The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-27

career in England revealed was a.
capable of teaching Latin as ne was
Oh teaching the science of figures
Bonnycastle. OF the chair of Natural
philosophy. subjcc. which deeply in
terested Poe in after life IL not in his
youth. probably had no peraonal in
nuence beyond the threshold of his
iecture-room. as he was noted for his
painful shynese. and almost morose
taciturnity in society. Poe must have
frequently mot the delightful DR.. EN-
nett. who. of all the foreign pro-
lessons. was perhaps the one who was
most popular with the young men,
whether or not members of his Glass;
He performed with skill on the vio-
iinceiio; was an enthusiast in the pro-
ductien OF wines ana brandies from
grapes obtained from vines which had
been Imported from Europe; and he
also cultivated the silkworm with the
view OF manufacturing silk. Tho re-
naming professors were Dr. Duneli-
son and Mr.. Tucker. two of the most
learned and successful members OF the
Sroup--one as the Instructor in medt-
elmo. and voluminous writer on SUBJ
jects relating to his calling; the 9TH
er as the instructor in law, and as a
thoughtful and philosophical sociolo-
gist.
From this brief account OF tho fac
ulty during the time of Poe's attend
ance, 1t can be seen that its several
members were men of exalted personal
character. OF the most refined social
instincts, OF great natural ability, and
OF profound requirements in their re-
spective fields of instruction Their
influence. both in and outside the leo
ture-room, tended TO benefit all tho
students. except the hopelessly refrac-
tory and vicious. brought within their
moral and intellectual pale. The ex-
ample which they set as gentlemen
first and as scholars afterward to
the great body of colleSians, was such
as to inspire the latter with the high
est Ideals. not only in the walks of
learning, but in the more practical do
main of their relation with themselves.
and with society at large. If the in
dividual student failed to catch the
inspiration of this example. the fault
was not with his accomplished teach
ers, but with himself.
How far was the influence of this
fine personal bearing. this ripe moral
and intellectual culture. in the men,
bers of the faculty supplemented by
the system OF discipline, on the one
hand. and by the system of education,
on the other, which prevailed at the
university at this time? looking q.
the institution from the broadcast point
OF view, 1t was seen to be thorough
ly free from every form OF cramping
.sectarianism. The principal colleges
of that period-the Episcopal oxford,
the Unitarian Harvard. the Presby-
terrain Princeton, to designate several
of tn most conspicuous-wets either
in taoft sympathy with some religious
body. or under the undisguised pat.
ronage OF one such, and in either cir.
cumstance were directly and con-
sctously instrumental in sustaining
we'll defined religious doctrines and
! ooservances. Jefferson. who had taken
the foremost part in establishing re-
lisious tolerance in Virginia, was full
ly determined to divorce his projected
institution from all sectarian afilIa-
tons. There was no chair devoted to
| theological instructions: no daily at
tendance at prayers was required; no
| appropriation was made even for a
church ediice In the vicinity of the
college. The nearest place OF wor-
ship was the county courthouse In the
neiEhboring villags of Charlottesville,
until, by an agreement between the
Episcopal and Presbyterian denomina-
tons and with the consent OF the
professors in their private capacity a
clergyman of each of those religious
bodies. on alternate Sundays. held SER
vices In one of t! e lecture-rooms.
Perhaps the most original feature
OF the new seat of learning. the one
| In which 1t represented an innovation
more radical than even its failure to
recognize religion ofiiically--was tho
complete independence OF the several
schools. Each school, ct first was eX-
pected to assemble in Its own pa
vilion. under the guidance of its own
professor; and that professor was to
be responsible not to the faculty as
whole, but TO the rector and the board
of visitors. for his methods and, his
achievements alike Each student
possessed the right to choose his own
field of study a corallery of the in
, dependence of the different schools.
Jefferson Enthusiastically looked
| upon the conventional curriculum of
the day as form OF tyranny because
1t constrained young man to pass
entirely over an appointed course of
great length. and of variety not OF
his own selection, before he could win
any documentary evidence OF his pro-
! ficiency. Under the elective system
adopted at the University of Virginia.
the student who secured q definite
mark in any single school was award
, ed a special diploma to prove his at
tainments in this separate department.
That diploma indicated at least ono
bent of his peculiar tastes; for in
stance. II his disposition was TO con-
fine his attention to some one OF the
sciences and not TO others. he was not
forced to waste his time on the latter
uncongenial studies.
, The whole system. more especially
in these early years. was perhaps open
to the criticism of being too advanced
for most OF the young men who were
able to attend the lectures. Their
previous advantages OF education were
not broad and thorough enough to JUS
tify many of them in dropping any
link in that chain OF graded studies
which they would have followed had
the regular curriculum OF contempo-
rary seats of learning been adopted.
instead of having been rejected. at the
new institution Jefferson In erecting
his experimental college was. in real