Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-08-31

TIKI E,lO.fna communication from PrNlaaaOr hahAn
~ ""o""e ~"
was published sshort time since IN the h'ennfo"u 1hqui-
rer. A an able and valuable tribute TO Que OF our noble
Stat. Institution. We take Measure in LAYING il before
-
0l sue
10 the Editors Of me enquirer
LYScnBURG, Aug. s, 1883.
Ns.s,s ra,ors. Professor N.h,p. of the West Point
Military Academy has honored me with the following let
ter ON the system of education as taught at our Military
Ins,;,u,. Ia contains N much that l. practicable and val
u.hls I c.nno, In ;ns,;ce 4, that Institute. withhold il
from the nnbLc' and hone Won NAV conveniently, at an
early dsv' find a Mace for IL in YOUR columns | feel that
IN. opinion of one q .mipen,ly qualified 10 speak as he
Il ho,b from, education and from an experience Of thirty
ys,rs a s,udcn, and nrofe.sor NJ West Point must be val.
ned and apnrecisted
yas.u.noo,e,uv ro,r Oh, sorv,,
y,,,,
JoHN L. MEM
Ny Dear Sir: Our conversation on the Virginia Military
Institute, respecting which you expressed n wish to have
nv opinion somewhat fully, as made up from my recent
visit to il, was 50 short that | am afraid 1t was satisiacto-
~ neither 20 you nor myself. Having now a leisure mo
ment, | have thought YOU might be pleased to have what
| then said thrown into a more connected form.
| will premise by stating, that my opportunities Tor max
ing up an opinion ON such a subject, however L may have
prOfted by them, have been more than ordinarily good
being acquainted, from personal dissertation, both with the
workings of our own National Military school and some OF
the best in Europe. l visited the Virginia MILITARY Inst
tute with no prepossession either Tor Oh against H-ih ruin
| had rather ahstained from asking information respecting
il from some who were well posted upon its concerns that
/ might see aud judge for mysef In this condition OF
IhANh Il Cal SNaNt ah"hs $500 e'
careful observation, I was most highly gratihed with the
attainments OF its pupils, the state OF ITS discipline, as MN,
tary exercises, and the excellent organization ana
arrangements IN all its departments OF instruction
and administration. The results are the strongest
testimony 10 the wisdom and singular htness Tor ms posi-
tion of Col. +. II. Smith, its Superintendent, and OF the
ability and fidelity with which the faculty anu other OH
GERS un Ter him have discharged their important duties
IL is but justice to say it, and certainly no disparaSement
to any other institution, that the examinations Throughout
would have done credit TO any school IN tne county
Problems involving the most uiincutS Clentlnc principles
were clearly ana thorough'y uiScuSseu' anu ma way 10
leave no doubt on the mind OF any one competent 10 I'M
derstand them OF their being perfectly comprchended by
the pupils Even where failures took place, they showed
that there had been no remissness on the part OF the IN
structor, and showed, what was still better that there was
no attempt nor desire TO cover up any umnS from N AT
tentive observer.
The value of this school to Virginia Is so fully appre-
ciated throughout the state, that II seems haruly requisite
to advert TO 1t here. But, in contemplating our present
abundance, a retrospect OF former wants Is sometimes
an Improbable employment OF time. IL gives assurance
TO the present and hope FOR the future. VINO, that rec"l'
lects the state OF scientific instruction nut a lew years
back-within a period familiar TO the memory OF every
man OF middle age in the State-eVen IN the highest hte-
rary institutions OF the State-cannot bear testimony 10
its low condition If this il called into question, let any
one produce the text books, explain the modes OF ihsuuc-
ton then in use, aud state the amount oil requirement
made by the pupils IN abstract SCIENCE anu say now theN
compare with what obtains now at the Virginia Military
Institute, and even in the best OF the common schools OF
the State. What was the condltIon oil those PROFESSIONS III
which, like the various departments OF engineering ABSTRACT
science hnds lt- more lnnlcuiate ApphCatIons auuut the
periodr Was there a single native citizen OF virginia edu-
Gated within the State, twenty years ago, who could fairlylay
claim TO be called a scientific, civil or military engineer a.
