Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-28
THEyANDERRILT UNIVERSITY.

Sucn, We u 4OSEsldlC, u W OO Vic hoAnO Vi
the University soon to be organized in our
midst. Wiz our prominent business men
and citizens generally ponder carefully
few Thoughts Cf vital interest to US at this
junc ure? The first is, that the munihcent
donati n of Mr.. Vanderbilt has placed it
: easily in our power to become the educa-
tionsl centre of the whole Southwest, and
this. to-, with almcss no outlay upon our
part. In five years from to-day we can
easily have added to the intellect Of our
city thir.y-fve Cr forty of the most culti-
waited men in Europe or America. We can
have twelve hundred pupils from abroad
expanding each $500 at least, making
100000 annually-enabling us to keep
our own children at home for eoucstion,
which would add largely TO the figures
given.
But if we do this, we must act
at orce. Mr.. Vanderbilt as prompt
business man desires that there
sE&!i be no delay, as we understand the
matter. Bishop McTyeire, who is to act
for him in the premises, is expected at
onc9 to sslecs a site and procure plans for
80 the nee, ssary buildings. The point for
Nashville to look to is that the location OF
this institution shall tend to unity ard
strengthen the educational interests Of the
city, and not to prove further division and
consequent weakness.
In "report of Prof, ]. B. Lindsey, NJ.
D., Chairman of the Committee on Edu-
cation. to the Nashville Board of Trade,
Oct. 2S, 1871" this learned and eminently
practical educator, after years OF travel,
thought and study given TO this very ques-
ion,earnestly coansels the business men Of
Nashville to united and JEALOUS effort to
Ucombine in one harmonious whole the
various institutions now in existence" in
the city. Again, We fnd this paragraph:
mEyery University in America
noted tor great work is backed
either by Church or State. Hsr-
ward by Massachusetts, aud Unitarian
Congregationalists, Ysle by Orthodox Con-
Sgegationalists, Columbia by Episcopalians,
Nsrinceton by PresNyterians, Charlottesville
by Virginia, Lexington, (Kentucky) by the
Reformed D&DllSiSs duu ~ Sl4 hlD
list. In our own immediate field the pat
ronage and contributions and recruiting eff
forts of Episcopalians are pledged to Sewa-
nee. of Cumberland Presbyterisns to Leb-
anon, of Baptists to Murfreesboro, of Pres
byterigns to Clarksville, OF tie State to
Knoxville. Unless the city OF Nashville
back her own University, whence cSn 1t de-
rive support and expansion? Her Trustees,
able iurists, faithful guardians Of the in,
terests of the whole people, while ready to
give every religious denomination equal
privil ages, cannot pu5 their ward
under the control or ownership OF any ore,
hence cannot expecs the otfc al aid and char
itv of any. The State has gwen the only
great educational fund i. has for years con-
trolled, or is likely to have, TO Knoxville,
and it will be best for the public to let it
there remain. Nothing will destroy our
Industrial University 50 soon as Continual
tamIering with it by Legislative interference.
Nashville is the only corporation or aggre-
gate which can complement The wait OF
State or Church control and aid. Ii has the
ability and will reap the rich financial re-
turns consequent upon so doing. The two
Lexingtous, 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 eXpend
annually not less than five hundred thou
p sand dollars here, maintaining and adding
Immensely to the activity and thrift o.
the ciby.n
Thus We see that We have in our mids
an institution known to be rich in grounds
with some valuable buildings, and abcu
one hundred thousand dollars Of endow
ment, principally in Tennessee bonds No
being a State Institution, we can expect NJ
aid in that direction. We can not expec
the city to endow +, more especially whel
the Vanderbilt University shall supply tn
wants of our sons for higher education. w
are left then 10 the option of seeing thi
magnificent opportunity now offered to u
Of b.eniing together two institutions, haV
ing the came objects in view, and making
grand success, which VIII gather an educA
tiona glory around US and pour flood G
wealth into cur lap, or to miss an opportu
nifty coming but once in thousAn
years. Deprive the Vanderbilt Uni
versity of entering at once upon it
tAreer with its whole amount of $1,000 ,OO
10 hand as endowment, aud leave our Owl
uneudlwed institution to struggle on, frit
tering away in this new competition
teebls existence. There Is nothing in the
Vanderbilt University which would il any
sense pervert the intent OF the funds in th
hand the Nashville University. A norma
II = e H.
greatly desired in the able report of Ploi
Linsldey. a law school, medical school an
literary and scientific school-all these ar
the same as those contemplated By tn
University OF Nashville. We do no. doub
but that the Biblical school will be ampl
endowed and erected by contributions iron
the Church, slon gside of the Nsshvil
University grounds, and of the Vanderbi
fund.