Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-24
The University Of Virginia.

will show by their report that they OBJ
tanned all the information necessary t
enable the Legislature and the genera
public to come to wise conclusion a
to whether it has been, and is now, 81
managed as to confer the greatest pos
sible benefit on the State.
Not having seen the joint resolution
of the Senate and House of Delegates
! am not very accurately informed as
to the scope and extent Of the dutie;
imposed upon the committee Of investi
cation. take it for granted, how
ever, that one of the objects of the in
quiry will be to ascertain and repOrt
upon the qualifications of the profes.
sors and their ability to discharge &C
ceptably and profitably to the Univer,
sity and the general public, the duties
of their respective chairs. ! do not
desire to be understood as intimating
that the chairs of the different profess
sorships are not now suitably filled
though candor requires me to say that
| have heard complaints to the con
| trary. Let the committee fearlessly
and searchingly inquire, and make
known the facts to their respective
! houses.
Mr.. Jefferson, the illustrious founder
Of the University, in a letter to the
Hon. Joseph c. Cabell under date Of
the Sd February, 1924, in giving his
opinion as to the qualifications Of pro-
lessor in the University, says :" re-
mark what you say on the subject Of
committing ourselves to any one for the
law appointment. Your caution is per-
fCctly Just. | hope and am certain that
this will be the standing law OF discre-
ton and duty with every member Of
our Board in this and all cases. You
know we have all from the beginning
considered the high qualifications of
our professors as the only means by
which We could give to our institution
Splendor and prominence over all sis
ter seminaries. The only question,
therefore, we can ever ask ourselves as
to any candidate will be, Is he the
most highly qualified: The college of
Philadelphia has lost its character of
primacy by indulging motives of favor
itism and nepotism, and by comforting
the appointments as if the professor
ships were entrusted to them as proyi-
sions for their friends. And even that
Of Edinburgh, you know, is also much
lowered from the same cause. We are
next to observe that a man is not
qualified for a professor knowing
nothing but merely his own profession.
lie should be otherwise well educated
as to the sciences generally; able to
converse understandingly with the sci
entiGc men with whom he is associated,
and assist in the councils of the faculty
on any subject Of science on which
they may have occasion to deliberate.
Without this he will incur their con-
tempt and bring diSreputatiOn. on the
institution. With respect to the pro-
fessorship you mention, | scarcely
know any Of our judges personally,
but will name, for example, the late
Judge Roane, who, | believe, was gen.
orally admitted to be among the ablest
Of them. His knowledge was confined
to the common law chiefly, which does
not constitute one half of the quail
fcation of really learned lawyer,
much less that of professor of Law
for a university. AS to any other
branches of science, he must have
stood mute in the presence of his lit
erary associates, or Of any learned
strangers or others visiting the Uni
yersity. Would this constitute the
splendid stand we propose to take:
In the course Of the trusts ] have
exercised through life with powers of
appointment, can say with truth, and
with unspeakable comfort, that never
did appoint a relation to office, and that
merely because never saw the case in
which some one did not offer or occur
better qualified: and | have the most
unlimited confidence. that in the ap-
pointment Of professors in our nursing
institution every individual Of my aSso-
ciates will look with single eye to the
sublimation ofits character, and adopt
as our sacred motto 'detur digRiOri.'
In this way it will honor us and bless
our country"
At the risk of being somewhat
tedious, | have copied from Mr.. Jeiter-
sons correspondence the foregoing
words of wisdom and patriotism, which
trust may have their proper weight
with those whose peculiar province it is
to see that our great University shall
meet the expectations Of the sage of
Monticello and those OF his distinguished
co-laborers who aided him in laying its
foundation so broad and deep, as they
supposed.
We who knew it in its infancy well
remember how tenderly and affection
ately its great founder loved and cher
ished it. In a letter to Mr.. Madison
under date of February II, 1926, only
a few months before his death, he be-
queathed his well-beloved pet to him.
In that letter he says: ''lf | remove
beyond the reach of attentions to the
University, or beyond the bourne OF |
life itself, as soon must, it is a COM
fort to leave that institution (the Uni |
versity) under your care, and an assur-
ance that it will not be wanting"
1t is a melancholy fact, disguise it as
We may, that the friends Of the Uniyer-
sity have been sadly disappointed in its
failure to reach that commanding posi-
ton among the learned institutions Of
the country which they had fondly an-
.icipated. Where the fault is, or whe-
her any one is at fault, do not under
AXE to say. 1t is matter we'll worthy
If the attention Of the General Assem-
,ly-wortby of it on many accounts,
,ut more particularly worthy of it for
he cause Of education and the very
aYge sum Of money tsaid to be not less
han sl,0O0,000) which the State has
invested in it.
The ,umher of studentg now NJ thu |