Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1846-11-12
ron THE srAuNToS SPECTATOR.
WASHINGTON COLLEGE. Lrx,NcnoN "

v.
MIR. EDITOR, ITO what J;,.x.,,, r..
shall send my son What inK,rmai;on en- W.,
give me respecting the facilities and ,Iv,,t,y oI
5the course OF education pursued at Washngos Col
'ieget VIVA, DO yoI pow about it, and do Won
MINK shouiu SEM son there ?'' These oyo
quently propoundcd to the writer. h.. oeen re
give his views in reply somewhat i'm deia;, ~
doing he intends to pursue the even teno. "a %
way, adopting as his motto, 'Nsc dertrorsu, ms
Sinistrorsuna.p w" "ec
ThE SIrE.-This is an exceedingly inn no,,...
consideration The veal or the wO of you,h -
often deeply affected 6y the place to which ,hey
are sent, and the Influence by which they are s,I
rounded. Ihs is peculiarly true OF younD mon
who are removed from parental restraint. WHOSE
characters are not formed, and whose suscent;hIo
minds may receive an impression from anv nIas,;oC
influence P'aS'tcA
This College is situated not far from tho ce,,r.
OF the beautiful and picturesque Valley of Viruin,
IN the midst OF a fertile and healthy country The
writer has heard gentleman, who had travelled
extensively in Europe say, that the Valley of Viz
una IN many respects greatly exces the far famed
valley OF the Rhine, where the wide spread Main
the vine clad hill, the beautiful dale and the on
chanling landscape, may be seen in delightful and
VaHeo contrast But here nature has wrought with
a'boider hand and on grander scale; here. 10 use
the eloquent language of President RurrNER. ssshc
mas GU. such wales OF beauty, and reared up such
cfr,S
and built her own bridge here every object is ~
daP'ed 10 waken the human faculties and to stimu
late the soul to the pursuit of knowledge and tho
cultivation OF taste" The College stands nm y
commanding eminence which affords fine view NJ
; ;no Town ana the surrounding country. Stretch
ing away to the North and West may be seen the
blue Ridge and House Mountains LOOMING in tho
Instance towards the East the country is boldly
uniu'uiauhg' and on the South of East the town
Mi'i is many attractions rises up before YOU. II
.naG co'nonatlons OF hill and dale, mountain and
valley, grandeur and variety light and sb,da aro
the requisites of delightful landsconc t,'' ;,
found IN Virginia or elsewhere to rival This ~
The country is exceedingly fertile. and rrov;
sons and fruits OF the best quality are abundant and
cheap. The pastures are clothed with t,ocls
.he Vaiies also are covered over with corn and the
ii... bills rejoice on every side" Here s.,be FL
ther Of Light has scattered BLESSINGS with GhoraI
hand. "'''' 7" "oeiai
niiliu ,he romantic scenery of this picturesque
country thousands are seen every summer ftnm
this and many other States, travelling in onest of
heaith The salubrity ofthis section OF Virrnia ia
almost proverbial fountains of health abo1nd ~
which the care-worn can retreat for rel,xation ~,
the wasted invalid for the renewal of his strenptb
fAi,houSh disease may here occasionally prevail
anu soiie may sicken and die, yet it is unquestiona
by true that the country is remarkably hcalthu.
lHE MORAL AND RELIGIOUS INFLUENcIs-
Every parent should have sacred REGARD S,r th,.
present and eternal wellbeing of his child and
should, therefore, be careful to have him educated
not only tor time, but also for eternity The great
iaut oi our age and country is to educate with too
much regard to time and with too little 10 eternity
Inc truth Of this remark is obvious when we re-
fleet that ~
AL all on earth is shadow; all beyond
Is substance.-The reverse is folly's creed"
And yet some never look beyond cold lifeless
morality morally iheS say, LET moral influence be
tn Ianr
ohdly nope, VIII accomplish all that is needful in
restraining them from the perncious and runous
influences Of vice. But alas
"Levisthan is not so tanned.
Talk they of morals, o! bleeding Calvary,
The true morality is love of thee"
Where parent is to send his child to have him
educated, and to whose care he is to commit him
on leaving the parental abode, maters of grave
import. Ihoughtless and inexperienced youth
greatly require to have some powerful and restrain
Ing influence thrown around them. And as M ef
fectual safeguard can be thrown around them otbev
than the Christian religion, it is important that thew
DE brought under its salutary instruoGks. Reli
gion is the most important OF anibecls and should
nave a prominent place in every system of educa-
uon; without this every system of educatioa must
be defective. 1t follows, that those who have the
charge Of youth should themselves know the way
OF ine-if the blind lead the blind both shall fall
into the ditch" There are those who seem dis
posed to Danish the Bible from our schools, and
thrust plous men, especially Ministers of the Cos
pei, out OF our Seminaries and Colleges but these
misguided men have the weight of all experience
against them 1t is unquestionably true that every
interest, whether civil or sacred, requires that the
education OF youth be in the hands of pous men.
and they, generally, Ministers of the GOSPEL. All
the Professors at Washington College are pious
men, and three OF them are Ministers Of the Gospel
IN the Presbyterian Church. This would seem to
De sufficient guaranty that great regard is had to
'he formation OF character, intellectual moral and
religious. And such is the simple truth For an
intimate acquaintance with most of the Professors
In this Institution has convinced us that they have
learned sufficient of the science of Divine Truth to
know and to feel, that
philosophy, baptized
In the pure fountain of eternal love-
Has eyes indeed and viewing all she secs
AS meant to indicate a God to man.
Gives Him the praise, and orfcits not her own
Learning has borne such fruits in other DAYS
On all her branches; picty has found
FRIENDS IN the friends ofsciencc, and true PRAYER
Has flowed from lips wet with Cas,alian dcws.n
The truth is, that the moral and RELIGIONS inf,n
ences which have from the very first pervaded and
surrounded this Institution, have rendered il wor-
my OF patronage, and recommended il as a place
Where parents could, with hope of safety from the
DlIgnCng influence OF vice. send their sons Here
The moral atmosphere is comparatively pure. the
tone OF moral feeling high, and religious instruction
enlightened and abundant. The tone of moral and
rehgicus ieellng is as high at Lexington, as any
pace within the range Of the writer's acquaintance
frlGceton excepted. Ii is matter of profound gra-
titude TO know that by the praise worthy exerions
OF the Rev Dr. MCGUFFEY, the tore Of moral and
l. fl,s