The Honor System at William and Mary; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 24, No. 1

Transcribed by Kathy Merrill for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project

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Page 31 - 34

THE HONOR SYSTEM AT WILLIAM AND MARY

   During the administration of John Augustine Smith (1814-1826) the College was reduced to a
very low
ebb, the total number of students in 1823-'24 being only 33.  A movement was instituted to
remove the 
College to Richmond, and permission from the Legislature was asked.  The movement was defeated.
Among the
depositions laid before the Legislature in opposition was one of John B. Seawell, a member of
the Board
of Visitors.  It is interesting as showing the early prevalence of the honor system, and as
indicating
that among the causes of the decline of the College was the conduct of President Smith in
setting it aside
and introducing a system of espionage.  President Smith resigned in 1826, and shortly after (in
1830) the
Board itself passed a law which directed that the word of the student should be accepted
without question.
(QUARTERLY, XIV., 216; XVIII., 165-171).

   Questions:  What in your opinion are the causes of the depression of the College of Wm &
Mary?
   Answ:  Soon after Dr Smith came into the College, the professorships, in the estimation of
the public
being well filled, produce bearing a high price, & money being plenty, beyond example in our
times, the
number of students was so great as to flatter the friends of the institution that its
prosperity would
equal their fondest anticipations.  Dr Smith brought with him his system for the government of
the College,
he manifested the greatest zeal to promote its interests, & a disposition appeared pretty
general among
the Visitors, to gratify him in every thing, he desired, or thought necessary, to insure
success.  Under
the influence of this disposition, the acts of the convocation from that day to this, with but
a few
exceptions, have either been suggested by Dr. Smith, or such as he approved.  He applied to the
Visitors
to strengthen the arm of the faculty & a statute was passed authorising them to inflict the
punishment of
suspension or expulsion upon any student who refused to give evidence, upon his honor, against
any other
student who had committed any act in violation of the statute for the wholesome government of
the College,
or who refused to make a solemn declaration of his own

Page 32.

innocence.  His system had been in operation but a short time before I was satisfield that it
could not
have the effect the Dr had anticipated.  His discipline appeared to me too severe for the youth
of
Virginia, more so than in my mind, it was desirable they should submit to.  He went so far as
to dismiss
young men from the institution; without trial, without permitting them to be heard in their
defense.  He
would meet a young man, who perhaps had been concerned in some frivolity, some indiscretion,
some offence
against the laws of the College (but which the youth believed to be known only by himself, & by
those
with whom he might have been associated) he would accost him after this manner, "you have done
this
(naming his offence) dont deny it, I can prove it upon you, you are dismissed the College".
From this
sentence there was no appeal.  And I have been informed, from authority to be relied upon, that
Professors
have continued day after day to mark absent, at roll call, the youth thus dismissed for days
after he
had been at home with his friends.  These dismissals I consider the first causes of the
depression of the
College, & altho' the Visitors, as soon as the practice came to their knowledge, put a stop to
it, by
passing a resolution that the President had no authority to inflict any punishment upon, or
dismiss, any
student from the College, unless by the sentence of the society, regularly pronounced, yet it
was im-
possible to arrest the evils which have grown out of it.  It was & long continued to be a
fruitful source
of disorder among the young men.  They concluded naturally that they were beset by spies &
informers.
They could not look for those among their fellow students, they looked for them among the
people of the
town.  If suspicion fell upon any person, that person was sure to feel their resentment.  Many
were from
time to time suspected, and many recd the punishment they most justly deserved if their
suspicions were
correct.  Young men thus dismissed from the College, carried with them bitter feelings against
the in-
stitution.  These feelings were communicated to their friends.  They raised up enemies to the
institution.
Those dismissed by the president were soon followed by others suspended or expelled, by the
vote of the
society in such numbers, that by many who viewed these things as part of his system, the
President was
considered as

Page 33.

high handed & arbitrary, tyrannical in his disposition & inclined to magnify frivolity &
indescretion
into crime.  But when at one fell swoop twenty nine high minded & honourable young men were
sent from the
College, for asking justice at the hands of a professor in dignified language, the public mind
became most
strongly prejudiced against the institution, particularly its head, & was prepared to give
currency to
every rumour set afloat to the injury of the College.  Whether true or false their effects were
the same,
where believed.  Reports were spread abroad of the bickerings among the Professors.  It was
thought where
these existed there could be no pull together for the promotion of science.  It is true that
there has
been but little harmony among the professors since Dr Smith came into the College, yet I am
satisfied
that the accounts which have gone to the world of the dissentions among the faculty have been
exaggerated.
But true or false, they have had their effect so far as they have been beleived.  Dr Smith has
been
represented as entertaining & inculcating Deistical opinions.  While I confess that I have no
personal
knowledge of his opinions in this respect, & believe that he abstains rigidly in his schools
from meddling
with religious subjects, yet I am satisfied that his report has operated very considerably to
the 
depression of the College.  I believe no man would, from choice, bring up his sons in these
opinions, &
am convinced that many believe the report.  The doctrine which Dr Smith has inculcated, denying
the right
of instruction, has had its influence also.  By many the entertaining such an opinion, would be
considered
the greatest misfortune that could befall a son.  It has operated as a complete barrier to all
preferment
in the State.  Dr Smith has declared at divers times, & to divers persons, that the College was
in a
declining state, must come to nothing, & more recently since the subject of the removal of the
College
has found its way intot he public prints, has declared that unless it was removed he would
abandon it, he
being determined not to die with it.  It is true that Dr Smith said at the time he acknowledged
he had
made these declarations, that they had been made to a few friends only, whom he thought he
could trust.
Yet it is believed that these were friends trustworthy indeed, & that these declarations,
industrously
circulated, with

Page 34.

a view of depressing the College and furthering its removal, have served very effectually to
depress the
College.  At the close of the course in 1823 Dr Smith considered the College, taking it all &
all, in the
most flourishing condition, or in as flourishing condition as, he had ever known it.  Yet he
sancti[oned]
by his presence a report of the Visitors which was published in July 1824, by which it was
declared that
in July 1823, the College was in a depressed state.  This served to injure the College.  It is
worthy of
enquiry whether the high salaries of the professors, admitting they have not tended to cause
them to
relax in their exertions to fill the College, have not yet injured the institution materially
in another
way?  Whether the habit of the Professors, after their labours are over, to take their families
abroad,
have not given rise to the reports, so industriously circulated of the unhealthiness of
Williamsburg?
When their salaries were low, Williamsburg was considered the most healthy spot in the lower
Country.
These reports have injured the College & altho' it be the fact that in the last twenty years
together,
when the students have avaraged more than fifty for each year, there have been but three deaths
among
them, one by drowning, another by suicide, & the third by disease, yet to this hour, the
unhealthiness
of the City of Williamsburg is urged as an objection to the College.  The high price of board
as served
to depress the College, by keeping from it all who could not encounter its expense.  For altho
board can
be had in Williamsburg upon terms the most moderate, yet the student who would avail himself of
it, could
not associate with him who was living sumptuously.  Distinctions would arise.  The low price of
produce
has had a great effect, the agitations of the question of removal of the College, the
withholding of
support to its schools by Richmond & the surrounding Country, have contributed in causing the
depression
of the College.