Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-09-25
Nasb6iIIs 0lrion anO 9mtritsn.


The University OF the sonth.
is pleasant to disert one glance from the lurd
glare anl fiery lgat Of Political controversy, says
the Mobils Register. to contemplate the peacefnl
conques,s Of patriotism in other and purer spheres
9t vastly more pracicll importsncs to the best ia
terests Of the South than the election of this man
or that man. is an eaicFPris 1m lgnifcsnt Ia con-
ception, bold and rigorous in exscutOn-Whteh has
bsenquietly butsteady progrsssiag for ssgerayears
1t designed to give 10 the South seat OF learning
which shall compete in its appliances and fseties
With the wOrld-reaOwned Uni7ersities Of Europe,
and far surpasses any rival on the western eoaii-
Dent. This is no mere dream of benevolent enthu-
sissls; events SO far haze shown that the project
rests the broadsst and safest basis, and that It's
Feasibility is beyond doubt. When il first ss-
sumed tangible form. offers Of literal graEts Of
lands and muui6cent peccniagy donations by cites
andIural communities poured in upon the Commits
tee Of Location to influence its decision. Tle eOm-
milIee wisely resisted the most seductive temptations
and in the selection OF the site determined to keep
in view tie permsnen, veal AID ultimate prospects
Of the institution, therefore avoiding largeeily 90
maxim that guided their deliberations was. that a
national UniEerslly must bull up town and not ba
built by one. Il IS thus that OSfJrd and Cam
bridge have gradaslly grown into existsnes. Ia
other words the nstionai ssat OF leatning like the
rational seat CT government, should b, On neutral
ground S4wanee, ia Gruaiy county, Tennessee,
seemed to possess every desirable Qualification in
references to health accessibility, and yet the de-
sira5le isolation. Thelract acquired for university
purposes amounts TO nearly 10000 acres Of land,
has heen thoroughly surveyed, and its capa-
cities carefully determined the grounds ara al
already placed under the direction of landscape
gardner to be laid off With due regard t. taste,
fart and convenience. To ensure against unforeseen
Interruptions and emSsrrassments, the building will
not be commenced until half million dollars are
c early GispOnible. OF this sum, S363,580 have
bsea reoeivsd in cash, bonds and notes. payable in
available pc.iods; aud an additional amount of
$4,000 is pledged from responsible persons. The
collections for all purposes special prOfesserships,
feOwships, etc, etc, will, there is every reason
to believe, fall not short of one and half millions
of dollars.
The University of the South will be no slaVish
imitation of any model however illustTieus. Ia its
organization it will be guided By generous eciee-
ticism and take for its rule Of conduct the advice
of St. Paul Prove sll things, hold fast that which
Is good Those inveterate defects which past age
has engraftsd on older Institutions and which have
become vital portions of them, will be carefully
avoided aud system adopted which shall be proper
10 our age, our necessities, genius, thriving
plant Of our own soil, AID not arthsialV trans
planted exotic Having wider and higher range
than our State Colleges, the University viii not
trench 0a their Interest," bat will betheir most val
uabIe friend and they lis most valuibe tributaries
Is faculties viii be complete and extending beyond
8 sterile academic eiucaton- The living languages,
tie natural sciences agriculture all tie practical
rsouirements Of m ,deru times will De eatitied to
aou.l rama and equal honor si the classic lore of
antiouity The mo-t liberal comPsn IatiOn viii be
awarded TO sssutulcusly selected talent, aad there
is every ospeei dat some tf the bsL minds from
every cine wi cluster together On the mountain
nla,eAu Of Sswsnee. 4 f-z years ago, when the
project vas yet IN is ineipient stage, one Of Il e
m st disn gush,d Northern professors spoke OF 1t
10 the present writer Of he greatest eoncep-
tious Of the age, and iatimsted that he would feel
himself honOred By & call, and ihat many OF his
eoufreres would. We can conceive how attractive
TO a vigorous original mind national effort like
tEat at Sexauee mus. be, what a magnificent held
It offers to an ambitious intellect.
II nut be kept in view that this great seat Of
learaiog is not intended as merely an Episcopal
College. Although originating in ,ho boscm of the
Protestant Episcopal Church presided over by its
heads. and fostered By its most distinguished aud
iuauential laity, the University is national and
n,t q seot IT: an idea The Church designs no pro-
uarandis, policy: it will necessarily control th'
chair OF thse.cgy and make that faculty its princi
nal seminary, but further than this it is justly con-
tent with the immense accession Of moral power
which it cannot but acquire from the glory Of hav
ing conceived and embodied the great Southern ides
ef the age catholic spirit, embracing all de
nominations and free from a0y purpose OF prose
Iyt;sm, will preside patriotic work in which
eu Southerners OF whatever creed are equally II
tsrested.