are
sure that none will deny her liberal share Of IT,
The benefit resulting TO the State from her bonnty 10 the
Universiy IN keeping young men at home To- be edu
Gated, and IN bringing students from other States uscep
tbo Of more accurate calculation and Two
thousand three hundred and thirty eight different persoos
have attended lectures the University of whom I71i
from Virginia and Cos from other States These las.
have paid Virginia for instruction, supposng them TO have
attended two sessions, which - about the averaec time
tho students have attended, and at average expense Of
$3.50, tho Of si22oOO IL s not probable that any Of
this money would have been brought into Virginia II tho Uni
Versiy had not been bu and although hss paid in
TO the State treasury , nevertheless true that has gone
increase wealth asa State in nnumepble ways. More
over IL fair 10 presume that al least half of tho Virginia
students would have gone Of the State for collegiate
instruction butfof the University; and supposing them
sono stthioIH NJ similar expense, we nave
tho sum Of s6O69OO kept NJ homo 10 swell our national
wealth instead going into the pockets Of our neghbors
The buildings, philosophical sud chemical apparatus libra
~ and the anatomical and general museum, arc worth
now to the State, tho lowest estimate $500 COO Add
these three items together, and have 10 tho credit Of the
University tho sum Of 319 200, nearly double the sum
he insulation has cost the STATE. What other great work
IN which Virginia has invested her funds has
richer harvest Of frutsand this without esunatne the
inpousnt benefits OF education and science IL has dis
throughout limits, and which have blessed
csssos o. cizens rich and poor, high and low, In Civ
Ing skfll and better informed pbyscisns swye.
farmers, schoomasers, dvinos, Judges and law
These fruits have been borne In ~ years. with an annuity
o. slooOV snd IN opposition TO train Of untowad err
cums,snces which beset from tho beginning We, there
are no, wanting caving reormcrs 90 say Il has done no
good, who promise 10 reform whilst seeking 10 destroy and