Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-07-07
THE GAZETTE.
5 bIEe.ai;,Icca4I,,,Yi IT. i 4 wi siIniiua..
TUEsDkYslEVENING,

. yab Ediuceaf Ion IN. virsiaia: ,sa 70
DgWe, extract from one Of Dr.. sBagby,s letters
I'd the Native Virginian, the following, IN re-
latioinl to the maaaef Of education, IN Virginia
and the course pursued BY those who teacnn'
He is speaking Of the Professors at the om'cr-
sityYqsVashiugton College, aud the MILITARY lt
Institute - = : :,a;a4,.f 5. a.e
.::Without lowering their dignity one parll-
ola rhs nsdfessors atithese places have adopt
I'D wisaty she plahof- putting the student upon
sbaotIoSffTgjd Of ea gentleman and a man
o. hnSnfonr. who's. Chief safeguard must be
ia oWn love, ofpIrincipe, and the intercourse
betwaen TIE two regulated by this taclt under
atandine. s How happy the result has been
aeed mot betold, tor we in Virginia arefanlhar
with IL c39E1C35 - .!!sE .t 4.->.~1 2-y@;~
boThsre is shout all these grave Professors a
genisi natnralness and absence OF pretenee-
what I should call, not 6onhon,ns,e, but aplain,
old-fashioned jYirginianisn, which is to me
more attractive than all their learning. Ii oc-
toasion require, they can be as erudlte as For,
500 or Agassiz, but being thorough men and
not masses Of verbs and self-ooncelt, they are
always ID active sympathy with the people OF
Virginia and the South, are interested heartily
in the pressing questions OF the hour and keen
welfare; Of their Stats and section-working,
indeed, with hopeful earnestness for the future
In which their pupils are to take the lead-and
hence it is that they prefer, as a rule, to talk
about those things with which most OF US are
familiar and in which we feel the deepest con-
Germ. Far from being slaves, as are the English,
to the. faith in machinery" and never failing
to recognize that higher and more spiritual
faith In thu forces which underlie and antedate
,machinery-tha faith which was the basis and
snbstratuna of our lost system, in which all that
was best In Che patriarchal and chivaric system
met and mingled, and gave to the world an ex-S
ample Of social dignity, grace and strength
such as nag never be seen IN oil time to come.
the teachers of the youth of Virginia are living.
teachers, competent to the tasks OF the pre-
sent and sensible of the necessities to come,
when, with the inflow Of population, the IN
crease of capital and the subsistence OF po-
litical strife, Virginia, at the head OF her
Southern sisters, will take the bold leap Tor
ward which all are anticipating and praying 1or.
My word for it, when that day comes, the
graduates at Lexington and at Charlottcs::
Vile as we'll, will be found ready, equipped and
waiting to meet and master the new order or
things, and to secure for the South the pre-
eminence in things material which seemed OF
old our birthright in things social and political.
r. think do not exaggerate in the least GER
tainly Edo not intend to exagggcrate-when l say,
in all seriousness, that the Virginians OF the next
generation will be the best (most thorough and
prat;caD educated people in the United States.
This conclusion is founded not alone upon the
course of study adopted at our Universities, for
Washington College is now fairly entitled to be
SO named, but upon the number and excellence
Of our private schools in various parts OF the
State. IL