The New York herald., 1873-07-10
kGRlr5 LTURAL COLLEGE Of VIRGINIA.


rhmmcnccment Exercises Governor
Walker ON Practical Ed Education-Te"cn. N.
ing the Young Coiorod Idea How to
Shoot-A Few Broad Hints to tne Cow
ernment 1T Washington.
MONTGOMERY WhIrK SULPHUR SPRINGS val
July Q. 1873.
The exercises OF the first commencement OF the
State Agricultural College opened yesterday at
Racksbnrv. The opening address was delivered
nv Professor Charles Martin, OF Virginia, the sub
,ect being. mental and Physical Education" The
soubomorian society had their final celebration
hast night r. G. Gillut, of Augusta was awarded
the orators gold medal and O. W. Bocrock, OF
Lynchburg, the debater's medal
To-day large assembly were present to hear
Governor Gilbert G. Walker deliver the ADDRESS
before the literary societies on the subject OF
practical education. The ad So was enthu-
sasrically received. Touching the political issues
Of the day. among other things he said:--
cannot speak IN TOO laudatory terms OF the
wisdom and foresight which enabled the College, by
an advantageous sale and q more advan tageous
investment to nearly double the principal
Of the fund derived from the Congressional appro-
priaton and TO increase the income therelrom in
corresponding degree. This annual income Will
apart for the maintenance OF this College, and one
thIrd to the Hampton Normal and Agricultural In
stitute, school 10, nded upon the same theory as
cOlOred population, and right nobiy Is IL performing
tins necessary and important duty. BY this divk
sion Of the fund between these two institutions, its
benefits will be shared In by all the people OF the
State, and the principle OF separate schools Tor
each race, which l regard O vital importance to
each and absolutely essential to success In either
will be maintained and perpetuated. The war
resulted in the emancipation OF the negroes; but
no sooner had the sword been sheathed than the
strife was transferred to the forum, and days and
months even years, were spent In Efforts to clothe
the freedman with rights he could not understand
and load him w1th responsibilities which he was
unable to comprehend Statute on statute
itself repeatedly amended to establish the civil
and political rights Of the negro. But where
N the long aogre g bs OF and Sae
tiOn even to partial comprehension OF the duties
and responsibilities which these rights imposeY
Why did not the mental and moral necessities OF
these wards OF the nation excite the same paterna
solictude did their political cOnditiOnf shall
not pause, is 1t germane to my present purpose,
to answer this very natural inquiry. The facts with
winch we have alone to deal at the present mo-
ment are that although the negro was emanci
pated from physical slavery, he was left bound in
the more terrible chains OF universal Ignorance,
and that while the nation invested him with the
ship it not only failed to make any provision
for investing him with 11,9lg kn1,o9wledge Of
that citizenship imposes, but left him in the depths
OF poverty and ignorance to be educated, II edu-
CARED at all, by the white people OF those States
they were unable to educate even themselves.
That this was unwise, unjust and i'm
Ssmonstrate. demon s'' In my opinion, the % governmen5 m
should not only have provided the means for the
education Of these ne new SURFACES but It should
South to fulfil this high and holy duty 20 them
selves Ut i be o,,tIE true that one portion
Its mental, moral or physical condition,
without injury more or less TO the whole;
srable in the individual citizen Of a republic then
the education OF the whole people becomes mat
ter Of public interest and national concern.
i am no advocate OF governmental system OF
education, except by the States; but do advocate
the extension to ali the States Of the policy which
has uniformly obtained in the organization Of new
States. The public lands are the common property
Of o. the white white people Of the Union, held BY
and II there be reason and SOUND statesmanship
IN reserving q portion OF this property educa-
nonal purposes IN the sparseiy populated but pros,
statesmanship in far higher degree dictate the
appropriation OF portion OF this property to the
lstion Of the older States OF the South:
But l DO not 60 to the length Of
the subject, based though it may be upon the
soundest and most substantial and patrio tic
with all Of the other States of the Republic in this
as in all other respects. merely advert to the per
f0rmance OF what believe to be solemn and imper
alive duty by the federal government to the back
race and 10 the people OF the whole country, ant
that duty consists in approprlating the entire pro
ceeds derived from the sales OF pubic lands to edu
catisnal purposes, and while would devote por
uOn OF these proceeds TO the further endowment o
colleges OF this character and the balance 10 the
support and maintenance OF free primary schools
i would see to 1t that the whole was
placed where 1t would do the nost good. The
manner in which this duty should be executed
whether this property shall be divided among tht
several States, equally or according to population
or illiteracy, or upon what should esteem the
wiser, more comprehensive and equitable basi.
OF present needs and prospective demands, ant
how much shall bd apportioned to primary ant
how much to technical schools may safely be re
ferred to that Congress which Shall possess the
wisdom, the integrity and the patriotism to adop,
this policy. God give us men weo can stand before
demagogue and damn his treacherous batteries
without Wlnkng.