The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-31


coming the continental university of the
Bap'i>ts. Let her never forget thu watch.
ing over her perilous embarkatit n. and
guiding her through the rnrks and beyond
the shoals. IrS'nians committed he TO the
favor Of Heaven, son the full tide Of ,s,I,Tc..-
tul experiment.
We have found is vet in our reSe;, rrh no
Baptist Institution OF Iearnln. strict " an,i
siDgly Firglnan. As far back at lelstas 1890 il
WAS realized that Virginia Baptists mus have
seminary OF their own. Columbian { 0lpge
was still In imminent peril. Ii it went down.
our brethren would be left without a &C ege.
VI il lived a. college, it had been ~ rovcd
doubtful that the entire State could / raj
lied to its support. If it ever assume d the
grand proportions to which it aspired. Eir-
ginia Baptists would stiIl need sulrsit iiary.
FEEDING seminary.
This being the situation.
THE IDEA OF RICHMOND COLLEGE
| occurred to our loved ard venerated h roth
| rem }. b. Jeier and J. B. Taylor on ,ur-
ncy. rs the idea of the General A>So,.r ion
had originated with two ortbrea other hre III
rem on horseback. Their plans were pls in
ana practical, and not ut all magniiirn :.
Great things are sometimes achieved wit i
| magnificent schemes, and sometimes witEout
them. Columbian College, we are stETe.
| could never have existed at oil but for che
grandeur Of the conception. 1t Is already Il
great, and seems likely to be very grand,
reality. Washington city, commencing only
| with Il vast network OF streets and avenues
through empty or uncleared space. ha )
grown to be great, and fairly promises to be
very great. But. starting without any dcti-
mite or extended plan, Richmond has grown
| into very respectable and New York into CO.
loSSal proportions. \ great and iir-rcarhing
| plan, applied Ivy men of ndon,italr energy
and large share of practical s;i.arity. is
| good. \ smaller plan-lloXle. eNpanSihle,
ready Tor Immediate Use, and in the hands
OF discreet, rcSolute. progressive men-is
| more likely To accomplish something. and
mt much likely TO accomplish il great deal.
And such was the plan of the Baptist Semi
nary, afterwards Richmond Co'Ir~r. Its
chief immediate aim was To train with all
thoTougEneSs, aud us extensively as clrcum .
| stances would allow the rising ministry OF
the State and denomination and right well
did it accomplish its aim. A finer body Of
young men than the MasonS, the Hammers,
the Pelrce., the HarriSses, thut first gather
ed around Robert Ryland, never assembled.
in Virginia. They commenced their AGA
drmic course too late i'll life and with too.
slender preparation TO become Gne scholars.
but they went forth from the seminary en-
ceIIcnt. intelligent. liberul-mindcd preachers,
devoted mutual friends and devoted Chris.
thus, ready for every good word and work.
| And the succession has been kept up. What.
teacher ever did more tcndcrly appreciate
or more efficiently aid Il body OF piouS, tai.
tnted. in,ligrnt ard GciecliveIy-traincd
voun" men than Robert Ryl.,nd: Who that
had 50 much good SENSE. and so mitch SUBJ
stiutial. accurate scholarship, ever made so
little show? Everybody wanted 10 SEE H.
halo of prestige around Dr.. Ryand: but
this solid orb Of light moved in too clear I'm
alm0spIcrr. Yet Elanv a star affecting Tue
first magnitude WAS not, apart from its llit-
Siyc .riutiliions. half 30 large and man,
al amazin- comet. stripped of its yaprry en-
vrlopr, was immensely smaller.
| IIi- intellectual cXcillcncicS were not, how
ever. on a par with his moral worth, else
they would eiiay have pierced his thick
veil of modc>iv and >cii-dcplccialion With
: their irrcpr"SSihlr lii>trc. All IN all. his
wisdom. his prudence. hi, stuGiou>ncSS. his
: patience, his rigid economy OF public money.
his lihnralllv tevcn 10 profll,cuc-sl OF his
own, made him of all men The very ul'n for
the time and place. And he was we'll SIS
famed hy small and poorly paid Tut come
1ri ,nt aud lnhorinuS faculty. Nor Is it lrr-
yidious f. Distinguish. among other zcalo'i,
and efficient cciipcratOrS, j. B. Taylor. n
active voluntary ,rlnv;lS-cr Tor the scmlna -
,:,,. a,.po.t ri.hiy-inrral contributor To ii,
funds: !. b. deter. equally if, founder "lit
equally its cnlincutly .iudiclous and Watcl TN
/ friend: l.. VI. Allen. its en'erprlsing Ano
iudelatipable agent: and Archibald Tho MS
William Crane. James {. Crane, Al oerl
Snead. John Szer, Richard Rcins, Ricl nrd
| Wortham.
The institution did not at first aspire tn u,
RIGHT ntl iii rvrr) Il college. Even after cir
,llnstsn,.,', forced upon II that dignity, il
WA. content to occupy lnra while - dor
,Iinalu rank. Far Uum complaint AZ ri
| brethren at il distance from Riciuiul M fol
| "jyit.r the Whole Of their patronage To tho
school in Washington, it scarcely di>suadcd
them from 80 doing.
| ! number of students in liz car' ier ears
a,aiIed themselves Of its chcapncs s and it,
! solid prer,ra:orv instruction. and completed
their course at Columbian College. with the
| aDDrotativn if not al the ln>tllcc Of Dr.
| Eyiand: aud afterwards. in the improved
condition OF The institution, can'lnr aud sell:
respect lorbiddirS tie continuance of this
altitude he stiIi encouraged some %: the
I,r uliI,ils 10 seek the higher advantages NJ
tur,lcd hy the University OF Virginia. And
| NAV remark, in passing, that these pants
were Us thoroughly prepared aS amy Chat en-
tered that admirable :rh0. Il!c prospects
,i fine institution continued to brig pttn, t.Ir
rjrrt,. of lis !licnti, to widen. Tia! zeal aud
rut,.lr,r>c iu edu,atiuu and the consciousness
| Of deuouIiimtiuull power 10 develop, till.
about 1850, the question began 10 tE rrli-cd.
| Wh. should Richmond College nod place
| of .ul,orCiin:lion or inscrioity TO any scmi-
nary in the lihd?
| In the good providence of G'ji, and we
SUSPECT without human design, aia'rs bad
moved obliquely aud iuScn>ibly t. ,h'r is,llc.
| IL the college had been at tiIsii propnScd TO
| Inc General Association. the ta,it commit
mpnt. if no. the actual en5a cement Of SOME
bretn,cn 10 other schools, you'd have pre-
| Guided itS unanimous or p'.rtlaEs its general
reception. There certainly would blyc been
discussion anil dIri>iou An edu,at:on so
cletv. only in Fart Identical in membership
with tho Association. a,mi but holding its
sessions in connection wit it, was organized
chiefly to promote the be lciiriary trainin" OF
Young preachers. The Society made The col
lc-c the rhic! lu-!rumcT K OF this benevolent
work Tie society inc ..cascd in strength till.
becoming" cmCyten-ive with the Association,
il was, on the simp!l Icliun of our ccOpelu-
live agencies, laerse III the larger body aud
substituted hy Tho Education Board; and
the society and fac board, without any or
.tnic connection with the college, hay: been
gradually broug' It into almost universal favor
with The tiemoIu nation.
In 1850. us we have said, it became evil
dcut that
THE INSTITUTE Y MUST MAKE A NEW DEPARTURE.