The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-09-13
Chamberlain Iunt Academy.

No. 2.
The second objection or obstacle IN the
minds of some, which / promised ~tonotice
in this htmber, relates to the action Of
Synod in notwithstanding the funds Of Oak
land College to the Mississippi Presbytery.
The college, as was shown in my first
number, commenced operations in 1881,
first under the care of tho ~Prcsbytery, then
under the care Of the Mississippi Synod,
Il advanced with n success that was uusur-
passed, il equalel, by any college in the
United States similarly surrounded. Annn-
ally there issued from her walls distin-
guished graduates who have filed various
Offices in church and State with great ubili-
ty and fidelity. Her alumni have adorned
the pulpit, the Judicial bench, the legisla-
iative hall, the forum, the medical profess
sion, and the humber walks. of the farm
er'a life. All classes of society have felt,
lior genial, wholesome and eleyating influ-
encc. Matters with her progressed in this
smooth, prosperous condition till the lata
destructive war broke out, which, like the
desolating simeon, swept oyer our fair
land, blighting. rarching and drying up
everything upon which i. blew its peeti-
~iential breath, or like some vast whirlpool
that swallowed nr in its mighty gulp near
ly all the material resources OF our sunny
South, the assets Of tiis college among the
rest. at the conclusion Of the war there
remained q bare p%ittancc of tina, once
magnificent endowment. What shall he
done with that pittance? THIS grave, per-
picking question taxed the ingenuity OF
Synod for several years. The northern
portion Of the Synod had at home Il State
institution Oxford University where she
could educate her sons at q cheaper rate
than she could at this college, even If il
were raised to its former renewn. The
southern portion were toe poor to supple
ment the amount necessary to make it a
Grst-class institution. During this vacil-
lating, uncertain state of affairs, a dIstin-
guished member OF the Synod gave notice
at the meeting of Synod held at Halle
hurst three or four years ago, that when
the proper time arrived he would make u
motion to transfer the assets Of the college
to the Southwestern University, which IL
located at GAINESVILLE, Tennessee. But
wiser counseis prevailed, and the Synod,
ut It's last session, in the city of Natchez,
rc-transfcrred the funds of this college to
this Presbytery, annexing three simple
conditions. In making this re-transfer,
the Synod virtually said to the Mississippi
Preshytery, "You are my oldest child. j
I'M in possession OF u small amount Of
funds, which, for several years, have been
improbable in my hands. Thia fluid /
propose TO turn over to you, If you will
accept tha trust, on three simple conditions.
"rhe first Of these conditions is this:
The fund must be employed in establish
ing m institution Of !,6erOl learning; liber-
al, lot alter the Girard STYLE; where the
God OF The Bible lie ignored, hut Liberal
christian learning, where the God OF the
Bible shall be the recognized God and
Head Of the institution
"The second condition If: The fund
must not be squandercd in erecting build
ings, recitation rOoms, professors houses or
anything OF the sort. The community in
which, the institution is located must es-
tcom lite location of sufficient importance
10 erect all necessary buildings without
drawing on this fund. This fund is q sa-
cred trust to meet the expenses OF the in,
stitution, supplement, the %salarie' Of teach
ers, etc
"Thc third c~ordj,i,n"-a7 | i~n,crprc; it
IL leave 70 your W sound discretion"
{ Aa proof Of tiae rleasc note the language
Of he ~.eaalutinn.) "In locating the insti-
tuition i, must be placed oithcr st Natchez
or II s1me other poin. in the 'cJio7 or Dis
.r;6 u copn,ry whcret The fund were known
to have b2eu dcy! red"
Now, sir, What is The Grst thing THAI
strikes the attention Of n per
son who reads this lluguagc? Why
is ii not ,liis--that the Synod neither d.
rectcd nor recommended the location OF the
Chambcrlain-IIunt academy at Natchez or
arg n.ser pla,c absolutely? II go, would
not the sentence have stopped right there
at Nttehcz or fhe ofhcr place at which it in
tended TO direct or recommend its locatiUuf
This seems very plain TO me. The aettle-
iient of this third condition depends, as /
conceive, upon the construction placed on
the language "in the region or district OF
country where the funds were known to
have been derived" Now suppose the
narrow, contracted, Circumscribed, topical
construction to this language-which will
allow it to be placed nowhere hut at
Natchez or somewhere in the counties Of
Adams, Jefferson or Claiborne be adopt
cd, then what will be the conclusion?
Every person who is in the least acquainted
with tho history Of Oakland College
knows that the illustrious Cham bcrlain
and Hunt, whosc honored names the new
institution bears, are its two great historic
characters. "They were the Sons Of hnah
head and shoulders above all others
connected with that renowned institution.
They did more for it than any other two,
nay, l would venture but little to say of
all others put together. They put their
stalwort shoulders to the wheels, and
spoke to the car Of education, and babe it
to move forward, and it did move forward.
And when the car begged down, AS it somc-
time, did, they, with the powerful levers
Of intellect and money, priced it out and
set it in motion again, and it kept in MOS
ton during the lifetime of these two great
philanthropists and public benefaclcrs. 1t
is true DR.. Chamberlain was 4 poor man,
but he cast into Oakland's treasury the
widows mite" And all the powers Of
he ,r,al&-, .,tallon. ..I ~ L. .,.