Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-10-26
Letters from Central Virginia.

! Correspondence o the Presbyterian.
sCoTCHIRISH PRESBYTERIANs AND EDUCATION
FOUNDING OF WASHINGTON CoLLEGE-EN
OF ITS HISTORY.
Ne,srs Eiors-The early settlers o. most Of the val
ley portion OF this region Of the State aud also those
part OF the Piedmont countries, Scotch.Iish Pres
byerianS. Their first business aer supplying tbemscve
temporary dwellings, to provide houses for Godi
worship Scarcely generation had passed the,
set about establishing provision for education
Your readers who may feel any special interest in such
matters. may find in Dr. Foote's Sketches of Virginia.
quite full history of Washington College-orginaly
Liberty Hall Academy. For the general reader very
succuct may suffice Founded amidst the trial.
and suerings of the of the Revolution this Instu.
tuition furnished the State and Church. its earliest
history, of the most eminent Who have sdorn
cd the history Of Central Virginia. Il the child OF
the prayers, and councils and beneicons of Presbyte
rams. The country poor Hedged up in mountains,
then Inaccessible aud impossible for carriages the people
had no market and, ofcourse but little money. But God
IN his provdeucc raised up for the lnstuiou beneic.
tor, in the person Of the Father OF his Country"
General Washington, seeking make some Iudicou.
disposal Of large doaaon made TO him by the Stat. of
Virginia ss testimonial OF her appreciation of his
vices generously resolved TO eudow Liberty Hall Acad.
IL Is unreasonable to suppose that he acted i'm this
matter, unadv sedlv. He knew the character of tho men
who bad established, and then conducted the affairs of
the Institution. He knew, them. men Of that Isst
augusta, whose proweSs he had owned he could rclv
should all his armies tail him. Tradition relates that he
acted IN thus matter on representations made to him by
Frcsdcut Graham. In token of gratitude the timely
giit-then worth 100000, and now S5OOOO-thc name
ot the Institution changed to Washington Collrr.
Under the Presidency of Dr Baxter it served the cause
Of collegiate education, participating. with Illmpisn
sidney and William and Mary till lS25, in furnishing al
the aivanta scs oi this nature enjoyed in the State pr
Baxter resicning about twenty ago. was
short time under She auspices Of Dr Marshall aud Pros-
VshAke successfully, TILL lin 1856 or S7) Or RpfFnrr
elected President. The College. meanwhile had
realized handsome part Of large legacy beuue.tAsd to
it by Nc John Robinson; aud, thus aided had proceeded
ncreAse the numbers Of the Faculty and otherwise
add to its facilities for furnishing the Of a liberal
education. During Dr.. Ruflers Presidency, its reputa
ton a!ysuced rapidly, and had this section OF the State
been supplied with efficient classical schools under the
courc! u interested in the prosperity VI the College
it, benefits would have been much more widely DISPERSED
In SIS, Dr. Juuku, the present President succeeded Dr.
RuIcr. Various circumstances corSpiring the College
had suffered for year or two in public estimation Dr.
Jdnhn at once entered on system OF which
has essentially contributed to place the Institution on
higher footing than TIE fund.- 4bou; tina, time vcr,
increased ~ realizing the donation OF the Cincinnati Socc
~ who, distluiiaG, determined init.tc General
Washington N oeue;tence both - 10 bcrai;y and the
character q; the beneficiary When he gave his shares
of james River Stock 10 the College they were worth
abOu; $4,000. Owing 70 arrangement; OF the Lrcis-
iatgre ia bringing up that stock, upon rcorcanync the
Company, the value Of the shares advanced $50 per cent
that the annuity Welded equal to the interest ia,
per cent OF $4,000. TIE funds OF the Ciaciun,t S.
cety reArly $4,000; 20 thai: in fact We may
say General Wsshugou's bcqusst has nearly quairu-
pied.
The Cincinnati Society coupled with It's donation con
iitau that certain parts Of IN: ary science should be
taught i. ;he College. In consequence of this She In
s;usion provides most fully for instruction in the high
er mathematics. Perhaps few Colleges IL any, furnish
better facilities for ull mathematical course Mesn
while, Professor OF Natural Sciences ant two Pro.
OF languages, covering the usu4. ancient and TWO
three modern languages, render the College cuurs.
sufficiently extensive. by the thorough methods of in
srTction in each department, s;udeu: Of ordinary
ability and diligence i eNcusahc IL he falls to mske the
most desirable progress The impartial testimony of men
OF the highest qualifications for forming a Judgment
has suei this Institution The first rank among our Col
eEes Parents rest assured that while no forts 10 rive
their proper intellectual training will be spared their
moral interests will be by neglected Idle and
INDECENT pupils tolerated aud when youth are sun.
| piled with full employment, aud provided with proper
stmuOus To dill gencc the exercise Of discipline attend
Ell with comparatively little trouble The s. who attend
ed the last examination and commencement have spnkeu
but opinion the Kind Of instruction which i,
then evinced had been impaired znd the attachments
reached by of the students This Coeg. ONLY needs
70 be more extensively known be more highly appre-
ciaed and Literally patTonized II j. hoped that the
Enlistment Of the Classical Schools mentioned ia NV last
will give such impulse the of classical educ
ton, that the College, in few years will be abundanty
supplied With the pupils deserves number halls
]