Dear all,

	In a footnote on p. 127 of his 1918 doctoral thesis (Columbia), The  
Free School Idea in Virginia Before the Civil War, William Arthur  
Maddox claims that W&M students under the influence of St. George  
Tucker and Wythe, argued against slavery in their literary societies  
and even petitioned the state legislature to do something about it:

http://books.google.com/books? 
id=l5NDAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA211&ots=rjyk1qf5FV&dq=%22henry%20a%20washington% 
22%20%22university%20of%20virginia%22&pg=PA127#v=onepage&q=mary% 
20&f=false

	I know there was an early debate in PBK about slavery (pro and con;  
pro won), but don't know of any other such discussions.  Nor have I  
yet found any evidence backing the claim about petitioning the state  
legislature.

	Is there any actual evidence for either claim?  Maddox cites,  
broadly, two authorities, but neither says anything directly relevant.

	Maddox seems to be a careful scholar, but is this just some will  
o'the wisp?

	Thanks.




------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
-------------------------------------
Terry L. Meyers, Chancellor Professor of English, College of William  
and Mary, Williamsburg Virginia  23187 757-221-3932

http://wmpeople.wm.edu/site/page/tlmeye/

http://www.ecologyfund.com/ecology/_ecology.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
---------------------------------
        Have we got a college?  Have we got a football team?....  
Well, we can't afford both.   Tomorrow we start tearing down the  
college.
               --Groucho Marx, in "Horse Feathers."





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