that term is now UNDERSTOOD Shat was then the con-
dition Of nearly the entire class Of school teachers then in
the State, both foreign and native! IL Is true, there was
no lack of pretenson, even in the highest schools. But
i is a fact, and one lamentable enough, that, in too many
cases, either the teacher deiuded himself or deceived tue
public. As to the military knowledge Unused through
out the militia, there will probably be no question. Any
claim for the slightest mOiicum OF II amongst the army
n lranRrAlg IDDuRlg. ana DINER llL4T GtulAFS OF I'M
State, with rare, very rare exceptions, would SIMPLY be
prepos'erous- IN iact, the ""oIe COUNT! oouIt " pIoolos
have mustered twenty hNe native citizens, educated az
nome al the cou'neneS"en' y .e ~n u
could have performed the Simplest Iuus Oh mhnarE
engineer III TIC ue'u N" %nA = Il nj" " "a
state IN tnese respects ine '"s'Wa H"N'' 'T'u'
sends out annually anu mas uonr so OF so'he Hc'rS PACK
4 number OF Young men, tno'ousn,! mSuue'eu III science
~ the pest me'noiS' a"I Cor,Pe'e"' !" "'PHi' " Otneis
"hAt they nave acquHtu' &c nen arr P'ePNeu 70
make Soou schoo' 'eAenei7' sooI t'"e"E'"ee'' ~ SuOou
miA'Ai! ehsineerS' Anu arc a = la - 'U W f Il"
ohceFs thah 'heuAe Ia o"uee,J NJ 's "as" ~
ll''lE d any Soun''! !" ue
seems hazruouS' Out" ny. uc : = - u ,e.y
pteSH'n' rS ~ III -. - wEf.b r. -
4 sne VIII "uu' Suos'4 d 49, ' -
>o'iletly arc te9u"e' ~ W IA
real science l. nov oelnS va'.leu mo IT, "a u,H,'"i '
cry hAlnIet' ever! He u =" ~. Sa'. -Iu ~ " -"
M4s.ss - : 81 ~, :" Mn Il In.,i,n,s ths most Of bonor in
yir-io;, Tne gr,dn,ts of the Institute does not de.
III Us il the peer of hs fellow graduates. the
..,te.m,n. the LAWYER the physician and the lorily land
| Il WnTVTAfn Ia lives l the - 10 NI OH lgulAl-n. H.
rierr,tes me school 10 his own platform. lie does more,
| much more; i,s gives sound, thorough Instruction, aud
makes each pupil master u his own most effective ma
| r4ius--thc mind. These facts, however, aud the refec.
ION they induce. are patent: but that which is less 80.
and he point on which tho usefulness of the Institute
mainly rests j. it, system Of discipline; the merits OF
which ale less easily appreciated perhaps by the public
,h,n any other part OF it, machinery, although the
t..uns OF 1.-THE entire machine are as much dependent upon
! 4, ne -ons material mechanism Is upon the balance.
,t.,I for IN, uniformity and excellence Of it, products.
Tho sole object of the ry.tcm Of discipline
,..nr,r ~, the Military Institute, and in part adopted from
,ho cyner-n,r oC q ike system at our national Military
ic.1c,,nr Inc cxre,rre. of when i,,s been approved by
go is n, tr,in men 10 self.poyernment by submittinr to
80, ,1,,bo,iti.z ovsr ,b.u. and reguiting Lk. submission
,,,,r ,b,.a over whom they are pltceI. according 10 the
rrs.crih.d ruI.s that admit Of no arbitrary action -
yi...l rom a proper poipt Of view. there is nothing in
rhis that tends 90 f.tier the free spirit. in ANYTHING in which
ghc,ty can b, lawfully cxcfc.ed-rothin thnt tends to
.rr,rIi,l extction: i5r the authority that imposes il t.
if.rIf bed,od within bounds Ly an authority a. rgid, a. that
! which controI.it inturu. That which the superior e1acts he
.l-, submits 10. Were % otherwise. the system would not
.,s.- ,r ..rt,. e 5.rV an. a.