Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-10-13

suHiptuOus coIlauOn prepared by Ut. u. l. al
Hu t. SCOTT. Every thing was gotten up in the
usually excent style. After all had partaken, brit
speeches were made by Lieut. MAURY, Rev. Dr.
A. ?. BARNARD President OF the University of Mi
EssIppi, and Bishop SMITH, of Kentucky.
Thus the 10th of October marks importaI
epoch in the educational interests of the South Tn
laying of the CORNERSTONE of the building for tn
proposed University Of the South was an event tha
has been looked forward to for months with no Oh
binary interest. The work has been commenced
and the friends of this great institution have
earnest in the proceedings of tins day. that it Wi
be prosecuted with all the energy which those haV
ing it in charge can command to its final completion
was agreebly surprised in the appearance OF tn
summit of the mountain. 1 had anticipated some
thing of the rugged appearance that our luea
naturally associate with mountains instead OF Whlci
found wide table land" as an address ISSUED
| by the Trustees some two years ago SAID having
upon its summit level area of from two 10 twenty
miles in width, upon which railroad Is now run
ming for fifteen miles, and might be extended for
hundred upon which stage roads are made as
smooth and easy of grade as any IN the middle coun-
ties of South Corelina or Georgia; upon which
farms. county towns and watering places are locat
ed and which is as well timbered any part of the
country except the heavy river swamps" Upon
| this summit there spreads out before the eye an
area with Just enough undulating to make it pic
turesque, covered with large timber, with rich
underbrush of grass, and with springs of free
stone water yielding four hundred, five hun
dred, and in one case one thousand gallons of
water per hour From this summit the visitor is
delighted with scenes of unsurpassed beauty with
points of the mountain running in fantastic shapes
into the valley like prOmotores into the ocean, with
wooded slopes stretching down into the cultivated
lands and mingling the wildness of nature with the
improvements CT man; with fat valleys rich in the
bounties of Providence with an almost boundess
horizon spreading away towards the far West And
these views vary at hundred points of the Univer-
sty lands for it is the popularity of this sandstone
formation to break into gorges and to open up new
scenery at every turn"
The elevation of this mountain is about one thous-
and nine hundred feet above the level Of the ocean,
and it possesses mild and genial climate in sum
mer, which is but little colder in the winter than
that of the surrounding lowlands, and Ger
tainly not so cold as that Of the more
Northern and Eastern States. As the Trustees say
the salubrity of the climate is beyond all question
With its pure water and bracing atmosphere " this
Cumberland plateau" as the Trustees remark in
the address already alluded to, seems to have been
formed by Con for the benefit and blessing Of the
Valley of the Mississippi and the cotton growing
gions of the Southern States. Forming the Eastern
limit Of that immense Valley stretching, with its
peculiar formation Of sandstone table-land for one
hundred miles across the State of Tennessee easy of
access at many points it must be the summer resort
of those wealthy planters who desire to recruit
their families during the summer months and are
yet unwilling TO be far separated from their plant
Ing interests
While the mountain is thickly covered with the
best varieties Of timber either for building purposes
or fuel, it also abounds in most excellent variety
Of stone coal which be delivered to the Univer
sty reasonable rates There is also any quantity
Of building easy Of access. variety Of sand
stone which is susceptible of very fine polish, the
surf zee of which becomes very hard after being
dressed. Specimens of this stone. which is to be
lei in the construction of the University building,
may be seen in the Office Of h Trustees. 1t is
much cheaper and more durable than brick, the
C st when put in its place in the building being
e Iuai to brick At nine dollars per thousand.
These facts coIlated mainly from the address of
the Trustees. viii show that the site possesses many
and peculiar advantages. The selection was not
made without the maturest deliberation. Every
10 .aliy suggested as the site OF the proposed Uni
versity was personally examined by committee
appOintedfor the purpose. accompanied by corps
en- gneers under the superintendent Of Col WALTER
GwYNS, and the Advantages Of each as to healthul
ness, accessibility. climate. water. building materi
ais, and centrality. fully and fairly set forth. The
result was the selection of Sewanee as combining
more advantages than any locality which had been
examined.
As to It's centralIty and accessibility to the ten
Dioceses interested in its establishment the Univer
sity of the South is within sixty hours of almost
every portion of the Southern States, except Texas
while it is within eighty hours of the remotest por
tons of the Union penetrated by railroads
The following paragraphs will give the reader
some idea of the aims of the projectors of this
great central institution of learning
1t is designed to give the South a seat Of learn
ing which shall compete in its appliances and faCii-
ties with the world-renOwned Universities of Eu-
rope, fand far surpass any rival son the western
continent This Is mere dream Of benevolent
enthusiasts: events so far have shown that the pro-
cct rests the brOadest and safest basis, and that
Its feasibility Is beyond doubt The University OF
the South will be slayIah imitation of any model
however illustriOus. In its organization it will be
guided by generous eclecticism and take for its
rule OF conduct the advice of st. Paul: Prove all
things. hold fast that which is good. Those invet
crate defects which past age has engrafted on
older institutions and which have become vital pOr-
lions of them. will be carefully avoided, and sys
TEN adopted which shall be proper to our age. our
necessities our genius; thriving plant Of own
soil. and not an sartfCially transpanted exotic.
Having a wider and higher range than our State
Colleges the University viii not trench their
tcrestS but will be their most valuable friend and
they its most valuable tributaries. Its faculties
will be complete and extending beyond a sterile
academic education The living languages. the ma
tura sciences agriculture. all the practical require
mcnts of modern times will be entitled to equal
rank and equal honor with the classic lore of anti
uuIty. The most liberal compensation will be
awarded to sCrupulOusly selected talent, and there
Is every prospect that some of the best minds from
every cline viii cluster together on the mountain
plateau of Sewanee. \ few years ago, when the
project yet in It's inCiplent stage, one of the
most distinguished Northern professors spoke of 1t
the present writer Of the greatest COncep-
tons OF the age. and intimated that he would feel
himself honored by a call, and that many of his
ContrcrCs would We can conceive how attractive
to a vigorous original mind a national effort like
that at SewHnce must be. what magnificent field
It offers to an ambitious intellect
It must be kept IN view that this great seat of
learning Is not intended as merely an Episcopal
Protestant Episcopal Church, presided over by its
heads. and to>,ercd by its most distinguished and
influential laity. the University Is national and
not scctaran ldca. The Church designs no pro-
pagandI-t policy; il viii necessarily control the
chair OF theology and make that faculty lis princi
pal seminary but further than this 1t 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 idea
of the age 4 catholic spirit embracing all de-
nominations and free from any purpose of prose
lyt>m, will preside over patriotic work in which
all Southe rncrs OF whatever creed are equally in
tercstcd.
Although the corners was laid to-day. it is
not believe. intended to commence active opera
tons until neXtyear. In the meantime, active cf-
forts win be made to procure additional subscrip-
tons untilthe endowment fund reaches one million
dollars The subscriptions already reach over half
a million doA,rs.
noticed ifihe Office of the Trustees a number of
plans for the Building, drawn by experienced archi
tects in vsrousparts OF the country No selection
has as vet been nade There is no doubt however
that the enlightened gentlemen having the matter in
charge will makeA selection worthy the great inst-