The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1859-02-10

SOUTHERN DIOCESES,
In reference to Its Choice OF the Site for the University.
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The Board Of Trustees of the Uni
versity Of the South, during it's recent
meeting at the Bersheba Springs, Ten
ncsscc, having rcatlirmed with great
unanimity the decision come to at
Montgomery, Alabama, in November,
1887, selecting, as the site of the Uni
versity, that portion of the Cumber-
land plateau called Sewanee, and hav-
ing finally settled the question of To-
cation. the undersigned have been ap-
pointed a Committee to set forth the
reasons which led to that decision,
and to furnish the Dioceses interested
in this matter the fullest information
as to the geographical position and
positive advantages of this locality.
The selection Of Sewanee as the
site of our projected Institution, was
not made, in the first instance, with
out the maturest dclberation. At the
meeting held in July, 1857, at the
Lookout Mountain, a Committee of
Location was appointed, consisting of
one Trustee from each Diocese, whose
business it was made to examine all
the suggested localities and to report
to a meeting to be held at Montgom-
cry in November, 1857, with the full
understanding that the Board would
then and there decide this important
question of location. Having exam
ined personally such proposed sites as
their other duties would permit. the
Committee of location requested Col.
WALTER GwyNN, of the Blue Ridge
Rail Road, to organize corps Of civil
engineers, with instructions to exam
inc mnutely every locality which
might desire to present its claims, and
called attention, through q series of
questions prepared with great judg'
ment by its Chairman, to the points
deemed most important in the settle
ment of the question. TO the meet
ing held in Montgomery, in Novem-
Der, 1887, this Corps of Engineers re-
ported in full, laying before the Board
accurate, because scientific, iniorma-
ton upon all the points material to a
final judgment in the premises. Gen.
tlemcn sent up as delegates from these
respective localities were examined
minutcly as to their healthfulness
their accessibility, climate, water
building materials, and centrality.--
Advocates from each locality were
heard in detail and were permitted tt
enter as fully as they pleased into tn,
meritsSf their favorite sites. Wher
these examinations were ended, sucl
of the Trustees as desired to speak
were heard before the Board. 1t wa,
then resolved that no locality shoulc
be selected which did not receive the
vote of two.thirds Of each order, tn,
order of Bishops and the order of clcr
ical and lay Trustees. After a long
balloting, not unaccompanied by pray
er for the Divine guidance, Sewanet
was selected as combining more ad
vantages than any locality which hat
been examined. Under these circum'
stances it was neither a hasty nor i'm
pulsive decision to which the Board
came at Montgomery, and subsequent
investigation and personal examlna-
tion have confirmed those who voted
for it in the first instance and have re-
moved the objections oil some who
then voted against it. We feel conii'
dent that Sewanee only needs a per,
sonal inspection to satisfy most minds
that it has been we'll and judiciouslS
chosen for its purpose. ..
The selection of the site for the pro
posed University must be considere'
in connection with the objects, whicl
the Southern Dioceses had in view il
in its establishment. Apart from
these, 1t might not be easy to prov
that it was the fittest locality, but II
conjunction with them, it will be fount
to unite more completely than an,
other, all the requirements Of such a
scheme. For this is not the feeble o.