Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-02-14

THE UNIVERSITY HOBBY.

Reform, in the CHRONICLES of the 9th
inst, but expressed the ultimate in the
mind Of s. n. u, when he SO ably urged
the University for this continent as pos
sible future for this East Tennessee Uni
versity. 1t is but truism to affirm that
the Western world is TO have, at some time
and sOn,e,Chere, q University as much sur
passing Oxford or Cambridge as our mag
nificent territorial domain surpasses the
ocean bound confines of the British Isles.
Where this shall be is left to the wisdom
of the matured convictions of this rapidly
developing Western people to determine.
Why may it not be our own University !?
Reform" certainly gives most excellent
reasons, from our climatology, why it
should be. Here students can walk the
paths of higher learning-amidst the
prodigal grandeur of q scenery the most
favorable to elevated thought, and with a
climate free alike from the consumption
breeding, marrow-chilling breeZeS of the
North, and the enervating, malarial, siroc-
COS of the South. To dream then of q
Vile may be h0b6ycdL- and
foolish, it certainly is not. But how to
realize the dream, that is the question.
Certainly by keeping our eye steadily
to the object, and going in at
every open door in that direction. TO
concentrate here the educational interests
of the Cotton belt surely seems the first,
and most practical, step. Here there are no
lions in the path, except the us t'eCrtiG of
our own objectionable dOnOthingness.
Let it be our first effort to overcome this,
by clear conception of what grand posi-
bilities we are thus fOolishly hazarding. It
is to be hoped that Reform" and men
like him, of vigorous thought, and far
reaching views, will lend their aid in this
important direction. :. Y. L. is not q
Trustee, nor the son of q Trustee, yet
whatever of influence he may have he will
cheerfully devote to what he conceives to
be the high vocation of his "Alma
Matar" He is gratified that the CHRoN-
ICLE, always wide awake to the interests of
East Tennessee, gives so promptly its voice
in this direction. He did think, however,
when it spoke of ttCO hundred students in
this connection-it but saw, with recently
opened eyes, men as trees walking" If
the writer is correctly informed, the Col
lege in Kentucky which received the
I" Agricultural fund y for that State, matri-
culated during its last collegiate year eight
hundred aud fifty students. Raise your
sights and aim higher, Mr.. Editor. We are
Buffalo huntingo-not "Snipe shooting
in the matter.
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN BOYS TO-
GETHER.
One more thought presented by IRE
form " is worthy of profound attention
the social and political effect of training
Northern and Southern boys in the same
academic halls. 1t certainly would have
the effect of contributing to a social and
political equilibrium between sections,
alas too long sundered, too often epbit-
tered by misunderstood or misinterpreted
motives. Anything that will remove this
bitterness and restore mutual respect and
confidence is worthy of being pursued as
an c1.d by every sincere patriot and Christ
ian philanthrOpist. Much more when, at
the same time, we accomplish, as in such
an institution we should, the highest cul-
ture of both. The very collisions produced
by ,mingling together young men of di-
verse training and former mental habits,
would develop thought and mould charac-
ter in more enlarged and catholic forms,
than is now any where attainable to either
section; thus giving to one nation great
er breadth of philOsophic thought for the
higher walks of scientific learning, a mob
Ter craftsmanship for her legislative halls,
than this country, or the world, has ever
seen. Is not this possible? Would it not
be grand, providential calculation of
good from evil, for such result to follow
the intermingling of those elements of
discOrd which have scanned this continent
with graves, and deluged it III blood?
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