Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-06
HE Proposed Kew Virsinia Military
lnssisute At BIaCkSbErG.
lFtem tho Richmond Dispatch.


cur paopic in ctu,aion is attes:ed by the ez-
tsnsivl notice % the prl Of The press OF
threatened chaoees il The organization OF
fa7oriiG Stale It's i!utioo. The proposition of
the Board Of Visitors at the meeting 10 August
lat to turn tbs Agricultural and Mechanical
College at B!acsSburg ioto q strictly military
school has 80 far E5 is kn0Wa 10 The Wlitor, &c
ceived not srgo endorsement. wife news
papers 10 t nCst every quarter Of tho State
Gfiaen to cur 6c:ttia kuuwledgc-have ipdicat
cd disepprovai, nero Or less emphatic of the
change, and others sitl have reproduced with
out Comment articles written in DIP )sii>n.
Il. III >rctore, the Visitors persist 10 their
| plan CT havlcS second military iDsitntu at
Blaeksburg, with soldier superintendent. to
| whom professors and students 10th shall be
subject as to superior officer, they must do it
| with tho alstl3ct expectation of popular di:ap-
rrova.
In The discussion Of the change 10 question
| by tic Board for desiring it. Having taken
| some pains to ascertain thom VIC feel justified
in stating thtso reasons briefly as follows:
Tic numbers Of tho College. it is declared,
have materially declined; Discussions have
| aiiicn in tic Faculty, anl Individual members
OF it are hostile 10 each oth,r; tho students
hsVa breua 10 take sides with Tho several par
| tC3 among their instructors, discipline baiug
thereby seriously impaired; and; lastly, reports
| blehly prriudlc.l 10 tao los,l management Oi
| tho College are widely disseminated. In a
word II is declared that Immediate and decided
acIl)n on the part of the Board is essential to
| prevent things IRON going to min. The obi oct
| OF this communication is to examine these ailo
getl0us. and 10 show that, however trao lhsy
may be, tho remedy proposed f1r the evils that
exlss ls not only unnecessary, but Unlawful, uI-
reasonable and cXtravagont.
First, as to the dcciue in the number OF stu
dents. Tie exact attendance at present VIC do
not know, though month ago it was greater
thnn at the corresponding period of last year.
As to the numbers 10 tho six preceding sessions
| tho following paragraph drawn from official
sources. which appeared 10 the Lynohburg Vir.
gl1lan some months sloce, i5 coDcsiVa:
| The largest number 10 any one of tho six
years is 255 The number last year is 1856,
showing difference Of 60. which is decline
of 3706 per ocnt. from tho hightsi uunber
Those catalogues show an average il III, six
years OF POS, which is Ii more than last. years
number, aud shows decline Of s 81 per ccnt.
last year from the average numbcr for six years,
|
aulalier less than this during the same six ycays
Tho circumstances Of these thrto are excep-
tl0naIiy tavoratlj for resisting the tandelc; O!
financial distress 10 Glmi0lSh thsir uuMbars
| Their lossoj, bGs!d on The difference between
! their highest numbers daring tho six years aud
Their numbers lest year, raago from IS to II 65
| pcEc62t. Bus tao other colleges, tested 10 The
saMo Way for tho same Elk years, show Losses
| raoSiog from IS to 80 per cent, omttiag frsc
tions, aut cn average loss Of moro than 70 Der
cent; while On tbs basis OF averages and the
numbers It last year, theso colleges average 80
per cent. loss against Biscksbure' S.37."
The institution originally opened at time
OF grea: depression for colleges, yet 10 three
years its numb II exceeded thos, Of ell in TIC
State but two. &, the end Gifts fourth year
II had, AID has ever slIoe had, moro students
than auy Institution, except the University,
and more Virginia students than any other
| Wka!ertr What !niegcuce to the disadvantage
of the College is to be drawn from decline 10
plumbers which is less than the average falling
eli elsewhere?
The existence Of dl5sensious 10 tho Faculty
and tho tici that individual members arc hos.
| tile 10 each other is not denied, though tho
no:crloty that has been given By certain parties
to Whist Is q matter Of 30 little interest to the
pubic generally IL rather absurd. But, grant
tcat these EentIcDen ars at variance, is
1t tho hrst Tina such thing ever occurred in
college, or IS /; matter Of such difficulty for
u talthiu! aud fearless Board Of Visitors 20 dis
pose Of such Giffcrcnc s that tho attention
OF the whole S:a:o should, Gs it wal last winter
IL tho L2sl&l :ture DC directed to il? Tic neo-
pie arc weary OF such ia!k Not that it is q
snail matter Tor one or mere professors in auy
institution 20 b. 50 iolmical to its head as 10 u e
every possible means of h!oderpg his cffec i've
administration. or Tor tho president to fed tbs
Creates toes Ct discipline In those to whom he
has light to look for support. but that such
as;ato OF things, with all its attendant evils,
should be allowed to continue 50 long, and such
apologies DO gwen lOrlt by those whose duty it
Is 10 Correct 1t, is ca offence to an intelligent
public.
The president oil the college has laid rrave
chargeP, it Is sslu, against ono or moro profess
sois. which arc not yet Investigated; it does not
appear that accusations of any sort bav, bccn
mado against hin. But, however, that NAV
ne, let the Board hear and adjudgo this cause.
LII tho charges against tho professors arc sus-
stained turn them out. If tho president can bo
proved uuisithful, tiect him. If both parties
Gre unworthy. eliminate BOTH But do not
CONSIDER It necessary, gentlemen, 10 order to
| cVauc olsagrccabln duty. or TO get rid of
man as president whom you dislike, though YOU
kooW ho's biamclcss, to upset everything and
mako the c1llego over again.
But, bes DIES declining numbers and n omar.
resoue Faculty. tho Blacksburg school must.
we arc told. become thoroughly mitary. bo
cause under the prescott plan it is much spoken
against and reports in its dispraiso arc rife. This
| allegation is easily disposed of by another. Our
Agricultural College during its seven years lite
hes probably been moro diligently brought into
pubic view 10 tho State by advertisements and
the distribution OF catalogues than any other 10.
stitutlor; its students have como from eighty
countle7, and the public have had tho bcss on.
poruni!y to know of it. The opinion of the
public is exhibited in hundreds of editorial
notices which tic newspapers have contained
10 commendallon-more, certainly, than auy
other school can boas:-and in tho almost entire
absence OF unfavorabc comment. Are there.
then, no evil reports; and if there are, what is
tfeir sonroe Tho answer should not be
minced. Such reports do exist, and their prime
source il the dlsatiected element amorg tho
nrOtcssOr9 md nffInara of tbo ;,,,;t,,i; lie