The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-05
Letter from DR.. VIM H. Rufner.

10 me HeO. ~ IL. Dd6ney II. ~.
Dear Brother,-My general answer to your ar
ticle in the Planter and Farmer is gone into the
secular papers, but wanted to say some things to
you where it would be all in the family" If
should say some unpalata6le things, please remem-
Der that you began it, as boys used to say. Re
member also that our Lord, whom we so poorly
obey, said, Judge a I've be not jldged."
L have, upon sl1.l ksion, made public
speeches in some tweR1 Cor thirty counties Of
the State, and so far as know courteous notices
have been given Of those speeches by newspaper
writer's, in all cases except three Two Of the dis
courteous notices were by the resident Presbyte.
rian ministers where spoke. This struck me as
unusual in our Church. and as surprising in other
respects. These brethren had offered me their
hospitality, and one Of them spoke tenderly OF our
past associations ] did not seem to have forfeited
their confidence yet because they differed in
opinion as to how education should be conducted,
they felt at liberty to make petty and amazing crit
cisms alleged grammatical errors in the ex-
temporaneous addresses Of myself and some gentle
men who spoke with me. This seemed very, very
strange in well-bred gentlemen and Christian pas
tors. But when read your attack upon me, linn
mediately remembered that those young brethren
had been your pupils.
Now | suppose that what have said here and
elsewhere will offend you and | fear tfat it will
provoke bitter rci1inder. Ipray that it may not ;
but if it does, let Gcd ar d the Church j1dge be-
tween US. | have written 10 sorrow, and not in
anger and our personal relations hereafter will be
asst what you choose to make them.
DR.. Brown has kindly given me leave to indicate
to the readers of the Central some general senti
ments [ hold in respect to education, and which |
freely express in nay private intercourse. 1t will
thus be seen that am not Robesperro or
Rochefort. And | know of no way Of introducing
my views better than by sketching the history of
my own mind on this subject; and inaSmuch as
the Ego is now fully out, there may be no indeli
cacy in telling little more about him. I some
times say that | have been life long advocate of
public schools which is nearly true, but not quite
My father, although Virginan of the fourth gen.
GRAFTON, was, as you know, a German by blood,
mot Yankee and he brought me up in the
faith of Fatherlaud--the faith of Luther and
ZRinge, of Calvin and Knox the faith Of almost
every Protestant state and nation on both sides of
the ocean, VIZ: that for the soul to be without
knowledge as not good" and that the kingdom of
Christ and the kingdom of Ce iar were both so co.,
cerned in the training of the young, that both
should give it their care and their money, as well
as STIR ap parents the original and responsible
party. In this country the divorce OF the two
kingdoms produced separate action, and | may
now remark, produced antagonisms which have not
yet been reoonciled.
Until became minister my mind was turned
chiefly to the public or civil Importance of virtue
and intelligence among the people, which in those
days was constantly dwelt upon. When entered
the ministry in lS4S. cur famous Presbyterian pc.
rochia school system had possession Of the Church,
and like good servant at once became interested
in ecclesiastical education but my devotion to
this system was very short, and never for one mo-
ment fully agreeable either to my judgment or my
feelings. | went from the Cbaplaincy of the Uni
verSity of Va. to church in Philadelphia, which
was then our ecclesiastical metropolis. My church,
of 200 sittines, broke down my health, and re
signed in less than two years, and returned to Vr.
GINA in 1853 My older friends will remember,
perhaps sorrowfully, that whilst in Philadelphia |
began war on what then regarded as narrow
and bigotted oligarchy which was trying to ensave
the clergy and secularizs the Church. aud this
theory of Church education was one of the instru-
mentalites for doing the work. And you remem-
Der, brother Dabney, that about that time there
was pretty formidable Southern Rebellion
against that Capitalization of Church power, and
that soon after my return to Virginia, DR.. Stuart
Robinson and your colleague DIR. Peck aided by
Messrs. Breckenridge aud Bocock, Daboey and
Rnffner, g., &C., established the Ishmaelitish
Critic " in Baltimore, and what lively time we
had? No two Of US agreed upon all points, but
we all were agreed upon this, that we meant to
think for ourselves in matters Of Church policy.
Well, the story is too long to be told 10 full; but
during the fight had the most singular mental
episode of my life. While spending night with
the late Major Robert Grattan, of Rockingham
couutr-you remember his strong intellect was
stating to him my objections to Church education.
He replied, "your reas91E is perfectly sound,
and it applies equally lkte Eaucahon."
never had thought SO, but l was in humor that
night to be convinced and here confess that Rob.
ert Grattan convinced me that Church and State
Education were Identical, and that it was my duty
as then active warrior, to attack State Education
as | was attacking Church Education, and try to
bring society back to the primitive way of indtvid
uaI effort, or nothing. | vent home and immedi-
ately wrote out the arguments used by Mr. Graf
tan, and sent the piece as contribution to the
Critic. The article was anonymous, and perhaps
nobody but Dr. Robinson ever knew the author.
1t would be great folly in any one belonging to our
generation, to be twitting his neighbor on incon-
sstency Of opinion in regard to public affairs dur
ing the last twenty years. but suspect if you had
known | had done this thing you would have bat.
tered me with it before now. But maybe not
Somebody attacked the piece in the next number
of the Critic, and could not say word in reply
for by that time was back, or nearly back, to my
old position, out OF which | have never budged
from that day to this.
In 1866 Il think it was) the question of having
a public free.school system in Virginia was brought |
up for debate in the Franklin Society of Licking
ton. prepared myself carefully, and made notes |
of my intended speech. Those notes | now have |
and when was elected to my present office four
years afterward, they were of service in preparing
the argument which | submitted in thirty days az
ter my election. | was opposed to establishing a
school system until the time people of the State
should come into possession of the government
but the body of this speech was strong in favor
If public free education as | was capable of max
ngit.