The Winchester home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1858-07-29


f.. Juyl5 1853,
L. &. EASTMAN, ESQ;
Dear Sir "A more mature acquaint
ance with yourself, than with the othcI
gentlemen connected with you, innu'
ences me to address TO you, rcnIon'
stranc9 in reference 10 brief article in
the Union and American Of the lth inst,
very disparagng to Scwanee, as the sit
Of the University Of the South, as we N
as TO the enterprise generally, and involv'
ing the character of the gentlemen most
active in establishing it.
The article opens with an extract from
, tho McMinnviIlc Now Era, which after
announcing the confirmation Of Sewauee
as the site Of the University, remarks
"ThuS hapeth Bishops determined 10 re-.
tain tue site .for a University, which, if
erected, wiHbe poined at ly future gtn.
erationS as a foNy Of the nineteenM cen.
twy,'
The article in question, proceeds TO
apologize, IN some sort for the folly Of
the selection, by remarks upon the indec.
orous urgency Of the friends "of every lit
tie town and cighborhood within circle
Of two hundred miles--so that the Bish
ops finding it impossible to please all in
locating it next every mans door, wise Iy
located nowhere--that is, Sewanee. -.
Living within three or four miles Of Sc
vance, and having some acquaintan &C
with the history Of tbs enterprise, from
its inception, the injustice OF the rorego.
ing remarks, is most glaring-and so far
as the participation Of the Union and
American goes, astonishing and grievous.
Allow me, however, 10 say, that trust
the ignorance, in the premises, Of him
who penned it, is at once his condemna.
ton, and his best defense.
The gentlemen who conceived and who
have undertaken the accomplishment of
this ennobInS enterprise, appointed a
committee, most capable and dilgent, to
select a location.
This committee, after careful consider.
alton, determined that certain features
are requisite to make site eligible.
lst That the pointm be sufficiently
elevated TO be above the line Of preva,
ence Of Intermittent fevers, and other
malarious affections. I'd. That water
must be abundant, and of the most de.
sirable quality. Sd, That the security
Of large body OF land must be pracrica.
bic, so that tho jurisdiction Of the Uni.
versity may extend far enough TO keep Off
every possible nuisance, which would
ure the pupils-and so that the Uni.
versity may, upon eligible terms, offer TO
its friends and patrons, especially those
who live far South, sites for summer
dwellings for their sons. 4,h. That it
must be conveniently accessible by rail.
way. or erpublic facility. 9th. That
it must be conveniently near to a scope
of country yielding an abundance Of all
necessary provisions; and 9TH. Tha,
timber and other building material must
be abundant and near.
With these landmarks 10 guide, (and
the wisdom Of iheif selection kno you
will commend,) they went out in search
Of the point where these advantages are
most happily combined.
Ben Lommond, near McMinvilIe, was
one Of the points whose claims were ear
lieSt presented, and | must say, most in.
dustriously enforced. Lookout Noun.
tain, Huntsville, aud a variety OF other
points were suggested.
The Committee on Location proceeded,
with the aid Of scientific gentlemen, to
examine these points. Ben Lommond
and Lookout Mountain, though, as we
all know, beautiful points, were found to
be too difficult Of access, aud 100 scantiy
supplied with water, and Huntsville,
though having many delightful features to
commend it, is yet not sufficiently ele.
waited. Atlanta, and various other points
were suggested, but the objections to
Lookout and Ben Lommond, on the one
hand, or to Huntsville on the other, were
found 10 lie with like force against them
all.
A gentleman, with whose residence in
our county we have never been honored,
but who is most admirably fitted by ma.
ture, cultivation and position 10 give
sound advice in the premises, suggested
to the Committee Of Location, Sewanee,
as the best watered point on the Cumber.
land plateau, on the Sewanee Company's
Railroad, and only seven miles distant,
by railway, to Cowan, on the Nashville
and Chattanooga Railroad. Whereupon
the Committee came 10 examine Sewanee,
and found it to combine ust the advan.
tages they desired.
This, as Derily beliere, is true state
ment, and .full stetament Of what was
done, in the outset, TO favor the pre;en.
sions Of Sewanee. And the charge of
ndecorously pressing her claims upon
the attention of the Bishops, or upon any
one else, is grossly untrue and unjust
Nor did man from Franklin county, at !
tend upon the convention held at Mont. /.
gomery, Ala. last November, to urge the ,
claims Of Sewanee Not such, am
panied to say, was the example set Us by