The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-26
CORRESPONDENCE.

tIOnS---The Present board Of TfuS-
tees--A Benevolent Scheme---HeW
Professors Added 10 Ihe FacnIIy---
speech by Gen. Gar6sId.-The ReV.
Paul BaEIey---An Agreeable Change
and n Pleasant Occasion.
BETHANY, June q, 1867.
Last week was Commencement week
at the College here, and the ordinary
quiet of the little village has been some
what interrupted in consequence. Com
mencement week is an occasion that,
like Christmas, comes but once year,
and while 1t lasts, therefore, is period
OF no small moment. 1t is not like an
affair of the sort in large places where
no special stress is laid on any particu-
lar event, and where each day OF the
year brings its excitements, and is,
therefore, much the same as any other.
In rural retreat like this, so happily
shut out from the noise and hustle OF
the outside world, where a College is
the nucleus of all the life around it,
commencement week is the grand eli
macteric fthe year, to which all look
forward with more or less OF exciting
and pleasurable expectation.
1t occurs to me that might as well
saw word or two to your readers
about Bethany, in the outset of this
letter. It is known to most of them
as a little village up here amid
the hills OF Brooke county, where
there is a college OF some sort,
and also as the. place where the late
of religious denomination, lived, la
bored, and died. This is about all that
those not specially interested in know
ing more know about the place. To
thousands of others, however, many oil
whom live hundreds of miles away, 1t
is a familiar name, and also place
around which cluster associations and
memories of the most pleasing and en-
during character. do not speak es-
pecially of the hundreds of students
who have gone out from here and who
are proud to own Bethany College us
their Alma mater, but of multitudes
who identity the village andthe College,
and all that appertains to them, with
the life and character of the late Presi-
dent of the institution, than whom per-
haps no man that ever lived is held in
more affectionate and reverential re-
membrance by his friends and follow
ers. Some of them are always coming
and going to and from Bethany at
almost all seasons of the year. And ut
Lll6 HGd6Our mhel luG
| weather is SO fine and the country
round about so attractive, many OF
them come on to attend the commence
ment exercises. You will notice among
them many who have been in the habit
of attending for years, and who come,
as they will tell you, simply because
thew find their hearts always turning
thitherward at this season of the year.
To some of these Bethany is a sort of "a
Jerusalem, or Mecca, or Rome, TO
which they make a pilgrimage for the
purpose of gratifying their eyes
with sight of the scenes and
associations connected In their
minds with the presence and labors
oftheir late lamented friend. The viii
lage and the college is dear to the hearts
of many such people, and doubt not
that for many years these and many
more who enjoyed an intimate personal
acquaintance with MIR. Campbell in his
| life time, will continue their annual
visits.
Aside from any such considerations
ho Hever, this locality is one ofthe pleas
antest and most inviting spots in The
land to visit at this time. Its beautiful
and picturesque scenery, its cool breeZeE
and pure water, and its healthful situa.
ton in region richly blessed with al
that can make life happy and desirable
are attractions of themselves, SO much
/
pronounced it one of the most delightful
localities they ever visited. 1t lies herr
amidst the hills in a valley beautiful
| and romantic enough to be the origina
of that one from which Rasselas, Princi
of Abyssinia, emerged at late period
of his life to see If indeed there was
/ happier world outside. OF all places
that could have been chosen for an in
stitution of learning, II seems as though
it might have been given the preference
as a matter of calculation, for here thu
| student finds all the healthful condi
lions of close attention to study. Some
times indeed have thought It an un
fortunate circumstance that the illus
trious founder of the institution shoult
have located it here in the border LIANT
i midway between the North and thu
South, on debatable slip of territory
as it were, belonging to neither sec
ton OF the Union and at time
looked upon with suspicion BY
both. His idea, however, wa
national seat of learning which shonlC
i be free from every trace and tatnt o
Il either secIionalism or Sectarianism. Tn
Il future 1 trust will demonstrate the wis
! dom of his choice. The past experience
Il of the College has been that of an in
stitution located in the extreme north
] ern portion of border slave Stat
| where slavery only existed in nam
and not in reality. And yet the statu
OF the College has been Southern anC
pro.slavery almost from the outset
But this was owing not alone nor chief
4 ly to its geographical situation, bu
Z principally 10 the fact that the grea
body of the religious friends and fol
lowers of Mr.. Campbell resided in tn
South and Southwest. Since its open
ing in 1s4l, presume that thre
fourths of The students have been from
those two sections, and of these til
large majority were from the States o
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee ant
Missouri. The North has always beel
shy ofits patronage, especially tn
Eastern and Middle States. There ha
been tolerable attendance at time
from Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, bu
not enough to prevent a apredominanc
! OF Southern sentiment and feeling
You will understand therefore how tha
the College, unfortunately, for its pros
perity at q later day, came to be- regard
ed as a pro slavery institution.
i Let me be understood In the use Q
the term pro-slavery.L Many person
) have supposed that It's founder, like tn
!, projectors ofIhe Southern Confederacy
aimed to build up an institution OF
the corner stone of slavery.
VI Nothing could be farther from tn
/ truth, and no belief could do create
: injustice to his memory. The late MI
: Campbell was neither Southern no
q pro-slavery man. So far from that b
was an ardent advocate and devotet
admirer ofthoSe great arts and indus
q tries that hRye always distin
guished the nee above above h tn
lhe always esteemed and character
tfzed slavery asa dead weight and draI
a upon the prosperity of the country
Many years ago, before the question en-
tered largely. into our national politics
bhe freed his own slaves, and had 1t beei