And State Papers 455 



versity, which so peculiarly embodies the ideal of 

 Virginia, is in no small degree accountable for the 

 happy keeping up of the spirit which sends into 

 public life men of whom their constituents exact 

 that they shall possess both courage and courtesy; 

 and that is the reason why as I am glad to say 

 here in the presence of the two United States 

 Senators from Virginia, both of them graduates of 

 this University whether one agrees or differs with 

 them it is so genuine a pleasure to be brought into 

 contact with them in handling public affairs. 



In the very able address to which we have had 

 the honor of listening it is pointed out that in mere 

 years the history of this University is not long. 

 Years count differently at different places and at 

 different times. Fifty years of Europe are very much 

 longer than a cycle of Cathay ; and the period grows 

 longer still when you take it across into the Western 

 Hemisphere. To us of this Nation there must always 

 be the charm of old historic associations inseparably 

 connected with this institution, the birth of which 

 will always recall the names of three of our greatest 

 Presidents, and from which one can wellnigh see the 

 former abodes of all three of those Presidents- 

 Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. 



Let me acknowledge a piece of personal indebted- 

 ness to this institution. When last year we sought 

 at Washington to restore the White House, which 

 ought to be always kept as the historic building 

 of the Nation, to what it was planned to be by the 

 founders of the Republic, we came here to study 



