Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-05-24
WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE.

d anu MARY, anu thio hO'Co INV OH"i'N'
ton News and Courier, whose editor, the
accomplished James Calvin Hemphill,
grew up on 'FSeceder'' diet "Seceder"
being the name commonly applied to a
psalm-singing Presbyterian in the
South-to express the hope that "good
meat of 'Seceder' flavor, thus assured
to the Virginians, will agree with their
commencement digestion.
At William and Mary the sermon will
be preached on June 26th on June 5th
Mr.. johnson will preach the sermon at
the commencement of the Theological
Seminary at Due West, S. c., the COL
leee town of the Seceders, concerning
which, when invited to serve, he said ::
"The request from Due West for Sc
ceder minister to do something is as the
Kings invitation"
OF the old Virginia college, whose in
vitation Mr.. Johnson had also accepted,
the News and Courier says
"Wiliam and Mary, at Williamsburg,
the Colonial Capital of Virginia, is the
second oldest college in America, having
been chartered by the English Crown in
1898 and named in honor of the ruling
sovereigus, who made appropriations for
its benefit. The original buildings were
designed by the great architect Sir
Christopher Wren, who designed Ire
cathedral of st. Paups, London. By its
charter il was entitled to apenny apound
on all tobacco exported f.om Virginia
and MARYLAND. il was also constituted
the surveyors general of Virginia, and,
as such, in l749, after he had pursued a
special course in land surveying, it APP
pointed George Washington ore of its
surveyors. At the time of his death
Washington was chancellor of the col
lege, an Office he had accepted at the
close of the revolution, the bishops Of
London having been bis predecessors in
that Office.
williamsburg, the Oldest incorporat-
ed town in Virginia, was laid out originally
order that His Majesty Royal Collegein
of William and Mary might have the
conyeniences of a town. The town
soon became not only the political capi-
tai of the colony, but the intellectual and
social center as well, the best families
among the gentry Of the colony gather
ing there to spend the winter season. 1t
was at this college capital that the
plays of Shakespeare first found public
hearing in America.
"Under its royal charter William and
Ma,v, like Oxford and Cambridge in the
English Parliament, was entitled to rep
resentation in the General Assembly OF
the colony. That assembly added its
own favors to those of the crown, and
William and Mary in 1776 was the
wealthiest college in America, but suf-
fered severely during the war which fol
lowed. Itself result of the revolution
of 1858, its students were enthusiastic
friends of the revolution Of 1776. One
of its graduates wrote the Declaration of
Independence, several of them signed it
and many Of them maintained 1t in war
and adorned it by distinguished services
in peace. Indeed, from this college the
greatest sons of Virginia went forth,
ehedding lustre on the revolutionary an
nails of our country. Thomas Jefferson,
Peyton Randolph, first President OF the
Continental Congress; Edmund Ran
dolph. first Attorney General of the
United States; James Monroe and John
Marshall are few only of the names
upon the student roster of the college
in those olden days. Upon that roster
are the names of 10 United States Sena-
tors, II governors, 81 judges, 70 Rep
resentatives in the United States Con-
gress, Cabinet officers, and Presi-
dents of the United States.
nCornwallis in 1871 made his head
quarters for a while in the Presidents
house of William and Mary, and Wash
ington. little later, found it necessary
to use the college buildings, though ne
wrote to the college authorities few
days after the surrender of the British
at Yorktown The sick and wounded
of the army, whom my necessities have
compelled me to trouble you with, shall
be removed as soon as circumstances
will permit, adding, concerning the
place at which in his youthful days he
had himself been student-The
seat of literature at Williamsburg has
ever in my view been an object of vener-
alton
"The college suffered also during the
war between the States, but Congress
gave earnest and special attention to the
voice of this oldest of Southern colleges
when paving claims for damages which
troops of the United States had done 10
college property in the States OF the
Southern COnfederacy
"The claims OF the college for congress
sional relief we're presented by Lyon G.
| TYLER, a distinguished lawyer OF Rich
mond, now president of the college fac
ulty. a son of John Tyler, born in the
White House while his father was Presi.
dent of the United States. Senator
Hoar, ofMassachusetts, a son ofHarvard,
then a member of the House of Repre-
sentatives, in advocating the claims o.
William and Mary on the floor of the
| House. recalled the ancient ties thai
bound Harvard and William and Mary
together, the two Oldest of American col
leSes recounted the part that each hac
pleyed in its respective section OF country
toward kindling the fires of liberty il
revolutionary DAYS, and declared tina
the mother of the 0tises and Adamse'
world Gladly in the hour of calamity ex
tend her right hand to the mother OF ?e.
forna..J Marshall A beautiful paint