Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-02

man lie IN point OF time. DeSiues al IA
Denditure of at least s69.00,WV. VIII De
necessary. In reality the work TO be ac-
complished amounts TO this-to HIT OH
the surplus OF water that engulied ana
hid the old Lake Flavo. which existed
before the thirteenth century ana TO
provide drainage for the rivers debouch-
Ing into the nOw-eXisting Zuyder Zee
In a word the Netherlanders want not
only t. get back the "drowned' lands,
but 10 let the old water-courses and res
ervoIrs of their medieval history remain
practically as they were OF old. The
project. once carried out, will. curiously
enough. change a half dozen dead
cities from seaports TO inland munich
palities. In all probability it Will call
TO thriving resurrection some OF those
which Hazard baptized az dead"
while others that now have deep water
will shrivel up into villages or mere
cheese markets. OF the fertility of the
recovered ground there can lie no ques-
ton. As "A rule. the fishermen and coast
ing shippers oppose the plan of desicca-
ton. The archaeloogists, engineers. mer-
chants. and manufacturers heartily ap-
prove Of il.
WIDE AWAKE.
Among the learned there are no signs
Of slmnolence. University life Is active
and interesting. The modern Dutch make
books rather than literature. Erudition
rather than creative power IS their cha
racteristic. We must not. however for
get their geographical limitations. Less
than five millions of people live within
thirteen thousand square miles. In the
fields Of modern science. theology. lin
suistics. and comparative religion the
scholars are busy. The annual harvest OF
books in quantity and quality bears
ratio in comparison with France, Eng
land. or Germany that Is highly credit
able to the Dutchmen. These. though
they can, and often do. write in language
more widely spoken than theirs, prefer
their own rich, clear. and strong tongue
have recently visited the four great
universities. besides the seats and relics
OF those defunct. Franeker ought TO r.
ccive more attention from Americans.
for here in this INTERCHANGEABLE strong
hold suppressed by Napoleon I'm l6lD the
students and faculty were. during our
own Revolution. extraordinarily active
and efficient i'm securing the ultimate
recognition by the Statcs-General OF the
United States. Here, also. in earlier days
lived some Of the Pilgrim sOns-both those
who did and who did not become fathers
Of Massachusetts,. One still sees lin the
Town IIalD, among the clustered por-
traits Of the former professors. the mild
strong face of Or. Ames, who, after
making the first American hymn-book
started for Plymouth. only to lie OF
cold from food at Rotterdam. Franeker
powerfully Influenced Ffesland and Hol-
land. but Of GeldeT'aLds University at
HardcTwijk uGiS-lSlD there Il little trace
either in the quiet town or in Dutch an
mails. Founded ia patriotic impulse and
conviction. and with desire TO give h.ir
Protestant faith the strongest intellectual
basis and safeguards the Dutch uniyer-
stiles are still the nurseries OF patriotism
GrOningen's is a memorial OF Prince Mau-
rlce's dciivtTdnce OF the province from the
Spaniards Its faculty Of twenty-five
professors and so students contains abb
men. whose Nance and books are VII
KIN wn where Engl 81 is read. Amster-
dam University is renowned for its mel
al school len takes PRECEDENCE IN the
number OF its students and the eminence
rf % professor The centraiziug Of the
Theological influences at Utrecht leaves
IIo.e E d. a Sau- Sayc. OF Amsterdam
who holds the Chair Of the History and
Philosophy OF Religion. nearly alons i1
the theological faculty. Ever since the
seventh century Utrecht continues as OF
old 10 be- the religious capital OF Neither
land. Just now. when the turn Of the
tide leaves liberalism" and rational
ism" high and drv. and when. on the
other shore. Orthodoxy" is rising TO
flood. Utrecht Is blooming like a garden
Of tulips. Since my visit, in 1892 | note
that the handsome new edihce. built in
the most attractive style Of modern Dutch
architecture. Is completed
THE REPUBLIC.
Every American WHO visits the venerable
city should enter the ancient room IN
which the delegates from the seven
provinces met. in 1914 10 form the United
States OF the Netherland. Their union
was under the tricolor revolutionary flag
Of orange, white and blue. and with
written constitution which for 2lS years.
until the republic was Oyerrun by the
French. continued their bond OF union. In
the Senate room. hung with portraits OF
the scholars who have Influenced the
thought OF England and America. as well
az Of Holland | sat during the eXami-
nation OF a student for his degree Of Doc
tor OF Law. The young man was. on his
mothers side. no other than lineal de-
scendant of Professor Luzac, of Leyden.
TO whom Washington wrote a letter OF
grateful Acknowledgement for his part in
securing recognition Of the American by
the Dutch republic LuZac was also the
friend Of John Adams. In this students
family, his father being che burgOmdsJer
OF Nieuwersluss (which is the town next
to Breukelen. the original Of BROOKLYN.
is still preserved Washington's camp-stool
sent from Mount Vernon as a present
and souvenir 70 LUZac.
While Utrecht boasts its theology and
rojoices in the revival of Orthodoxy as
led by the Queen and court-much 10 the
disgust of the "Modernen" and expects
over go young theological students this
autumn, Lyeden is still eminent in law
and the secular sciences. ] missed. by
a day. the grand costume procession,
which, by brilliant dresses. person.tica-
lions. and pageants. even TO the negro
page. cOmmemorat-d the 305th anniycr-
sary of the victorious entrance Of Prince
Maurice into Bergen-Op-IOOm. saw,
however. the ancient city swathed in
red, white and blue. II was gay with
flowers, and guarded at every shop and
uncutancd saloon uhere are no cafes
chantants in Leydom with the image of
Minerva. Everywhere the five arrows
and the five small flags. each By its color
significant Of the sciences cultivated, were
joined in harmony. Theology at Leyden,
however, is represented only by Il pro-
fessor. successor Of Kuenen, who lectures
on the history and philosophy of religion.
A fourth tour In the eleven provinces
of the land of water-tght compartments.
renewed visits with professors In the four
examinations Of some of the
old and three OF the entirely new. hand
some. and fire-proof archiye-bulldines IN
the large cities. and chats with the men
of heath and void, as wei as with some
OF the deck and the town. confirm many
good impres sions of the Dutch. Their
past at least is secure. Their history
and their country deserve more attention
from Americans. Neither in the Empire
State which they founded, nor in any
American university. is there as yet one /
,ro,sssorebi, % their language literature,