The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-14
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY.

| Ia vANDGbeDlOl UNIV
Through the politeness Of our friend
DIR. w. q. Austin, OF this city, the Dem
ooaAr has received from Bishop II. N
McTyeire, the President OF the Board
OF Trust. an exceedingly interesting
valuable pamphlet, published at Nash
Vile by the Publishing House OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church South, :
containing n full account Of tbs
Dedication and Inauguration o.
the Vanderbilt University" This
pamphlet or periodical 10 TO be here
after issued every year.at the date o.
each Commencement, and Is thus tt
einbody aD agreeable. authentic, useful
aud complete history Of this splendid,
arranged, we'll endowed aud noble In.
stitution. II is scarcely necessary &c
mention here, even incidentally. that
tho name was bestowed in honor oil
Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt
whose munificent and patriotic dona
ton to the Foundation OF upwards Of six
hundred thousand dollars, is well
known.
The present volume Is filled with de-
| lightful matter both for moral and re-
ligious instruction, and for thought OF
the profoundest and most varied char.
acter. 1t is sufficient to announce that
the first sermon reported on IN occa.
sion that assumed the greatest possible
interest at Nashville and throughout
the State OF Tennessee . indeed,
In oil the surrounding States =
was by the eloquent Bishop Doggett
on "Tbe Dynan1ics Of Christianity.
or its System of Moral Forces. y
II was discourse Of great ability and
eloquence and must be read to be ap-
preciated. The second sermon was by
Bishop Weightman, on "Christ the
Center and Bond OF the Universe" In
spired by learning. fine reasoning and
fcrvid strength A full length portrait
of Commodore Vanderbilt was then IN
veiled by Bishop McTyeirc, and after
wards Gov. Porter having been intro
ducedby the Bishop. addressed briefly
and with good taste and feeling, the Fac
ulty and Trustees OF the University. The
Rev. Charles L. Deems. OF the city Of
New York, then Is described as having
delivered Il lengthy and unusually pow
erful address, mainlyon the false idea
often proclaimed by weak scientists, or
smatterers, and poor Theologians with
out proper sense Of the purity and in
destructibility Of religious convictions,
OF a supposed "confict between reli-
gion and science"
The Rev. A. A. Lipscomb, late Chan.
cellor of the University OF Georgia, Is
represented as having delivered the
final address ION the relations OF the
University to General Education" On
perusing its compact phges we find II
TO be worthy Of the man and the cause
and that the Bishop was equal In force,
expression and point to any Of the re-.
markable men who proceeded him, only
places the proper mark upon his en-
lightened discourse.
In conclusion Bishop McTyeire's ex-
cellent address to the Faculty and to
Chancellor Garland, and the Chancel-
lors' appropriate response, are also
given; with the Inauguration Ode and
other hymns. 1t Is proper to allude to
the chapter on the Character and De-
sign Of the Biblical Department OF the
University" by Thomas o. Summers,
d. D., as being worthy not only Of the
casual notice but careful study Of all
who take an interest in the question OF
Methodist Church education. In speak
ing Of the history OF the Institution we
extract the following paragraph from
the preface OF the pamphlet which will
be read with interest:
A liberal charter was obtained that
year, and the Board OF Trust met Janu-
airy 16, 1873, and completed Its organi-
zation. Bylaws were adopted, and
agents appointed to solicit funds. A
university In fact, as we'll as In name,
had been determined on; in the words
OF the convention, " An Institution OF
learning Of the highest order and upon
the surest basis, where the youth OF the
church and the country may prosecute
theological, literary, scientific and pro-
fessional studies to an extent as great,
and in a manner as thorough as their
wants demand" The members OF the
convention were not ignorant Of the vast
ness Of the undertaking, nor of the
magnitude OF funds essential to success.
Their judgment in the matter was ex-
pressed In the form OF resolution de-
claring that one million of dollars was
necessary to perfect their plans and re-
alize fully their aims and so important
was 1t, In their estimation, to avoid an
abortive effort, that they refused to au-
thorize steps toward the selection Of q
site and the opening OF any department
Of the. University until the public
showed itself TO be in sympathy with
the movement by a valid subscription
OF five hundred thousand dollars.
Such, however, was the exhausted
condition Of the South, and so slow its
recuperation under the disorganized
state Of its labor, trade, and govern
ments, that the first efforts to raise
funds showed tho impossibility Of the
enterprise. The yearning desire of our
people seemed destined TO disappoint-
ment for this and following generations,
and the we'll laid scheme was, already
in the Judgment of some Of Its warmest
friends--a failure. At this crisis Mr.
Vanderbilt came to their help. In his
sympathy for q people struggling to re-
vive their fortunes, and to secure for
their posterity the highest blessing Of
Christian civilization, he stepped Tor.
ward, and, by his princely gift gave
form and substance to the plan. The
Board OF Trust. in accepting the dona-
ton, az an expression or krAtitude
Ak l. -