Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-07-12
Letter from StauntOn. Va.

Association met In the spacious clapCl VI TIC
Institution for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind, this
morning, beautiful voluntary on the organ, by
\ blind boy ushcring in the members. At 10
O'Clock President Abbott took the chair, and,
after prayer by the Rev. DIR. McEwing, Of
Augusta, the minutes Of the previous meeting
were read and approved Many more menu
hers were in Attendance, among whom | noticed
Col. L. Huxton of the Episcopal High School.
Ten or fifteen new members were reported upon
and elected in the course of the day, but none
of them being from our section ol The State,
omit their names.
The Committee on Nomination Of Officers re-
ported the following, who were unanimously
elected, viz: Prof f. 5. .Joyncs, OF Washing
ton and Lee University, President; john Hart,
principal Baptist Il, male Institute, Staunirn,
list Vice President; Prof ". \. Shepard, ul
Randolph Macon College, I'd Vice President;
Richard l.. Carnc principal St. Johu' Ac;lde-
my, Alexandria, Sd Vice President; Professor
Joseph A. Turner, llons Institute. Bnutctort
Springs, 4Lh Vice President; w o. English
principal VeruIan School, Albcmarlc county,
Recording Secretary; H. NJ BackIord Rector
Episcopal High School Of Virginia, Correspond
ing Secretary; d. $. DOggctt, jr., Richmoud
Treasurer; Il. H. Parhan, Richmond, Auditor
Pending the adoption ul the report. Prot.
Joyncs moved the substitution Of, Inc name OF
the chairman Of the committee, W. T. Davis,
President OF the Southern Female College,
Petersburg, for his own, as 1t was uncertain
whether he could attend the next meeting but
Withdrew his amendment after speeches from
Mr.. Davis, Prof Eslll, Of Nashlnslon ami
Ice University, Mr.. BIackiorI, and Mayor
lotchkiss, of Saunton, urging him to DO 50.
The second Vice President then took the
chair, the higher officers Wishing to engage III
the discussion, and an able report from the
committrc appointed to prepare i curriculum
for secondary schools was read by its chairman,
the newly elected President. This report accept
inc the facts that regular curriculum was adj
visablc. and that the schools could nOtatford to
lose patronage I,y IL close adherence to one, pre-
parcd a sort of compromise, by which French
could be substituted for Latin and German or
Greek and Applied Mathematics for both, IT de-
sired. equivalent work being in all cases insisted
mon MIR. Abbott Of Bellevue School, Abe
marie Prot. .Joyncs, Gen. +. II. Smith,
SUPERINTENDENT Virginia Military Insti,uto
VIM W. Smith, Of Bethel Male Academy,
Iiauuuicr, MIR. BIackford, Mr.. Davis, Of
Petersburg, Professor Pike Powers, Of Staun,,
ton, COL II. Il. Withcrs, OF Rlchmond, and
Mr.. Terry, Of Amherst, then thoroughly dis
cusscd the sui, iect, all agreeing, IN the man,
that regular curriculum embracing Greek anu
Latin was to be preferred, but most OF them
advocating partially elective system from mo-
lives of policy aud necessity. Gen. Smith in
sisted upon regular curriculum, saying that 1t
was important not only as discipline Tor the
mind but as a meaus OF controlling the youth,
overcoming his will, and keeping him properly
employed, and that thong h the Virginia Mill
tary Institute was essentially school OF lnathc-
MATES and natural science, he preferred re-
ccvng boys who had been taught Latin and
Greek we'll to those who came to HIM well III
structcl i'm mai hcmatics; he wanted to turn out
finished scholars and whilst the Institute could
attend to things in its own sphere from tho
beginning, it had not time, III its course Of Tour
years, to make classical scholars of those who
had not been well grounded in Latin before
hand. ;, y,
In the course Of the discussion, Rev. IL. 1.
Barton. of Lexington, asked Tor q solution to
the question: What is to be done with boys
who come ia from farm work every winter, and
can stay only four months? as they cant be
kept in the regular classes with profit, and
there is no time to teach them separately.
Several of the speakers named above cSsaycd
| to answer this question, and some pronounced
it unanswcrablc; but Col. Johnston (sun OF Gen.
Albert Sydney suggested that nc give them
first Robinson Crusoc, then Pilgrim Progress,
and then Plutarch's Lives, to read, and that,
with little arithmetic and geusraph ny, would,
probably, be as good Il course as the circun
stances would admit Of At Il clock the AS
ISOLATION adjourned to meet ut the baplist
Church at $50.
AT that hour the church was filled with ladies
and Others and after prayer by the Rev Dr.
kirkpatrick, of washington and Lee Unlyer-
sity, PrcsidenI Joyncs introduced Col. VIM.
Preston Johnston, of the same institution, who
delivered beautiful and instructive address on
"IIistory as an Element in u liberal Educa-
ton. which was listened to with profound at
| tentlOn.
Mr. Black ford then stated that, as chairman
of committee whose duty it was TO procure
three essays from ladies, to be read 1T this
meeting, he had been promised one, from
very able pen, but in consequence OF al alice
ton of the eyes, which had bctallen the fair es
sayist, she had bucu unable to redeem her
| pledge.
Prot. Estill then read report from the COM
miltce on the President annual address, but
its consideration was post poncd until to day.
lfyour readers who are thinking with lous
ing hearts about the cool mountain air, III this
heated term, can derive any consolation from
the fact | can comfort them with the ASSURANCE
that last night was hotter here than any have
experienced at home. fIDELls.
WASHINGTON ITEMS The work Of paying
back the small modiculn left from the sales made
10 this District under the confiscatlon act to per.
sons who were pardoncd and relieved OF all
penalties and disabilities by the President $
proclamation of December 18th, ISIS, Is still
going on in the courts Yesterday cx-Govcr
nor John I.ctchcr, of Va, whose Lots, ] to r.
in Square CTS, on North Capitol street, near u,
were confscatcd and sold, received an order
for $40 GG the remains of sale which went IN
to the treasury of the United States.
A new vault in which to retain the new United
States currency before issuing it to the banks,
is being constructed on the second floor OF the
Treasury building
New water fountains Of handsome design
were erected to-day at the intersection of Penn
syIvauia avenue, Seventh street, Ninth street
/ ,tr,ot 'rbpsa iIupt,Inc brvr