The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-07-06
Washington and Lee University.

When Gen. Robert e. Lee took charge of
Washington College, and lifted it out Of the
ashes of desolation, the cause of education
felt new impulse throughout all our bor-
ders. From that day to this every school in
Virginia, male and female, including the
University of Virginia, has been quickened
into new life and fourished in an unwonted
degree. while at the same time the schools
and universities of other States seem to have
languished And thus Virginia seems TO-
have become the established, if not fashion
able resort for education from every portion
Of the country. We doubt not that this is
owing to the extraordinary distinction Of the
fact that the army of educators in Virginia
was headed and imbued by the genius and
spirit Of Rebt. E. Lee.
He has gone from among us, but his name
and fame have been consecrated to the cause
of education il the prosperity Of Washing
ton & Lee University; and his own distin-
guished son has caught up his mantle, and is
now carrying out the work of his illustrious
father.
It would be most unfortunate and unwise
that anything should be said or done in Vir-
ginia tending to impede its progress, and de-
feat the great good it is working out for Vir-
ginia And yet we have discovered recent
ly, in the University Magazine, and even in
the Richmond Whig and Petersburg Inder,
articles which can have no other effect than
to stir up strife and chickering's between the
friends Of the University of Virginia and
those of Washington 4 Lee University and
the colleges of the State, and thus to ''set by
the ears the friends of education all over
the State.
These writer's seem to be actuated only by
absurd jealousy, and their articles are filed
with unfair and unworthy attempts to sneer
at Washington 4 Lee University as being de-
pendent for its success only con the capital
of great name"-that lit is less of a UNI
versity than sectarian institution in the
PRESBYTERIAN interest" and that sit does not
compare with the University of Virginia"
&C., &c. &c.
Now, it is simply preposterous to say that
such an honest and earnest worker as Robt.
E. Lee, could have devoted five years Of his
unselfsh life to successfully building up that
institution without impressing upon it actu-
al merit, even as much as the renown of
his great name. And it is only too absurd
to say, that he, and his worthy son, and other
able and true meE connected with it, and ar
IDENTIFY laboring for its success, and who are
Jealous members of other churches, could
have been such knaves or fools as to lend
themselves simply to building up a secta-
rian institution in the Presbyterian interest y
When we accept the challenge to "com-
pare" it with the University of Virginia, as
to what constitutes "University," we find,
by the catalogues Of the two, that with the
exception only of the school Of Mcdicine)
the course Of instruction in the two is essen
tt0tsy tRe same that the standard OF grad
uation is equally high that the corps and
character Of instructors is about equivalent
that the number of academic students, ever
since 1866, has been greater in Washington
& Lee than in the University of Virginia,
and that the number Of students educated
gratuitously at Washington & Lee Universe
ty annually exceeds that at the University of
Virginia-especially when deducting those
for whom the State appropriation is consider
ed as paying. The only important difference
then seems to be, that while in all the char
actcristics of University they stand about
equal, yet Washington & Lee is self support
ing, and by its enterprise and merit has ac-
cumulated (mostly from outside of Virginia)
an endowment fund which yields it annually
about SIS ,o00--the University of Virginia
receives that sum annually for its support out
of the pockets Ct the oppressed taxpayers Of
Virginia.
The true friends of the University Of Vir-
ginia, and of the cause Of education il Vir-
ginia, should frown down these oyer-zealous
and unwise partisans, whose course can re-
suit only in evil chickering's, bad feelings, and
serious injury to all Of our institutions Of
learning in the State.