Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-11
so far as all these expensive in

endowed, so far as all these expensive in
stTUmentalities are concerned
The cardinal and vivifying principle
brought forward now, is one of coneertra-
ton, consolidation, universally, which has
a Thousand times and in as many places
been applied successfully to a great variety
of enterprises. Our railroad history is full
of examples. A half dozen short lines,
cutting off their heads by officers salaries,
unite together and make one selfsupporting,
dividend-paying road. Louisville, small
town struggling to maintain a decent posi-
ton alongside its rich and powerful neigh
Dor, Cincinnati, invests a million
of dollars in one great trunk
line, and continues its investments
until it has pushed iron tentacula through
four large States, and stands forth an &C
knOwledged giant among cities. A full
Thousand years since, Paris, a moderate
city in a Western, half-civiliZed region, at
the instigatiOn of its learned men, and by
command ofexalted statesmen and war
riOrs, the unrivaled Pepin family, furnished
means for study in every branch of human
science, and held out inducements to stu
dents of all nations to frequent her schools.
From that day to this she has been the ac-
knOwledged head of European Universities,
and will continue such for centuries to
come. Her policy and prestige have and
will remain unimpaired by disasters Of war
or changes of revolution. Her schools of
science aid her schools of art, both pro-
mote her schools of letters, which again re-
act upon the others. Her unequalled art
and nature galleries, and libraries rich be-
yOnd compare, attract scholars from all
parts of Christendom to her colleges, public
and private.
This report, too long as a whole, too brief
in detail, but intended to incite Nashville
ans to think upon topic of pressing and
vital moment, win be brought to a close by
calling attention to two or three facts. Eve
r. University in America noted for great
| work is backed either by church or State.
| Harvard by Massachusetts, and Unitarian
| CongregatiOnalists, Yale by Orthodox Con-
gregatiOnalists, Columbia by Episcopalians,
| Princeton by Presbyterians, Charlottesville
| by Virginia, Lexington, kentucky, by the
Reformed Baptists, and so on through the
list. In our own immediate field the patron
age and contributions and recruiting efforts
Of Episcopalians are pledged to Sewanee,
of Cumberland PreSbyterians to Lebanon,
| Of Baptists to MurfreesbOrO, of PreSbyteri-
ans to GAINESVILLE, of MethOdistS to Hunts
WIFE, VI lllC DbdbC " ENuOAhl4lCs DAlICoo lllG
| city of Nashville back her own University,
whence can it derive support and expan-
| sion? Her Trustees, able jUrists, faithful
| guardians of the interests of the whole peO-
| pie, while ready to give every
| religious denomination equal priyi-
| legeS, cannot put their ward
! under the control or ownership Of any one,
| hence cannot expect the official aid and
1 - opv- Gto+a hos srivar ba
| only great educational fund it has for years
controlled or is is likely to have, to Knox
| vile, and it will be best for the public TO let
it there remain. Nothing will destroy our
| Industrial University so soon as continual
| tampering with it by legislative interference.
! Nashville is the only corporation or aggre-
| gate which can complement the want of
State or Church control and aid. 1t has the
ability and viii reap the rich financial re-
turns consequent upon so doing. The two
Lexingtons, one in Virginia, the other in
Kentucky, have each some seven hundred
students in their colleges. In 1860, Nash
vile had some six hundred. Equal success,
and this is a safe calculation. upon the plan
proposed above, would speedily give us
more than one thousand. These would eX-
pend annually not less than five hundred
thousand dollars here, maintaining and add
ing immensely to the activity and thrift Of
the city.
The outlay to bring all this about would
be small compared with what either Of our
railroads have cost us, and can be distrib-
uted through period Of years.
That municipal government can direct
and build up a grand whole as urged in thi 4:
| report, is amply demonstrated by the bril-.
| e ,r-ho
James | founded the University by charter
dated oath of April, 1882. "By this char
ter, which still forms the only constitution
of the University, the provost, bailies, anC
town councillors of Edinburgh and theil
successors in Office were invested with TIN
sole power both of electing the professor;
and of dismissing them. In virtue Of thi:
authorization, indeed, the council or cOrpo
ration Of the burgh has ever since assumed
nearly the entire direction and control o
the University-electing the professors
founding new chairs, managing the funds
and even regulating the class fees and tn,
discipline of the institution"
My task is done. At the instance 0
prominent members Of the Board of Trade
l have given practical conclusions reached
after some thirty years Of experience, study
and travel. have spoken frankly as ;
Nashvillian, regarding this not as the only
but as one Of the principal interests O
Nashville, and close as | commenced, will
The profound conviction that unless the bus
mess men Of Nashville take hold Of thi'
great cause with the broad, comprehensive
SPACIOUS, liberal spirit characterizing thei
class, instead of being as we may the edu
oatiOnal metropolis Of the mighty South
west, we will become tributary TO cities an,
towns now far behind US.