Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-02-09
The University and Hon. II. w. Davis.

l again ask tue use OIL your columns, tndt
| may offer few hasty comments upon an
article which | have read, wherein is set
forth the facts Of the case, In regard 70 the
action Of the Literary Societies Of the Uoi-
versity of Virginia, after their election of
the Hon. Henry w. Davis, of Maryland, to
idress them upon the 2Slh Of Juoe, and an
argument submitted to prove the case for
.hOse advocating the withdrawal Of the inyl-
titiun rendered to and accepted by the gen.
,leman above referred to. should not have
had my attention drawn TO this article par
ticuariy, had it not been that In & anclng
over II | found that the writer claimed to
speak knowiayiy and adrisediy: his statement
is "ex cattedra;" consequently 10 it We have
the tacts which induced, in the writer's opin-
lou, the Withdrawal: First, the fears entertain
ed by the Executive Committee" Of the Board
of Visitors secondly, the sua sponLe offer
of the Fuculty-in the third place, the opin-
ion and fears of "a distinguished member of
Congress" who was written to upon the sub.
iect; the united opinion OF the Southern
Delegation" apprised of the action Of the
5 ,cie.ies of our University; the opinion Of
several members OF the Legislature" who
feared tbs oct might be used as handle
against tue passage OF hill, then before the
Legislature, TO appropriate large SUN to
tue University" and finally OF large body
of students, VINO were convinced that the IT.
tereet, ui their beluy ed 4imd Mater were in
prrileI aud, therefore, determined 10 dis
regard the established rules VI etiquette,
the first principles Of courtesy, and arroga,-
Ing TO themselves the position ut Judge, jury,
aud attorney, coudeUIn Mr.. DAVIS, uuheard
10 his deieuce, upon erpdrte. aud upon bear
say testimony. Here, then, we have the
reason a.siynei; the ant ,cedents' explicitly
set iurth. Mr.. Dtvs's coming would Imperl
the interests, would eopardize the success,
Of tue University. Why anticipate such re
suits? ~" says, because the Executive
Committee" of the Board Of Visitors thought
80, because member Of Congress conceded
in the belief. aud had his opinion endorsed
by member Of tie Legislature. Not salts
fed with such potent logic, such rehueo foa'
souiug, "I" ventures a little farther-he char
acterlscs Mr. D.'s course in Congress rs
sigusiised "by continued opposition to the
South and all she chershes." Where and
how can such a sweeping assertion be sup
ported by facts to Justify 1t? The worst ot
the abusors. those who, upon some political
questions are az far separated III opinion
from Mr.. d. as the pills, have never pre-
ferrei against him 80 sweeping an assertion;
have never denounced him in such general
terms; AID vet ~" Ia student OF the Uni.
versity, | presume VITO justities the stu
dents, submitting to the dictation OF the
Faculty. themselves controlled by Demo
cratic Board OF Visitors, upon the ground
that students, as a class are composed OF
youths whose range of experience Is narrow
aud their Judgment more So" ou,-llerods
ierod and goes a bow-shot beyond all. l
defended the course OF Mr.. Davis IN refusing
to unite with the Democracy 10 1856, IN al
article wrtten upon this same subject about
a week since upon the ground that as one
Of the most prominent members OF the Amer
lean party, upon tue floor Of Congress, 1t
WAS not possible for him TO affiliate with the
opposition after the caucus resolutions. In
regard u bis Petersburg speech, denounclng
the young men imWigratng to Kansas IRON
that place, my memory may be Incorrect,
but have no recollection Of any such MD
riduQt deuunciation. Doubtless, MIR. Davis
denounced those bands of armed-lmmlgrsnts
from what source soever they might 20,
whose very presence In the Inflated territory
would have been sign, LAY the very eau Q,
Of blood-sbed and civil-wsr. Such proceed
ing instead Of leaving the institutions, do
mestic and civil, to be regulated by the bona
tiie settlers OF tue respective territories, would
insugurate anarchy, make might right, and
establish
The good old rule, the simple plan
That he should take who has the power,
And ne should keep who can"
Such doctrine would not suit Republican
Institutions are based upon, owe their very
being, TO Lac. When that is disregarded and
trsmpled upon, then, indeed, must we bid
farewell, long farewell to oil our great
ness. The experiment Of self government must
fail, aud the teachings Of our political phi
losophy be forever disregarded. lsthsre any
thug anti Southern ia such doctrine, unless
it be to those who sympGIulse with Walker
and oppose the President, because by
stretch of power be apprehended him, put an
end to his extensive schemes OF iand.plracy.
aud stopped h, in the very act Ut making
war upon a country. with whose governmeut
we were at peace. l deny emphaticaliy that
Mr. Davis has ever utSuited the South, or Is
UdiOus to her, uulcss, by the South Is meant
that hum bug of hun. bugs, the present Dem
ocrstiv" party, party arrogating to itself the
POSITION of defender of the Faithful" aud
claiming amongst its attributes absolute IL
iahtility; party Of prodigious magnitude
aud Of Pruteau shape: a party In which ex'
trcmcs meet, 1.-THE Union shrieker," Henry A.
Wise, and the disunionist jefferson DAVIS;
the ant Kansas admissiUnIst Stephen A.
Douglas, and our respected and venerable
Chief Magistrate, whose opinions have been
set forth i'll his recent message--iu hne, u
party whose leaders are bound together by
love for the spoils, whose code OF ponucai
morality is beautifully illus rated in tn
apothes lem, TO the vlotors belong the spoils.
That Mr. Davis 10 vdilus to these men, sm
aware. They soc 10 him u pow ertui opponent;
they lear hun though the party to which he
belongs il SO greatly in the minority; they
are Jealous OF bis growing reputation, ana
increasing influence in the branch OF Con
vress 10 which he belongs; they would like to
crush him, and to that end they have charged
upon him abolition tendencies, and would
signalize their petty vengeance by beiog III
.trp,pen,ai in i'm Zinc uuOn bi m AZ lDSult -