CHAPTER XVI.

HAMPDEN-SIDNEY COLLEGE.

BY C. R. MCILWAINE.1

Hampden-Sidney College, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, claims an age of more than one hundred and eleven years. As Prince Edward Academy, it originally formed one of the series of log colleges which, during the eighteenth century, began to look out from the shade of the forest, and to extend among the people the civilizing influence of letters. Its foundation is to be attributed to the intellectual and religious energies of the descendants of Scotch and Scotch-Irish blood, many representatives of which had left their native countries and the more settled portions of eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to found in portions of Virginia a suitable inheritance for their posterity.

The Synod of Philadelphia had already, in 1738, petitioned the Governor of Virginia to protect those of this race and religion, settling the valley in the enjoyment of civil and religious liberty. Having received a favorable response, the authorized representative of the Synod began to settle Presbyterian families in Charlotte, Prince Edward, and Campbell. Families of this race were, at this time, scattered throughout Virginia; but, owing to the popular sentiment in favor of the established church, there had hitherto failed to exist between them that bond of civil and religious community which afterwards became so prominent a factor in the Revolutionary era of the State.

During an early period of the last half of the eighteenth century, after the formation of Hanover Presbytery, the relations between the Presbyterians became more firmly established, and they began now to excite attention as a positive element in State politics.

The College of New Jersey, the historic survivor of Nassau Hall, was laying deep the foundation for an accurate culture, and became a resort for Presbyterians who desired to extend their religious and mental training. Samuel Stanhope Smith, a native of Lancaster County, Pa., and a graduate of the College of New Jersey in 1769, subsequently united with the Presbytery at Hanover, in Virginia, and represented the cause 'Mr. Clement R. McIlwaine is a graduate of Hampden-Sidney College and a son of its distinguished president, Dr. Richard McIlwaine. He studied for some time in the historical department of the Johns Hopkins University, and was subsequently graduated at the law school of the University of Maryland, in Baltimore. The editor of this report takes this occasion of thanking his former pupil for preparing the present chapter.-EDITOR.

of religion and education with such eminence as to make his name historic in the early annals of the Commonwealth. The cause of learning among the Presbyterians in Virginia was already advancing apace, when the impetus, happily given to it by the New Jersey pioneer, may be said to have occasioned the foundation of two academies-Prince Edward and Liberty Hall-each tracing its origin from one parent source. Under the auspices of Hanover Presbytery the Prince Edward Academy was opened to students in January, 1776, under the con trol and direction of Samuel Stanhope Smith, rector, to whose magical influence its early prosperity may be attributed. The Presbytery, consulting the best interests of the academy, endeavored to encourage every necessary branch of literature, and, while reserving a preference in favor of the Presbyterian service, extended the benefits of the foun. dation to all denominations.

The name of Prince Edward Academy was changed to that of Hamp den-Sidney in May, 1777, in honor of those principles of political liberty which had been sealed by the blood of martyrs. Among the trus tees of the academy may be mentioned the names of James Madison and Patrick Henry, which indicate that the institution was a product of civil and religious liberty, and was first launched upon its existence during the most important epoch in our history.

In October, 1779, the rector was released from his duties in order to accept the professorship of moral philosophy in the College of New Jersey; his brother, the Rev. John Blair Smith, by common consent ▷ succeeded him. The second rector of the academy, who afterwards became the first president of the College, when chartered by the Legislature of the State in 1783, was also a graduate of the College of New Jersey, and, through the influence of the two brothers, the curricu lum and government came to resemble the Princeton model. Those who were most closely connected with the early history of Hampden-Sidney, were allied by ties of sympathy and respect with that central school, which had been so essential, not only in directing the educational tendencies, but also in shaping the political and religious principles, which were adhered to with such fidelity by the Presbyterians1 until the bill

In this connection the editor notes the historical importance of the early movements in behalf of religious liberty in Virginia by the Hanover Presbytery in 1774. Hon. William Wirt Henry, of Richmond, who has discussed the pioneer influence of Patrick Henry in promoting religious freedom (see papers of the American Historical Association, Vol. III, and Dr. Stille's reply, Vol. III), has lately made a valuable documentary discovery, which is described and published in the Central Presbyterian, Richmond, May 16, 1888. Mr. Henry's letter and the document in question are here reprinted in full:

"RICHMOND, VA., May 7, 1888.

"In looking among the archives of the State a few days ago, I found a paper of great historical value, in its bearing on the part taken by the Presbyterian Church in the struggle for religious liberty in Virginia. I enclose it with the request that it be published, and although it was written in 1774, this will be its first publication. "The occasion of its preparation was the introduction in the House of Burgesses in 1772 of a bill having for its professed object the better security of the religious

for establishing religious freedom was finally enacted in 1785. Historical justice claims honorable mention of the first president of Hampden V Sidney, in his defence of religious liberty before the committee of the whole house in the Virginia Assembly, sustained by an eloquence and astuteness which were said by many to have excelled Patrick Henry.

