University of Virginia Library

ENDOWMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY AS COMPARED WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS
OF LIKE RANK.

In claiming from the commonwealth a continuance of the pecuniary
help heretofore accorded to her, the University only asks, in
behalf of the great interests of education, for that just and reasonable
support which is essential to the discharge of her peculiar
functions in the intellectual training of the youth of the state. If this
higher and more thorough training be really as important to the
welfare and honour of the community, as the wise and patriotic of
our own and other countries have uniformly maintained, then Virginia
cannot without grave injury to her interests and her reputation,
dispense with such an institution as her university. It only
remains to be considered at what rate, compared with other communities,
she purchases these precious advantages. On this point
we do not hesitate to say, that adverting to the great comprehensiveness
of the scheme of actual instruction in the University, and
comparing her income with that of other prominent institutions
sustained either by public liberality or private munificence, her
annuity of 15,000 dollars cannot be regarded as more than a merely
moderate endowment.

The most richly endowed universities of this country cannot be
compared in their resources with the long established institutions of
Europe. Cambridge and Oxford in England, and the University of
Edinburgh in Scotland, are possessed of incomes the accumulated
growth of ages, which vie with the revenues of some of the most
opulent states of the Union, and which far exceed the aggregate
income of all the universities and colleges in our land. Many of
the German universities have resources almost equally extensive,
and there is probably not one of them of reputation, whose means
do not exceed that of any university or college in the United States.
In most of them the professors and other officers, forming a very
numerous corps, receive their salaries directly from government,
and are regarded as a part of the official organization of the state.

Referring to the institutions of our own state, we find Willam
and Mary and Washington colleges, each provided with a permanent
fund, yielding an income which, considering the scale of operations
in the two cases, is as large if not larger than that of the
University. The University of South Carolina, endowed by the
state, and formerly entitled to an annuity of about 12,000 dollars,
is, we believe, at present receiving the same or a greater sum from
the public treasury. Two of the collegiate institutions in Louisiana
have been sustained by an annuity of 15,000 dollars each, and the
University of Alabama is supported we believe by a still ampler
contribution—while several of the institutions of the northwestern
states, richly provided for by grants of lands, are beginning to receive
or already enjoying valuable and daily augmenting resources.
The permanent income of Columbia College, New York, is, we understand,
but little if at all inferior to that of our university, while

the revenue of Harvard, the institution most justly comparable with
ours, is not much short of 60,000 dollars.

With these facts in view, the annuity of 15,000 dollars, instead
of appearing wastefully large, cannot fail to be regarded as but a
very moderate contribution in behalf of the high literary interests
deveolved upon the University. Indeed, considering the expansive
scheme of its instructions, and the substantial literary merits which
have given it so distinguished a place among the higher seminaries
of our country, this annual provision might justly be viewed as a
comparatively meagre endowment, which, though large enough
perhaps for the present literary wants of our community, may hereafter
be augmented with great benefit to the commonwealth.

It may perhaps be objected, that as the fixed revenue of Harvard,
and some other institutions above mentioned, is derived from the
munificence of individual benefactors, and therefore makes no call
upon the treasury of the state, it is unfair to adduce the example of
these seats of learning in support of the claims of the University.
But our argument of course supposes that an institution such as the
University is demanded by the highest interests as well as the reputation
of the commonwealth, and we have referred to these other
distinguished seminaries only for the purpose of showing at what
general cost such an institution can be maintained.

At the establishment of the University, the hope was no doubt
indulged, that sooner or later it also would become an object of
private benefaction; but we have not the slightest ground for supposing
that in the patriotic aspirations of its founders, these private
endowments, should they accrue, were ever looked to as a means
of withdrawing the university from legislative control, by dispensing
with the annual bounty of the state. It would on some accounts
certainly be desirable, were our University like Harvard and several
others, sustained entirely or in great part by funds derived from
the munificence of individuals. But it should not be forgotten, that
while by this means the public would be relieved from the annual
contribution now required, the general interests of the community
as affected by the operations of the institution would be either
wholly neglected or but partially secured The entire government
and organization devolving upon self-elective boards of trustees,
irresponsible to the state, would of necessity be exposed to the narrowing
influences springing from the predilections and prejudices
of religious sects and classes of society; and the University, by an
easy transition, losing the liberal features of a school suited equally
to all, would become the property and the spoiled favourite of a
particular denomination or rank.