Jefferson Quotes & Family Letters

Mr Wilson also has had a relapse of his fever, but has so far recovered as to attend a meeting of Presbytery nearly 100 miles distant from F. He has just returned from Synod, where he saw Mr W. Armstrong (he believes) in good health and Spirits. His accounts of the University of Virginia, only confirm me in the opinions, which you have heard me express of it. I regard it as the a School of infidelity—a nursery of bad principles, designed in its origin to crush the Institutions of Religion in Va. Think me not harsh or rash in my censures. I am not single in my belief. Many of the virtuous and pious of Va. look upon it in the same light; and a still greater number doubt of its ultimate success. But although more than 300,000 dollars have been expended upon it, and that too draun from the Literary fund of the State, the pious may find some consolation in the thought, that it will probably teach the Virginians one lesson, viz. that no Literary Institution can flourish in our Country at the present day from which religion is entirely excluded. I have been informed upon pretty good authority that one of the Professors in one of his Lectures (upon what subject and occasion I did not learn) took up the subject of religion and publickly ridiculed it before his class. You have probably heard some intimations of the disturbances, which prevailed there lately. On one occasion, some of the Students succeeded in forcing an Ox or bull up into a lofty part of one of the College edifices, called the Rotunda and then left him it to amuse the students and to awake the Professors by its noisy bellowings. On a late occasion some of the Students, put on masks and disguised themselves in old clothes and then made their way into one of the Lots belonging to the College and amused themselves by several antick tricks and by a good deal of noise, until one of the Professors came out to see them. He thought to discover them by catching one of them and unmasking him, but it so happened that he made an unhappy choice and fell upon a victim too strong and athletick for him. They gave him a drubbing and sent him off. Well done boys, governed by virginian honour! The Board of Visitors were called together and among them Mr Jefferson—the Proctor. The whole business resulted in the expulsion of three members and the addition of some articles to the code of Laws, which you have probably seen published in the News Paper. At the meeting of the Synod at Charlottesville, Mr W. had an opportunity of observing the conduct of some of the Students, which was not much to their credit. One of the Students from Fredg while riding with a companion a few days since, had his gig broken and his leg wounded in such a way as will probably prove mortal. But it is now past eleven and I must conclude.