Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-15
UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH.
Its Location, Objects and Prospects.
To tho Rditors of Aha uu;nn and an,a,;..n.

Ino SITE OF the University Is on tint
: plateau of the Cumberland mountain, IN
: Franklin county Tenn, near where the
counties of Marion, Grundy and Frank,
lin corner, being 1000 feet above the
: level Of the sea, on the Sewanee rails
road, seven miles from the tunnel, on the
!, Chattanooga and Nashville railroad.
, This altitude gives purity of air, and
, about the temperature Of Louisville, KY,
! being as far North as the students of the
, South should go.
. 1t is called the university of the
South" because the States of Texas;
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina and Tennessee, are ems
braced in the charter, and it is controlled
by Trustees from these ten States, being
the cotton, sugar and rice States of the
United States. These Trustees are ap.
pointed by the Episcopal Church of each
State, the Bishops thereof being "ex-off-
cio" Trustees.
! The object is to make university"
Tor these ten States, union of the CAPT.
tai, talent and energy of the whole, in.
stead of division of funds and ten
Universities, in low latitudes and malari.
GUS regions. The primary schools and
colleges, in each State, will 60 on; but
this conception of concentrating every.
thing for University" for the whole
ten States, was comprehensive and phi-
losophic, and its success will be lasting
monument on the mountain plain of
Tennessee, to him who conceived it
Another object is to bring toe
| gether corps of the most
distinguished and learned professors in
the world; thereby giving the rising gen.
Grafton of these ten States all the ad- |
vantages of education which can be |
found anywhere. This may be done by |
union and concentration, but not by di- |
vision. Suppose that each one of the |
ten States should endow professorship |
in this common university, with salary |
that would command any talent or at |
tainments. Look at the result of this
single act 1t brings together on the |
mountain plain, in delightful, salubri~
GUS climate, ten of the most learned |
teachers Of the world, who would con.
stItute an attraction unequaled on the
American continent.
This would be lighthouse on the
mountain top, to which the youths to be
educated would be delighted to 90.
Suppose there should be but fifty stu
dents from each of the States, this
gives patronage Of five hundred stu
dents, and from tuition fees ten other
professors could be maintained, thus
making the corps of distinguished and
learned men twenty in number
PROSPECTS,
The University" in lis corporate
name, is now the owner of ten thousand
acres of land, in a body, at the
site named above, acquired before the
war, by purchase and donation. This
was chiefly the work Of Leonidas Polk,
then Bishop of Louisiana. He was
gentleman and Christian. When
the war came, and the South
was invaded, he put On the stars
and bars, and like true soldier, led her
sons to battle. lie was Lieut. General
in the army commanded by Gen. Joseph
&. Johnston, in his strategetic and
mastery movement from Dalton to Ats
lanta, and fell at Kennesaw Mountain
covered with honor and glory. The
South will ever cherish his memory, and
let his epitaph be written on the walls Of
the university of the South.
This site of the university" contains
ing as is does 10000 acres, with its
springs, and beautiful: mountain scenery,
is not only large enough for the Uaiver-
siiy, but for summer homes for the plan
ters and others Of the South
am authorized to say that the trustees
have decided to appropriate a part of iE
to this purpose, and l will present the
outline of the plan and terms.
A certain portion of the tract will be |
set apart, for the university buildings"
and all other buildings necessary for the
accommodation of professors and stu-
dents, with parks, promenades and drives
to the mountain views
This done, another portion will be |
leased at a nominal rent, for fifty years,
to cotton, sugar and rice planters Of all
the ten States named, who cultivate the
alluvial and other rich lands in the |
malarious districts, and merchants from |
the Southern cities-lots of two or three
acres, upon condition that the lessee put
a cottage thereon.
These cottages are intended to be used
as summer homes" for families who |
prefer that to hotel They may be
furnished with cheap style Of cottage
furniture, which may remain in the cot.
tage during winter and spring.
Tennessee Is provision country and
abundant supplies can be obtained at
cheap rates
The Springs" which are yet unnamed
afford pure, cool froe-stOne water, for all
in health; and the chalybeate springs, a
tonic for those who may require it. But
the invigorating, bealth.producing,
Misunderstanding agent, is the pure,
light mountain air, which gives elastici~
ty, action and grace to the body, and the
rosy hue to the cheek.
This is a level plateau, on the summit
of a mountain 1000 feet high, but not a
mountain to the eye. The winds are
unObstructed by any higher peaks, and
you know you are on a mountain, by
looking down into the valleys, not by
looking up.
1t is essential to the growth Of the
planting community, that they go out Of
the malarious valleys in the summer
months Disease will degenerate the
stock, and the South will loose rank in
the councils Of the nation, without a
remedy for this evil 1t is offered in a
Summer home near the University
of the South"
Another object is to assemble here, 10
the summer months, the parents and
patrons of the University. There will
be no vacation in the summer, but in
December and January.
These Summer homes" therefore, are |
legitimate part of this scheme of edu-
cation
The drives to the mountain views may
be fifteen or twenty miles, in circuit, on
the finest roads that can be found any
where.
Fifty planters from each of the ten
States with cottages, make five hundred
families, of homogeneous class, cultiVas
tors of the soil, who come together, with
their wives and children and servants;
with their carriages and buggies and
horses, brought there by the railroads, TO
spend the summer. Hotels will be
provided for the accommodation of all
other visitors, by other lessees. They |
90 back in the fall to send students to
their united University, and thus become
aids to the plan.
The mammoth commercial en- terprise,
railroads, has annihilated space in eight
of these States, and will soon do so in
Arkansas and Texas Distance in time
from all the great cities Of the South
New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah, Charles
ton, Tallahassee, Memphis, Vicksburg, |
Raleigh and Nashville, and all intermes