The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-07-29

excnplifed in a striking manner the session be-
fare became a student. Several young men
having dressed themselves up as Indians, APP
peared on the lawn, and collected such crowd
around them, that several of the professors
thought il their duty TO interfere. In attempt.
ing TO discover the authors of the disturbance,
one of them was knocked down, and one other
very badly used, though not TO the same extent.
The faculty met that night, and ia solemn con-
clave resolved To suspend all the exercises Of
the institution until the authors OF the riot were
discovered and punished. For several days
there were no lectures, and Mr.. Jefferson call
ed together the Board OF Visitors for the pur-
pose of deciding upon the course proper to be
pursued. The University was in a critical ST.
tuatioD; its existence. SO il seemed TO him, de.
pended upon the issue of the existing crisis
The students were all summoned to appear in
one Of The public rooms, and there they were
brought face TO face with the visitors. The
nerves Of the guilty must have been pretty sc
verely tried, for they stood in the presence OF
three ex-Presidents Jefferson, Madison and
Monroe J and had them for their jury. The
task of addressing them was assigned TO Chap.
man Johnson, at that time in the very zenith
of his powers and reputation. He made, it
was said, one of the most brilliant of his MANY
great speeches. He spoke of the vast Difficult
ties which Mr.. Jefferson had overcome in OBJ
tanning the means TO establish that noble seat
of learning, Of the jealousy with which il was
watched by numerous enemies, ever ready to
convert the slightest untoward incident into
weapon of assault, of the fearful advantage
which the late riot had given them over its
friends, and Of the use which they would be
sure to make Of it. He appealed to the patriot
ism of those who had been most forward in
promoting the disorder, to come forth like men
and sacrifice themselves for the good of their
State, not concealing from them the fact, that
expulsion must be the inevitable consequence.
This speech produced powerful impression,
which was heightened TO such degree when
"Old Tom' 1.-THE pet name of Mr.. Jeffersonl
rose to back it, and in Voice feeble from age,
appealed to their sense of honor, that there
was not dry eye in the house. 10 the
eternal honor of the rioters, some ofwhom have
since become distinguished in various avoca'
tons, not man hung back. Every one came
up, without consulting his neighbor, and SO far
as he was individually concerned, told the
whole truth. No one told upon his neighbour
for it was fundamental rule Of the college
laws that no student was bound to bear witt
ness against his fellow. By the bye, the Uni
yersity was indebted to MIR. Jefferson tor that
law, and il was believe, the frst institution
in the country il which such a law was es-
tab lished. Before, if student knew OF any
ill conduct on the part of another, he was COM
PEELED TO bear witness against him, or be ex-
PEELED, and that although he were perfectly in"
nocent of any participation in the offence. The
consequence was, that numbers were every
year expelled from all the colleges, because
they refused to accuse their comradc. MIR.
Jefferson determined to put an end, so far as
example could, to this revolving obligaton.-
He doubtless knew that when a man is deter
mined to be scoundrel, be cannot make pref
tier beginning than by playing the traitor TO his
associates; and he abhorred law that invited,
nay, compelled the most bare faced treachery.
But enough of these NASTY old "reminiscences.
1t rained so necessarily as we crossed, that
we could not make out the tnnnel. Several
persons on board claimed to know its where.
abouts, and TO point it out; but as no two
agreed, and as have not learned that there are
more than two tunnels, was not SO well salts
fed as TO prom ounce judgment upon the loca.
lily.
In rained the whole day, on Thursday, and
as we were, eight of us, shut up in stage
with the windows down, and were travelling ~
the rate of four miles an hour, through 'he
heaviest roads imaginable, it may well De itna'
gined that we.had nothing very new, or very
interesting to relate. We slept at the Warm
Springs that night, and the next day arrived
w;,hout an adventure, at the spot from which
this letter is dated.
ESCAPE OF o'DONOGHUE, THE IRISH
PATRIOT.
Mr., VIM. O'Donoghue, oGe of the Irish pa
t,;ots aad exiles in Australia, has escaped and
arrived in San Francisco on the ed of June.
He has published an account of his escape,
from which we abstract the following facts
He says:
"From the moment of nv last arrest aud i'm
prisonment liz being the fifth under the ope
pressive tyranny of Sir William Dennison,
had determined upon effecting my escape from
the grasp of the tyrant, or of losing my life in
the attempt for life under his fortunes had
become nsupportable."
Mr.. O'Donoghue justly concluded that the
breaches of the compact made by the Govern
ment, on his admission TO parole, and their or
ganised system Of cruelty towards him, can
celIed all obligation on his part. On the 9th
of November last he disclosed his plans to
faithful friend, Mr.. G. D., who proceeded from
Launcesten 10 melbourne, to make arrange
ments. All was, in fact, arranged for his taking
passage down by the next steamer, and thence
in the ship Earl of Lincoln for Callao, IN LII
ma. In this, however, he was disappointed.
He had friends at every point on the route and
went on board the steamer disguised in sail
or's garb, passing some time in the berth OF
friend, a part in huge stove in the boiler