Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-07-11
Tar Tic Enquirer.
THE UNIVERSITY mo. W.

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annual expenses Of the student, referring 70 .ne
library fee professors fees board, anu every o'h.i
item that can increase unnecessarily, me stuueh.
erpenses-the change in the present CoiieSe ie
oulation admitting all sorts, those VINO are VII
Drepared as willingly as those VINO are PfePdIeu'
so as 10 admit none others bnt those VINO aie Pie-
nared 10 attend the lectures-onc slns qua no" 10
which Stable, their ability 10 stand 7tei4 e.nMt,
y,otiOn in their O,cn tongue, ana lhe aooiiio'i -
The chaplaincy. These propositions are ieas .n;
able Against them il would seem thdl no posI .,
BILE valid objection can be raised, ana none d. a.,
excep,inp the Inconvenience and little trouoie 1T
,endant upon all changes and reforms cohhec'eu
with the business of society, even though they NC
for The better For those in moderate cllcuni-
stances and of limited means, can nave no juicy,
lion TO diminuton in the expenses Which WIZ
enable them 10 send their 10 SO good anu Sred'
an institution as the University may become, uh,
der proper regulations; whilst the rch cannon lihu
ground of objection to saving some hundreos OF
dollars in the education OF every SON. Noihe'dil
character or any true friend Of our University,
ran object 10 The condition proposed, as neces-
sary TO an admission 10 il; Tor fearlessly al
firm. that Mr.. Jefferson and others most active IN
getting UP the University, designed making II a
| theological Seminary, just as soon as making II
a College for boys, who may be able 10 read
Cnsar's Commentaries, who may know the t,reek
letters. and re able, with study, 10 read Nenophons
/ Anahasis. who have never studied Mathematics,
and who cannot pass an English examination
! And all see from the remarks on Inc Chapiaihcy
in former number, that il is an absolutely use
less appendage, productive oil no manner OF sooo,
but on the contrary an objection 10 Inc way o.
MANY, who might send their sons TO the uhiVesi.y.
But, although he majority may see the proPrie-
Is of these changes and wish Tor their adoption,
| there are others, who may regard the reports OF
I the Committees on Schools and Colleges esfe-
cially, that ofihe last Legislature. as proof posi-
! tive against the proprieIy OF the adoption OF
the proposed measures of nltnrm. The people
elect their delegates 10 attend - he great mat
ters of the State and il would be poor
compliment 10 the public servants if their re-
ports on the various concerns OF interest and I'M
/ portance to The State, were not respected
This objection has been already 10 some ex-
i tent anticipated but il deserves mere serious
notice, on account of the high authority from
/ which il comes. All The members on any COM
miltee, whether on educ alton or subjects OF poll
Tics, are not equally active in getting up The re-
1 port. There are few leading men who direct
The way in which The majority follow. More ire
quently than Otherwise, one single individual
governs a whole committee, if he be 4 man OF
much influence, or happen 10 be better acquainted
4 with the subject on which the report is 10 he made.
"a
in Congress, or State Legislature, IS mt prcp0,cc
for tic ofgcc and is Lvn means SVifd5lc 10 me to.
A politician is not conversant with every subject
/ on which there is 10 be le sislative action. man
NAV he good lawyer and poor politician he
may be thorough -goin9 politician, and yet be a
most unsuitable member of an Agricultural
COMMITTEE orr Committee OF Schools and Col
/ eees. i, is, therefore, deiractins nothing from
any man, 10 say that he is not suitable person 10
/, be placed on z commiilcc seeing he may be very
/ intelligent, and well ver,ed IN many things, yet
sadly deficient in the subject IL he reported on
And this very subject of schools and colleges,
their proper management and regulation, is
subject On which few men are prepared 10 act.
