Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-16

l'hrfsfian education. anu the Christian ere
inert not q possible incident Of the system,
hut Kept steadily in view a' an ult'mile
contamination 10 be looked and longed for.
because it was the deepest conviction Of the
founders that intelligent piety and piou'
intelligence were fundamental elements 10
tbe trimming Of youth-not religion alone
or intellectual culture alone, bu, n coDbi-
ration of both-and so 10 secure to them
what Milton calls ga complete and generous
education that which titsa man TO perform
Justly, skilfullv, and magnanlmousy all the
cf,ieps both OF public and private life, OF
peace and Of war;"
The fact that the trustees and professors
Of Washington and Lee have almost uni
fornIy been Christian men, and that 80
Ion ge proportion Of it, graduates have
been ministers Of The Gospel-and this is
notably true during The last decade shows
that the trend Of the institution has been
in the direction intended at its organizi-
ton, and that the University both In lis orr
ON and history has borne n noble testimony
10 the character and value OF Christiln cdu-
csiion-a testimony all the more priced at a
time when the attempt IL ayoWedly ma u
10 eliminate the recognition oi religion
from some Of the oldest and best end0NcI
schools Of the country.
II in any moment ill-adyised ana inlud
cioU- fiCuds this University have seemed
10 di.own the relation it has Away mar
tained between Christian cnlture and the
higher education. they have been emphltl-
cllly rcbukeJ by the protest NJ an enlight-
ened public sentiment. aud by the Illus
tTious example which tbs institution has
afforded 81 hat Christian education, free
from secianaI bias. can accomplish.
AIOG COLLEGE AND OXP0ED UNIVERSITY.
Three counues in Nircinia, west Of he
Blue RIDGE, Once covered . territory which
now cOEtuns I've prosperous and popul)u,
States. OF these counties Augusta, ont OF
which Rockhridgc was formed, HlS one.
Tie opening 81 = clissica! academy in that
county in $40 seemed a small event COM
pared with those which hls'Orl aud song
love 10 celohrate; Int u was The .first school
In all that illimiiabe realm west OF the
Blue Ridge. aud as the fits; furrow when
cuts The turf 81 field makes a more con-
spirufus mark than when thc p'owsh1re
ba> converted the whole field into one
color. 30 the founding oi this academy was
over memorable ~ the INAUGURATION %
new civilization. Il was ,lEall fountain,
but bow vast and benign the Influences
which have issued from IT ! ~ your own
Inireatc las told YOU
"a suiing beneath an oak
that falling leaves might choke,
hut destined So 10 broaden TAT aud wide
1hat on lib bosom argosies night ride.
Even one Of the old colleges Of oxford
which art has adorned and wealth endo"td
and ROYALTY ennoblcd, with it, massive walls
meliowcd iy the touch OF time. scarcely
seen through the crCen gloom Of The wv,
does not 20 touch the Imagination ~ the
.pociac,c OF the humble log schOOl-hOu'e
Standing on little clearing in the forest.
gathering under is low!y root the youth
who were 10 receive instruction not only
in English literature and science, but, q
the words OF another, who were 20 be the
first 10 hear The music OF Virgil and Horace,
Of Ljyy and Tacitus, Of Homer and Sopho'
Giles. with That grander melody 81 the sweet
singer Of Israel. mingling with the ring OF
the woodlands axe and the crack OF Tue
rife This school was the origin OF th"
noble University, whose buildings east their
shadows from this eminence, and whose
proie, sors for more than a century have
Teen men OF high intellect. fcrvent plcty,
and ardent patriotism, and whose pupu,
have upheld The torch OF knowledge, oi
religion, and Of a generous civilization over
> wide territory.
Great was tie honor t. SOWING the seeds
which were TO be a. the handful OF corn on
The top Of the mountain, Int whose irili'
were 10 shake like Lebanon; grcltthc honor
ii cou.mcncin. the intellectual training Of
. regulation which Ia, become greIt-the
Glorious privilege 10 take rank among the
oldeI institutions Of the land, whose dis
,iuctjCn il was 10 lay the foundations ot
i,1sr in a 10 u
contains the largest population on the globe
Of those who speak The English tongue, for
rs Mr.. Bancroft has recently told Us in his
sddTC.S before the American Historical
Association, "The nitcd states Of today
sIc the chief home II the EngliSh-sp. lknS
roople Of the world; for in all their extent
English j. the language Of sixty millions;
Canada stretches along their northern bOr-
der: newfoundland, New Brunswick, and
Nova Scotia flank them on the East; the
Bermudas and Bahamas are anchored near
their doors, and general representation 81
all who speak the English tongue would
ind in the United States The central place
most convenient for thelr meeting
DISTINGUISHED SONS Op THE UNIVERSITY.
We iudgc The value Of an invention by
the practical uses 10 which il may be ap-
Admiration 10 the genius OF the people for
whom II was drafted; OF the merits OF any
phllosophic system 10y the truths it demon
| Stra;cs: Of the fitness OF any religion 70
! survive by the character Of the picty II de-
yelopS: or, rs Bacon has taught IL. what
we seek in all /, " fruit" When We sub
| lcct Washington and Lee 10 this t'oi and
| AK for fruit" we have the answer M =
| condensed summary, which am permitted
! 10 quote What glowing names are these
| ibat shine on the rolls OF the alum Ol tll~
LOuorcd alma mater in Church and stale.
| field and forum. bar and bench, hospital
and cOunting-rOOm lccturc-room ana ptl-
ptl VIVA, famous champions and teacher,
| ~ the right, what trtsty workers and
leaders in literature aud law and arl- and
arms may be- found among her sons! seven
| Governors Of states amongst them trit-
tenden OF Kentucky. and Mcdowell, Letch-
cr. and Ecmpcr OF Virginia; eleven United
states scnator>-among-t them Parker OF
| Virginia. Breckenridge OF henturky,
H. :. Foote u Mississippi, and VIII
liam {. Preston, 81 South Carolina;
more than 4 score Of congressman; two
score and more 0i iudgcs-amOn.st them
| Trimbic. II the United State, supreme
| Court Coaltcr, Allen, Anderson, ant
BurAs, OF the Court Of Appeals OF Virginia:
twelve or more college presidents. and
amongst them Moses HOge and Archibald
Alexander. Oi llampGen sidney; James
| priestly, OF Cumberland College, IcnueS-
| see: George 4. Baxter and Henry Ruiin"r
| who presided here, and socrates Mlupn,
| Of the University Of virginia.
When in addition to this, It l. rcmem-
bered that this institution counts among
Ler alumni nearly fifty professors in col
| lcgCs. 1t VIII be- seen how great m inilu-
ence she has eXcrtcd, and Is still eXeriing,
over the cause % education in the southern
| states. 80 that rich and abundant d have
| been the nut, she la, borne, these are but
the precursors OF the whole harvest she l.
| yet 10 reap.
The most rapid dclineatiOn would no,
| bring even an outline history 81 the college
within the limits Of my address were | TO
sketch its fortunes under The admini>tfa-
! ton al its successive presidents and boards
| OF trustees, whose names and services de-
| serve the most grateful COMMUNICATION.
| Ii is not necessary that | should even
cnumerate them, Tor are they not all written
| in the book OF chronicles OF Grigsby, The
scholar, sage, and patrioty
Each change Of name has marked new
era in the history Of the institution. Au-
| gusta Academy" Is reminder Of it, origin
| in the great county so called in honor OF a
| British princess; Liberty Hall" is al
| attestatiOn OF the patriotic spirit OF the
| Revolution Of lT1G; Washington Col
/ "a 4 .artf no Ia