The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-26

4
The final speaker was Dr.. Charles W.
Dabney, president OF tho University OF
Tennessee, and an alumnus OF the Uni
versity OF Virginia DR.. Dabney said
that Mr.. Jefferson was 80 great that
every meeting at the University becomes
a memorial service to the father Of the
University"
Continuing. no said
Thomas jefferson was the greatest
prophet the new world ever knew. He saw
more glorious visions and made more con-
tinental plans than any man since Alex
ander or Napoleon. And he was not only
prophet and man like Moses, he was
also a great conqucror like Joshua. HIS
was a great constructive genius as well
rs a farseeing eye. He saw vision OF
a free people composed of independent
States, covering this entire western con-
tinert from sea to sen, and he wrote their
Declaration. directed their foreign rela-
lions, exploded their future country. be-
came their Chief Executive and annex
ed It, and behold nation Of seventy-slx
million souls living peacefully and labor
Ing earnestly throughout his continental
empire. He saw little State cramped
In the shackles OF tho feudal system and
he struck off Its bonds ana behold the
fair Commonwealth OF Virginia to-day.
From the heights OF Monticello. he look
ed across this beautiful valley and saw
the towers and domes and colonnades Of
a splendid temple OF truth. and behold
what we have seen to-day One other
vision had Thomas Jefferson. He saw
q completely correlated system of COM
mon schools for all tho people. a school
for each hundred" and a high school
for every county, leading up to this great
University, as course by course leads up
to tho capstone OF the pyramid. and be-
hold after hundred years that system
Is about to be perfected!
SEER AND PROPHET.
Yes, seer and prophet he was. but he
roundest and completest man our century
has known.
Most wonderful Of all, he judged his
cwn work perfectly. and with absolute
Justice, without vanity and without OK
aggeration, he wrote hts own epitaph.
and no one could write It to-day more
| simply or moro truly, Author OF tho
| Declaration OF Independence. OF tho
statute OF Virginia for religious fresdom;
| and father Of the University OF Virginia"
| What record. and yet not half was told
thereby. These things he did, chiefly or
alone. they were tho things that no oon-
s!dered most fundamentally important and
| TO him the last was the greatest of all
Author of tho Declaration" and tho
statute; but Father OF this Univer-
sfty, The Declaration he wrote from ma
tersl IN the minds Of many; the statute,
ne wrote and carried into effect by tho
| help OF others; but OF this University he
declares ne Ia tho Father" Like Moses.
he alone received the command to build. he
alone saw the vision and he alone took
| all the measures and laid out all the
plans. and he alone gave the orders and
built this tabernacle for his people In
the wilderness OF new land,
Human institutions are usually the his
torical product OF many individual forces
which the Will OF one man or set OF men
have brought into effective combination
at some opportune time.
INSTITUTIONS GROW.
Human institutions We're never designed
to be Interchangeable mausoleums 10 the
glorious dead, like the granite pyramids
OF the Pharaohs; they are living. grow
Ing organisms for the training OF living
growing men, This University WAS no.
built to the honor OF single dead man
but for tho benefit of all generations OF
the living man. present and future r
this Commonwealth and this Southland.
IAN institution is the heightened shad,
ow of one man." said he. Never was thi.
trper than here. The ever lengtheninl
shadow OF that colossal figure, standing
on yon height TO the east watching tn,
growth OF his beloved state. watching the
development OF this nation. enwraps us
completely across the valley OF four-scor.
years In the folds OF Its inspiring infiu
once. Tho poet may call hdm shadow
of a soul departed. but to as he Is bril-
liant light, For as ne lives in this In
/ stitution he built--a great beacon, with
many prismatic. revolving lenses, TO throw
the lite-saving light around tho whole cir
clio OF tho stormy sea
Lake great city set on a h!ll to b,
the advancing and growing light OF tn,
world II must be constantly upbuilt ant
extended. both by battlement and wall
II must be manned and defended, pro
ytsioned and supplied. ard all It's light
on all its towers tended and fed. the.