Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1857-02-16

/ Der nore than -ix hundred students have matrio-
/ uated in the different schools Of science. hera-
ture. aud profe ssonal study. which are comprised
| within the university, aud there is fair pros.
/ poet that thu number will reach seven hundred.
! situated III me of the most beautiful aud highly
! cultivated pats of the Old ID minion, and ensily
accessible by lines of railroad from every Part Of
| the country. il promises Ia become one of the
! largest seats OF thorough education IN the world.
! II the illustriaus founder, whose mortal remains
repo-e at his beloved Monticello. in the neigh
! borhood. could be permitted 10 look from bis
| state Of exalted purity aud wisdom on the scene
Of his former eAertions bow he would rejoice in
! tins glorious result of his eng hened aud pair-
otic abors.
Not intending mn invdious com parson with
other institutions. we may Ut say that the tu
,ionary system of this university embraces some
features of noble and inspiring usefulness which
might be- adopted with advantage in tho oldest
and most renowned colleges Of tho North. The
faculty is composed OF laborous teachers, pro
foundly yersed in the various subjects assigned
TO their respective chairs, and endowed especial
ly with the talent and tact indlspen sable 10 those
whose business is to communicate knowle ledge.
The ma jority Of the professors and assistants
are hardworking men, more so probably than
nre 10 be found elsewhere. Tho requisites for
graduation correspondingly high; 80 that the
degree of master of Arts of the University of
Virginia may well be regarded as a reliable
scholarship. There is nothing like the graduating
class" usual in other semnaries, each of whose
members receives diploma, as matter OF
course, at the end of the regular curriculum.
No; high academic honors of this university are
never conferred "n course" but only after
Tics of rigorous examinations, fitted to test the
ability. the diligence. und the success of the
candidate in the studies ofthe different schools.
Among the Improvements recently introduced
is the establishment of "A Proiessorshp of Hlsio-
ny mud General Literature with the view of sup
plying kind and degree Of information on the
subjects Indicated by this title such rs are not
frequently presented TO the student, in this coun-
try, during his collegiate course. Many years
ago that trenchnnt satirlst, the' Rev. Siiney
smith, put forth IA the Edinburgh Review an mr.
ttcle upon the system of the two great Engl sh
Universities Of Oxford and Cambridge, sgni
rnnny headed "Too much Latin and Greek
wherein he charged those distinguished seats Of
lenruing with neglect Of other studies quite
rs important nt least, AS matters of information,
and infinitely more closely related to the bus-
ness OF men in every RINK, profession or occupa-
ton. We question whether our nnumerable
colleges give ''tpo much Latin and Greek. -
There Is reason to apprehend perhaps, TINT in
some the knowledge of those languages is rather
loose and superficial among both professors and
Students but we believe it Is admitted that whilr
young men may emanate from them somewhat
acquainted with Athcnian and Roman story, and
endowed with stores of classical legends, trad-
tons, aud illusions, very few masters or haehe
lorS Of ars lonye their academic retreats possess.
ing any exaet knowledge of those great eras in
modern history that have Ind the most direct
bearing upon the existing condition of socle-
ty, aud still smaller number have any deep or
cnnmored familiarity with the rich and aivcrs-
fed literature Of their tongue. Ia other
words no time nor application seems to have
been gwen during the collegiate course,to those
very subjects which are most needed in the do
monds al professional and public business, aud
most frequently called into requisition for soelal
Improvement, for conversation, and for private
enjoyment In the domestic circle and in the in
nee life OF the man of general taste and culture.
II it were not 50 common, would not this seem
shhnget That 1t IS so common, this IL stranger
still Undoubtedly the historical and literary
kupwledge most desirable to an American is that
vast treasury which belongs to the records of
! modern Europe tcepecially of Great Brittany and
the Hled States, or which relates to tho Illus
t,lou~ procession # poets. dramatistH, histori-
ans, Philosophical ossaylsts. and other men of
genius aud taste who hive filled the various de-
! i#tntnfs OF scientific and literary enterprise
| since the revival Of learning. 1t has always ap-
prarrd Ia us altogether irrational That III these
! tunes, mud IN such country ours, where pro-
| 4 r4s l. stamped every phase of lfe-pci san.
! al, social, aud politcnl-the aneients should still
! h' allowed in American colleges and schools TO
| exclude thu uudrrus. Why should an AmeIi-
! cm youth CONF from his lima Mater les,
Quniutcd with the age aud Ii eraturr of Leo the
! I,uth or Of Louis the Fourteenth than with the
tlmrS aud writer's of Pcrioles of Athens or OF Au-
! gu>lus OF Romeo Why should he como forth
with the hlghe-, academic honor, vet ignorant of
| "thc pure wells of EHgiish undcled;" strnn-
gcr To thaucer and Spenserknowing Shakespeare
and Milton only by extracts, and absolutely gno
r'ut of the grent masters IN prose aud verse,
who suceessvcly lllu, trnted the reign- Of Eliza
! beth and James; who rescued the Caroline epoch
/ from cnatompt; who sottened the rgors Of the
| tromwt llim ruiz; who made learning. taste and
| virtue fashionable in the days of good Queen
! Anne: who raised the times ot tn" dull Georges so
| high thai We hear yet of the "GtOrgidn era and
| finally. who have given such lnstre to the nine
teruth century that it may we'll raise its head
with any century that has preceded It, either at
Ter or before the birth of our Lord.
! 1t will be acknowledged that, when uaivers-
~ 50 respectable, and So we'll entitled to respect
this great State school of Virginia leads the
way IN scholastic reform III the important point
| to which we have referred, its example cannot
fail To have beneficial effect upon other institn-
tons throughout the nation.
The inc AMBIENT of this important chair has not
yet been appointed. We have heard several
distinguished names mentioned in connection
Guizot, who have declined To be candidates.
Cincinnati Enquirer.
Genius in thcU =. senate.
Gen. Gass is to be succeeded in the United