\ We find ;hat not one man in thousand, 10 So
cicty understands the subject OF discipline in all
I lis bearings though i, is theme which has en-
gagged the attention OF men tor centuries II would
not bc saving TOO much 10 say, that rs few are
prepared 10 repor. On the subject Of education
! Education though emphatIcaily the mos, impor-
anl theme that can engage TIE time and attention
/ OF every man, has been most sadly neglected. and
few have though, i, necessary 10 examine as 10
/ yhdt II IS anil hv,c Il Si0NLe best cOa9nctca.
f One prominent feature in the Report o. the
Committee on Schools and Colleges is its Lotiv
,0ar; for, say they, Cooking 10 the ample and
costly apparatus OF instruction in operation al the
/ University, through lis numerous corps OF pro-
lesSurs, lis extensive library, as rel as Mr hish
| Snsicm If Coaching HpnrSnS, and contrasting these
with the opportunities OF knowledge, which are
held out By The so.caed cdcap Alleges OF lie corn-
! Try" &c Really, in reading this report, relying
upon the Judgment Of the committee alone one
must conclude that the University is every
| thing il should be-a none sucil-the very Jsan
id,al Of great national literary Institution, de-
! signed 10 impar the principles oil science, and 10
unfold and develop the faculties oi a nation. Re-
cent reports have rather proceeded on the ground
| OF what the University irds designed 10 ic, when
| founded, than what il has really proved 10 be-
/ Mr.. Jefferson, in speaking OF II, said, I've have
/ ALL from the beginning, considered the high qua
| litcations OF orr professors, rs | e only means
! hv which we could give 10 an institution splen-
dor and prominence over all its sister Semina-
ries" Such were his expectalions-and follow
ing out his views, recent reporters have spoken
| more from these than the actually existing state
of things.
True it is that some features about the Uni
versily differ materially from those Of other in
sliutions, such as the Students having the privi-
lege Of attending any school he desires, and gra-
duating in this without any reference 10 the time
of his stay al the college, and the system OF teach
| ing by lectures; but it requires more evidence
| Than can be obtained from The report 10 believe,
that, because student has the privilege of attend
ing the school OF Ancient Languages in the Uni
versty that, therefore, his knowledge OF these
shall be superior TO that OF a student al any other
college. The facilities are quite sufficient al
most colleges provided students can become
interested and be induced 10 think for Them
selyes-lhe great end Of all teaching. The
lecture system, so highly approved in The
report, was supposed 10 be superior 10 "bnok
lessons" because, by il, the student might
be made To think for himself, and trust TO reason
ing, rather than 10 mere words-to the sense, ra-
liner than The sound. The philosophy OF all pro-
per education, in its popular Specification, is 10
gel The mind to act and teach the student 10 exer
else his own powers and faculties; but this i'm
por,ant end can no more be gained by the mere
system OF lccturins, than father can bring up
his son properly by telling him simply how he
shall act. To teach, successfully requires
combination OF The rarest qualities. A know
ledge Of human nature, good share of common
sense an acquaintance with the subject 10 be
taught, a knowledge Of the characters and pow
rrs of mind of the students, are all necessary.
He who sets himself up TO tefnTc without these,
will soon find that has students think no more
than other Students and that The mere fact of lee
turing accomplshes litlle. And. farther, 1t mat
lers very lille. whether one lectuie only or in
s,i;uie The practice OF recitaticns from good text
books if his lectures arc written, and he use The
same annually; Tor, in that case, the lectures are
stereoyped, and so are the questions and answers,
as obtains in in more than one school in the
, University. Alter few years every professors
lectures become his text book. But whether
professor use text books in his class or merely lee
lure, il is an easy matter TO put his questions in
such manner in the daily examinations, as TO
ascertain whether the members If The class think
or not am moi finding fault particularly with
The lecture system for by either sys;em tompe
peiclt proftsSor can excite his class 10 think
With all respect 10 the authors Of the report, it is
undeniably true, thai they have placed the Uni
versiiy TOO high in their great anxiety 10 obtain
the annuity OF $4,000
This report errs in several particulars, be-
/, sides arguing The present character Of the Uni
7ersy from the intention OF lis founders, and
making The attempt 10 show, that At no other col.
legc can there Re The same mental discipline.
award 10 the University very nigh stand. even
with lis present regulations, bat because \! now