In characterizing that civil and religious conflict, in the midst of which Hampden-Sidney was called to life, the memorial from Hanover Pres bytery of 1776 most fittingly expresses the sentiments of our founders: "That duty which we owe our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can only be directed by reason and conviction, and is nowhere cognizliberty of Protestant dissenters in the colony, but really contrived for their oppression in several particulars. The objectionable features are commented upon in the paper now sent you. Foote, in his Sketches of Virginia, p. 320, states the dissatisfaction of Hanover Presbytery with the proposed bill, and the appointment of Rev. John Todd and Capt. John Morton as commissioners to attend the next Assembly in opposition to it. Nothing was done in the next Assembly touching the matter, and at the meeting at the house of Robert Caldwell, on Cub Creek, in Charlotte County, October 14, 1774, there being apprehension that the Assembly would take action during the fall session, the Presbytery adjourned to meet on the second Wednesday of November next, at the house of Col. William Cabell, of Amherst, to remonstrate against the bill. This paper is that remonstrance, and is most interesting and instructive, not only because of its ability and the light it sheds on the then condition of the Church and the colony, but because it is the first paper of the kind, so far as I have seen, which was ever presented to the Virginia Assembly claiming equal rights for dissenters. It may therefore be regarded as the advance guard of that army of remonstrances which so vigorously attacked the Establishment, and finally overpowered it and established perfect religious liberty on its ruins.

"Foote evidently never saw this paper. Taking it in connection with the able memorials of Hanover Presbytery in 1776 and 1777, which Foote gives in full, the reader can have no difficulty in seeing where Mr. Jefferson, who was a member of the Assembly, got his views of religious liberty. His famous bili was not written before 1777, nor reported before 1779, and it shows no more advanced thought on the subject than the able papers of Hanover Presbytery. I will add that it is probable that Rev. Caleb Wallace, who wrote the memorial of 1776, wrote this paper. He was a graduate of Princeton, and became in later life a distinguished judge in Kentucky. "WM. WIRT HENRY."

"To the Honorable the Speaker and the Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses:

The Petition of the Presbytery of Hanover, in behalf of themselves, and all the Presbyterians in Virginia in particular, and all Protestant dissenters in general, humbly showeth, That upon application made by the Rev. Mr. James Anderson in behalf of the Synod of Philadelphia, the Honorable Governor Gooch, with the advice of the council, did in the year 1738, or about that time, for the encouragement of all Presbyterians who might incline to settle in the colony, grant an instrument of writing under the seal of the colony, containing the most ample assurances that they should enjoy the full and free exercise of their religion, and all the other privileges of good subjects. Relying upon this express stipulation, as well as upon the justice and catholic spirit of the whole legislative body, several thousand families of Presbyterians have removed from the Northern provinces into the frontiers of this colony, exposed themselves to a cruel and savage enemy, and all the other toils and dangers of settling a new country, and soon became a barrier to the former inhabitants who were settled in the more commodious parts of the colony. Ever since that time we have been considered and treated upon an equal footing with our fellow subjects, nor have our ministers or people been restricted in their religious privileges by any

able but at the tribunal of the Universal Judge." "In this enlightened age, and in a land where all are united in the most strenuous efforts to be free, we hope and expect that our representatives will cheerfully concur in removing every species of civil as well as religious bondage."

By the act of 1783 the academy became a college, thereby dissolving all connection with the parent presbytery. The ties of an earlier connection, however, have not been forgotten or ignored, and the board of trustees, which has annually assembled under the protection of the charter since 1783, has been often constrained to refer with pride to the parent of one of the most important literary institutions in the State. law of the colony. Your humble petitioners further show, that with gratitude they acknowledge the catholic design of our late honorable Assembly to secure by law the religious liberties of all Protestant dissenters in the colony; accordingly they did in the year 1772 prepare and print a Toleration Bill, but as the subject was deeply interesting it was generously left open for amendment. But notwithstanding we are fully persuaded of the catholic and generous design of our late representatives, yet we are deeply sensible that some things in the above named bill will be very grievous and burdensome to us if passed into a law. Therefore we humbly and earnestly pray that the said bill may not be established without such alterations and amendments as will render it more agreeable to the principles of impartial liberty and sound policy, which we presume were the valuable ends for which it was first intended. Therefore we humbly beg leave, while we are making the prayer of our petition in a more particular way, to lay before this honorable House, in the most respectful manner, a few remarks upon the bill.

"The preamble is agreeable to what we desire, only we pray that the preamble and every other part of the bill may be so expressed as will be most likely to obtain the royal assent.

"We are also willing that all our clergymen should be required to take the oaths of allegiance, etc., usually taken by civil officers, and to declare their belief of the Holy Scriptures.

"Likewise, as is required in the said bill, we shall willingly have all our churches and stated places for public worship registered, if this honorable House shall think proper to grant it. But every minister of the gospel is under indispensable obligations to follow the example of our blessed Savior, 'who went about doing good,' and the example of his Apostles, who not only taught in the Temple, but in every house where they came they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.' From which, and their constant practice of travelling into every quarter of the world, we humbly trust that it will appear to this Assembly that we cannot, consistent with the duties of our office, wholly confine our ministrations to any place or number of places: and to be limited by law would be the more grievous, because in many parts of this colony, even where the majority of the inhabitants are Presbyterians, it is not, and perhaps it may not in any short time be, easy to determine where it would be the most expedient to fix upon a stated place for public worship, and, indeed, where we have houses for worship already built, generally the bounds of our congregation are so very extensive that many of our people, especially women, children, and servants, are not able to attend by reason of the distance, which makes it our duty, as faithful ministers of Christ, to double our diligence, and frequently to lecture and catechise in the remote corners of our congregations. This restriction would also be very grievous to us in many other respects. We only beg leave to add: That the number of Presbyterians in this province is now very great and the number of clergymen but small, therefore we are obliged frequently to itinerate and preach through various parts of the colony, that our people may have an opportunity to worship God and receive the sacraments in the way agreeable to their own consciences. As to our hav