Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-13
Damn Your Souls, Make Tobacco.

a learned and energetic Scotch EplScOpal
clergyman, was, in 1891, sent by the Colonial
Assembly to England to solicit a charter from
the Crown. KING WILLIAM, and NARY, his
Queen, approved the design, and gave two
thousand pounds out Of the quit-rents towards
the contemplated building. Mr.. BLAIR was
referred to the Attorney General, SEYMOUR,
who did not cheerfully obey the royal com
mand TO issue the charter. In answering his
circumstances, Mr.. BLAIR spoke Of the impOr-
lance of such an institution in educating young
men for the ministry, and begged the Attor
ney-General to consider that the people OF
Virginia had souls to be saved as well as the
people of England. "Soulsl" exclaimed the
irate SEYNoUR-' Damn your souls! make TO-
JdccO"
Notwithstanding SEYMoUR's violence, the
College charter was issued. 1t bore date
the sth of February, IN the fourth year Of the
reign of WILLIAM and MARY, corresponding
under the new style with the 10th February,
1893. 1t was designed as a Seminary for Minis
tiers Of the Gospel. The Virginia Assembly
provided for its location at d" Middle Planta-
tion," now Williamsburg. The charter pro-
vided that il should be named " The College
of William and Mary" The royal cOntribu-
tions towards the projected institution were
liberal, both in lands and money. The build
ing was planned by Sir CHRISTOPHER WREN
Its first d" commencement exercises were held
in 100. Such performances were so novel in
America that "planterS came in coaches"
and 81 others in slOOps from New York, Penn
sylyania and Maryland TO witness them. In
dams were even attracted by the uncommon
scene. In l7O5 the buildings, together with the
library and philosophical apparatus, were des-
trOyed by fire. They were nOtrebuilt until 1928.
Its funds were increased from time to time by
donations and requests, aS.alSo by grants made
by the House of Burgesses. DR.. JAMES
BLAIR was the first President Of the College, and
is considered its father. Before the revolution,
the College consisted of school Of Divinity,
one of Philosophy, in which Natural PhilOSO-
ply and Mathematics were taught a Grammar
school for instruction in the ancient languages,
and an Indian school. For about Seventyyears
prior to the Revolution the average number Of
students was about sixty. At the beginning of
the Revolution the whole number was about
seventy. The annual income from duties
granted in the charter, and by the Colony,
from "Boyle's Charity, and from funded capital
and scholarships, was nearly four thousand
pounds sterling. In l776 it was the richest
College in North America. BY the Revolution
it lost everything save about two thousand five
hundred dollars in money and the then unpro-
ductiye crown lands. Thirty students and
three professors joined the army during the
Revolution, and, among the great names fur
nished to the common cause, in the council and
in the field, by this institution are those of
BENJAMIN HARRISON, CARTER BRAxToN, THoH-
A. NELSON, GEORGE WYrHE, signers of the
Declaration of Independence PEYTON RAN
DOLPH, President of the first American Con
gress; EDMUND RANDOLPH, Attorney General
and Secretary of State; john MARSHALL,
Chief Justice THOMAS JEFFERSON and JAMES
MONROE, Presidents of the United States
TAYLOR, of Caroline the NELSONs, the BLANDs,
the PAGES, the HARRIsONS, the CARrERS, the
NICHOLAsEs. the BRAXTONS. the BURwELLS,
the LEwIsES, the LYONsEs, the MERGERS, the
COOKIES, the BoLLINGs, the NICHOLsoNS and the
CARRINGToNs. The parent Society in this
country of the Phi Beta Kappa was organized
at this College in l776. In l7Sl the exercises
of the College were suspended; and the sum
were alternately occupied by the British and
the French and American troops. The Col
lege was much injured and the Presidents
house burned, while occupied by the latter
This was subsequently rebuilt by the French
Government. In 1890 there was a respectable
number of students. The General Assembly
of Virginia gave to the College the Palace
lands and the houses upon them; tract
of land near Williamsburg, known as the
"Yineyard," and a few acres not far from
jamestown. The organization Of the College
was now changed, under the influence Of
THOMAS JEFFERSON. The Grammar School
and the ProfesSOrship Of Divinity and
oriental languages were abolished. A profess
sorship of law and police, one OF anatomy and
chemistry, and one Of modern languages, were
substituted for them. The law Of nature and
nations, and the fine arts were added to the
duties Of the moral professor, and natural his
tory to those Of the professor Of Mathematics
and Natural Philosophy. In l7sS, GEoRGE
WAsHINGToN accepted the CHARACTERISTIC Of
the college. Upon the return Of peace the In
stitution rapidly revived, and under the guild
ance Of Bishop MADISON and his associates,
contributed to its distinguished list of gradu-
ateS the eminent names Of TYLER, TAZEwELL,
GILES, RANDOLPH, LEIGH, BIBB, WASHINGTON,
PRESTON, CABELL, CROGHAN, ROAM, TAYLOR,
LOMAx, BARBOUR, JOHNSON, JONES, SC0TT,
CRTTTESDEN, RIyES, and many others whose
names are national and historic. Since 1885,
the Matriculation books show an annual ave-
rage Of seyenty-ive students who have had
the benefit of the teachings Of THOMAS R.
Dew, Judge TUCKER, Bishop JoHNs, and other
eminent professors.
On the night of the Sth February, 1859, the
college building, library, manuscripts, appa-
ratus and interesting antiquities and memo
rails were again destroyed by fire. Within one
wear from its destruction new building arose
with furniture, apparatus and library, and with
funds ample to sustaina full faculty.
In May, 1861, the war commenced, and it
became necessary to suspend the college ex-
ereises and close the doors. On the 9th OF
September, 1862, the principal building, with
its furniture and apparatus, was burned by
stragglers of the Fifth Regiment of Pennsylya
MIA Cavalry. At later periods Of the war al
the remaining houses on the college premises
were either burned, pulled to pieces, or other
wise injured. 1t will require at least SsO,OO'
N repair these losses and restore the college tC
what IL was in 1860. In August, 1865, at {
convoeation of the Board of Visitors and Go
vsrnor. il was determined to reopen the col
.lsgs at the usual time, to repair some Of the
college buildings for recitation rooms, anc
70 proyide other accommodations for stu
dents. This was subsequently dOne' and
ample temporary arrangements made
A grammar school was established 10 DC
= The care and supervision vi 'he