10

difficulties with which the people and the government of
Virginia are struggling, and they would be ashamed to propose
any addition to the brothers of their afflicted countrymen
merely from considerations of private interest. They are themselves, profoundly
convinced that [best?] public interests, connected with the in-
telligence, elevation, honors, influence, and advancement
of Virginia, for an indefinite period of time, imperatively de-
mand the continued maintenance of the University, at the
public change, (the only way, so far as they can see, in which
it can be maintained), but if the General Assembly do not
share this conviction, the persons connected with the Univer-
sity, whilst they are not indifferent to their peculiar concern in
the result, can yet conscientiously declare that they shall
lament the result more for public, than for private rea-
sons.

To the objection arising from the [monied?] embarrass-
ments of the Commonwealth, it is submitted-

That the University is scarcely less a necessity, than an
Execution, a Legislative, or a Judiciary, and ought to be provided
for accordingly;

That it is a Safe economy to expend $15,000 to save $500,000,
or perhaps $750,000 to $1000,000;

That if it be proposed to pay any interest on certificates of
States debt, few can stand on higher ground than those held
by the Literacy fund, & that if it is not designed to pay the inte-
rest or any portion of it, the expenditures being limited the
actual sum required for the present wants of government,
can hardly be so great as to require the abandonment of the Uni-
versity;

That the more impoverished the people, the more indispensa-