Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-02-04
Scotch, with the Irish dash and intrepidity.

Scotch, with the Irish dash and intrepidity.
They make fine soldiers
He said it was an old wish of his to
visit this country, but it would never be
realized now. Stoncwall jackson had
been in Scotland before the war. He had
heard him speak Of it.
When some reference was made to the
odds against which the South had fought, |
and the want there was of accurate statis- |
tics told him 1T was understood he was pre- |
pairing a history of the war himself
81 have had that in view" he said !; |
''but the time is not como for an impartial |
history. If the truth were told just nor,
it would not be credited"
When the books that had already APP
peared were spoken of, and [ mentioned |
one, the proOf-sbeets of which it was as
serted had been submitted to General |
Grant and himself for revision, he said |
cit is mistake. have never read his |
tory of the war, nor the biography of any
man engaged in it. -Iy own life has been
written, but have not looked into it,
He added, after pause, 81 do not wish
to awaken memories OF the past"
He spoke highly of Sherman's abilities
said Sherman had always been II good
soldier.
He seemed much gratiGed when I told
him Of the estimation in which he and
StonewalI Jackson had been held from the
first by the British people, irrespective al
together Of Northern or Southern sym
pathies. He said, after pause, jackson
lies in the Presbyterian burying ground at
the other extremity Of Lexington. "
LEES COLLEGE.
AS the classes were going on, Lee intro
duced me to one Of the Professors, who
took mo through the College. The insti-
tuition, which IS now associated with the
name of Lee, has little history OF its
own. It originated in Il classical school,
established by the early settlers of Vir-
ginia, in the days when George the Second
was their King. In 1881, America being
then Independent, the Virginia Legislature,
by way of testifying its appreciation OF
the patriotism OF Washington, passed an
Act VestinG in him certain valuable shares.
Washington, however, declined to take
them, except with the proviso that he
might transfer the gift to some public OBJ
'ject. The result was the transfer of the
whole donation 20 the institution which
now bears his name, and over which. by q
happy historic coincidence, General Lee,
who is married to the grand daughter Of
the wife OF Washington, now presides.-
This endowment yields annually to the
College the interest on fifty thousand
dollars.
When the war broke out in 1861 the
students of Washington College organized
Themselves into military company, joined
StOnewall Jackson at Winchester, and for
four years shared the fortune Of the Stone
wall Brigade-the college i'll the meantime
closed and slumbering among the noun
tains OF Lexington, waited till peace
should return and bring her soldier-stu-
dents back. She received rude awaken
1rI,o ENof1a &roa %
General Hunter entered Lexington, sacked
the college and partially destroyed it's libra
ry, the last act of Vandalism being evident
ly the eliminating atrocity and unpardon
able sin in the eyes of the worthy ibrari-
an With rueful cOuntenance he pointed
to encyclopedias and other series Of books
with half of their volumes gone. A few
books taken by the Federal soldiers to
read had been picked up afterwards about
the fields and retained. He showed me
with a much more cheerful face various
books that had been received as donations,
some Of them from publishers il this
country. He said the college vas poor
and gifts of this kind were very welcome.
In 'G5, after the close of the war, steps
were taken to re-organize the institution,
and General Lees acceptance of the Pres
identship gave it O. once a guarantee of
success. Five new professorships were es-
tablished, and full literary and scientific
course organized.
At the time Of my visit the attendance
of students had increased to four hun.
dred. About q third of these were Virgin
ians, but twenty other States Including
Massachusetts, were represented. Many
of the students lodge in the college build
ings, furnishing their own rooms and feed
ing in town, the rest lodge and board in
private families. The session extends
l.
June-board, lodging-fees and all ex-
penses costing about EGO head. Each
student is allowed to pursue such studies
as his parent or guardian may select, if he
is found competent. The degrees granted
are B. A. and M. A, also 3. S., Bachelor
of Science, and B. L Bachelor of Law.
General Lees business as President is
not to teach but to exercise O general ST.
pervision. lie is &c otiicio Chairman of the
Faculty, presides at examinations, confers
all degrees, and distributes premiums. He
receives weekly reports Of the standing
and department of every student. and Wis
its the class-rooms from time to time, that
he may Judge for himself Of their diligence
and behavior. He has large amount of
official correspondence, to which he at
tends in the room in which first saw him.
In the Mental and Moral Philosophy
classroom, after the students were gone, I
had talk with the Professor. He told
me that it was the Scotch Philosophy that
was taught in the College, His principal
text books were Dugal Stuart and Hodges
Edition of Sir William Hamilton. He
wanted to see Calderwoods book on the
Infinite. He had heard good deal about
it, but the College was not able yet to get
all the books it wanted. M'Oosh was
highly thought of. Reid was o standard
work. Brown was known little. But
Dugald Stuart was more popular and more
valued in America than any other writer
on philosophy.
I asked him if Mill was we'll known.
He said his influence was felt, but not
so much in the South as in the North. He
was astonished that Mill had been elected
Lord Rector at st. Andrews. "Surely
Scotland" he said, sis shifting her old
position" He thought Mill was losing
himself in crotchets.
Speaking of Lee, he said the presence