Year: 1876

| For the Gazette.


A University as Founded by JEFF
ferson.


[CoNcLUDED.


1t was the idea of Mr.. Jefferson to
have no officiating parson at all; think
ing 1t Tar better for young man to
have no direct religious Influence
while at College, than to enter the
world prejudiced against all sects save
the one to which he by the influence
OF the multitude had given credence
while a. the University In this manner
SO marked out the University oper-
ated for some years but during all the
while an Inconvenience was felt owing
to the places of worship being at dis.
tance in Charlottesville. In the course
of time it was deemed expedient to
make compromise with Mr.. Jeffer-
sons views. Shortly a chapel was
built and chaplain elected with such
regulation that no Individual minis
ter shall be resident chaplain to the
University for more than two years in
succession and that the biennal selec-
tion OF the parson must alternate sue
| cessively from the four denominations
Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist and
Presbyterian.


| AS for good order aud studious ha-
bits feel quite assured that expert
ence will bear us out in comparing it
with any school in the Union. Indeed
concerning the University it has been
remarked by distinguished gentle.
man, that the public opinion of soci-
ETY. was there so distinctly pronounced
in favor of good order and studlous
habits that it seemed to be point of
honor to behave well and study hard


1t must be acknowledged that the
successful establishment of a Univer>
sity with all the innovations thus in.
troduced by MIR. Jefferson was receiv-
ed with dlstrust by many of his most
intimate friends, for such a kind of
OF Democracy was thought not suit,
able for schools or colleges, yet Dir.
Jefferson having seen the results and
reaped the dwarfed fruit of college
curriculum course himself and mind
full of its nonsproductivcness WAS
unwilling tohave an institution nodded
and reared by him with such a faulty
basis. We knew to we'll tina his COLI
lege days contributed not what they
ought as TO making him the man thus
honored and respected as he was; still
his conscience had power to convince
him that it lay altogether within him,
self, whether the remuneration from
! his college course should be full or
otherwise should he choose the former
or latter immaterial as his graduation
was sure; his lot was therefore in
those days cast, as he often acknow-
lodged so that his "ways were none
other than pleasantncss and all his
paths were peace" Although not
h Indsome he was very attractive and
immensely popular while at Williams
burg with set who thought of little
else save dissipation in high life, and
long previous to the completion cf
his course it was often the remark,
that he never was more pleased than
when he was stepping the light fan
rastic in the Apollo, having as part
ner his dear Belinda. Such pleasures
were to him in his day but with the
many novelties introduced at his uni.
vefsity, he was determined it seems
that they all should have a common
tendency todo away with such tran


sient pleasures. His determinations
have been so effectual in their work.
ing That with truth it may be said an
impossibllity to graduate at the Uni
versity of Virginia without hard and
diligent application, and that for the
most of the time. 1t is true that there
are those who attend the University
studying all the while but little; to
| 81. &c LNx


there might be during there: whole life
and still they would be without gradu-
alton. Such seems to be the outline
of the plan upon which the: University
of Virginia has been operating for the


last half century, its wisdom has been


fully justified by the experience of


that space of time and its advancing


success, having long since proven its


great advantages over all others, has


led to its adoption to greater or less


degree, in the leading American col
legcs. The arrangement into distinct


and separate. schools evidently serves
as strong stimulus to advance the
standard of attainment and to render


the study in the academic schools
professional in its character, Such a
system at the University has been
particularly productive in Virginia; it
has not only elevated the standard OF
; scholarship. in the different colleges
throughout the State, but also it has
! been the main cause of her prepara.
tory academies taking the rank they
do.


Reviewing her numerous works be
sides those mentioned and to say she
,; has achieved extraordinary success
!. would not be affirming of her more
than is accorded by all those who have


had the good for .une to have been
sheltered within hcriprecincts &tohave
r bad.associations with her advocates.
Should she have turned out none othel
: than Harrison-a philiologist known
I. in more countries than his own-her
career could not have been consider
O ed failure, but when we mention thu
: transcendent name of Edgar A, Pot
c whose associations remain inseparabl'


from the pleasant remembrauces o


the early days of the University, W,