The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-02
Communicated
Fhe Petition oE the S0Eth.sifle for
Gne-Ehprti Of the Eand Scrip.

Gne-Eh1rd of the LAND Scrip.
The thousands Of citizens who signed the
petition to the Legislature for the hcStow-
mcnt Of one-third of the Congressional land
fund on Iiampden Sidney College hoped
that an appeal so unanswcIable in its Just
ice could not fail Of Il favorable answer from
| the General Assembly Of Virginia, eSpe-
cially when the rcllcf asked costs the State
nothing. and the request of the petitioners
was so modest. They only ask Il third,
where they might Justly ask all. 1t would
seem as though this just expectation is to
bc disappointed, If the Senate's Committee
| on Colleges, &C.. can effect it. Before this
! Great wrong is c0nSummatcd, we request
| the members, and the rapacious parties be-
! hind the committee, to consider Il few plain
points: The Board of Trustees of Hampden
| Sidney. it seems. has never been anything
but modest college board. They are with
out party afiioitieS and powerful connec-
tons and Government patronage and roliti-
cal alliances. The friends OF the two schools
which propose to engro>S the spoilS. accllS-
toned to prop themselves upon all these
potent supports. probably regard that
board as Il very insignificant affair, to he
sunmarly tIipcd out OF the way, and to
have its pretcnSions simply contemned.
Perhaps it seems to these long-SucceSSful
frcqucntcrs of lohbcs and committee-roonls
quite IL funny idea that this company Of
country gentlemen should suppose Il sim
pie plea Of justice and fairness. \ simple
tale of want and suffering, however we'll
of Virginia. Well, the Hampden Sidney
Board have no dependence save justice and
"a thing which these greedy engrossers
oveIlook) THE PEOPLE.
our purpose in writing is to say that the
long-suttlinr people of the South-side, in
asking Il small fraction Of their rights in
this matter, are in earnest, and are deter
mined to make their wishes. respected. We
wish to lndcccivc the movers OF the pollti-
Cal chessmcn about this matter. They may
suppose that Il great section of the state Is
not to be seriously moved by an affair OF its
po0r little college, and Il little approprla-
lion Of less than hundred thousand dol
lars--;n affair which touches neither Pres-
dcnt-maiins nor railroad- making. Gentle
men, you are mistaken. We have never
known the people of the SOuth-side more
iii earnest, or more determined in any State
measure. And this not because OF its mag
niiuae, but because the condition of the
South-Side is so distressed and critical be-
cause this request Of relief is SO unanswer-
ably reasonable and 20 easy ;-yea, because
it Is so small. For these reasons the
people have property made point of
this modest request, and they will see
in the bald Injustice of a refusal a
deliberate purpose Of the other Sec
tons to disregard their rights and welfare.
This injustice will be the signal for an al
most universal determination to look to
their self-deicnCe. The greedy policy of
the University and the Military Institute
in this thing will be the most disastrous
measure for those institutions. The South
side, hitherto generous and iong-sufering
supporters of both, will in selfdetence as
sumo this position. Not another dollar Of
tax TO help those who willneyer help us. We
forewarn these petted institutions that if
they press this greedy policy they will
lose more than they gain. Henceforward
un embittered and outraged people will
take the stand-No more annuities from