Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-03-06
The University of Virginia.

To the editor Of the AIecunartn Gu@ette
Surely the twcuty.ourtil Of February, as we'll
as the wenty-second. ought henccf"rth 10 be
reueu bercd among F:rginia'S t2irs Juusti her
lucky days. TO the University, and consc-
ouently to the educational interests not only OF
our own State, but Of the whole South, it Was
day of salvation, for it witnessed the passage
Of bill which, alone, prevented tie rapid de-
cine OF an institution which We Of the South
ero aud Southwestern States justly consider a
precious heritage left iu coumoo by our fore
father, t. our whole section.
Opposed as this bill has been, and strongly
opposed too, strange as 1t may seem, by men
who call themselves friends OF the University
save M from ,uch friends, may the latter with
reason cry-opposed ty some Of the Colleges,
protesting 10 be Universities themselves, who,
It's puch 10 be feared may meet with the fate
of the frog in the iabo-opposnd By few, a
few only, we rejoice to say,who with the dcm-
agcgue's arts have attempted to excite the
prviulces of the very class it is calculated most
drec ly to benefit, falsely asserting that the
mechanics aud smaller farmers are to b. taxed
10 the interest of the w"althirr portion OF the
conlmunit,-it has been brought up fairly on
It's merits, ard, thanks to the native good seuSc
aud berality If the majority of Firgluiaus,
when education is 10 question, has been TIL
umphantIy carried through both House and
b,o b,oo l,p tbo
is DOW law. The people of Virginia have
reason to applaud their Legislature for tie
passage Of this bill, aud the eiiz 'ns OF Aley.
andria to commend their representatives Tor
their v, tes 10 favor of it,
A wrong impression seems. however, to have
arisen concerning one O It's provisions, which,
in Justice TO class Of educators, of ,shich We
have sufficient grounds 10 be proud-.e refer
to the heads IF the High Schools-vught t. be
corrected.
Ii has been tecgraphnd generally through
Gu the State that the hill grauts free tuition
only to those Virginans who pass prepare
tory exam nation at the University, or who
bring with them the cert 6cate of 40 iGcorpo.
rated college; whereas a single reference to it
shows hat the High School certificates placed
on COIL CQuui IOSViuS WIN l'hl ~ tuS
College, aud Justly too. glance at the re-
cords Of the University since the war will
prove that of the students filling Its halls the
vast uajyrity have c,me from the High Schools
and not from the Colleges. If the diploma lists
be exam med the proportion is still more strik-
uqly in favor Of the schools. One fifth OF the
academic diplomas last year we're taken by
students from TWO High Schools 10 the State
kept by TWO brothers we'll knowu am og the
educational fraternity. Of the fifteen NJ. A. $
VINO have graduated within the last Eve years,
10. one registers from college. and but one
from sister University. a Comparison OF the
ante bellum statistics would result still more
advantageousy for the schools, aud we are de-
cidedIy of the opinion that their principals
should unite in drawing public attention 10
these facts The popular mind should be dis
abused of an impression which the telegram
above referred to was calculated to give-oue
SO glariugIy urjust to that large class oil silent,
earnest workers, who, for years, have been ay-
iue the foundation for that higher education
which University alone eau give. Let justice
be done. \.