Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1914-04-10
The Vanderbilt Victory.

NdHuStDAiI university, 1T NaSn-
vile, Tennessee, is the foremost in
stitution of learning in the south,
only the University of Virginia COM
peting with it. When, like the Col
lege of William and Mary in Virgin
is, ewo hundred years before, it had
4er some years only a paper exist
ence, Commodore Vanderbilt gave it
u million dollars, and his family
added largely to the gift. These
beRefactions will give distinction to
the Vanderbilt namo when all de-
scendants that bear it shall have
mingled with the indistinguishabls
mass of common humanity.
The first plan for the university
came from several annual confer
ences of the Methodist church, south,
and the gift was made thru Bishop
Met yeire. Certain bishops were
made visitors with right of partial
control, but while the trustees had
for forty years had full charge, at
last the Methodist general confer
ence, led by Bishop Hoss, claimed
ownership of the university and elect
ed three trustees to whom the board
of trustees refused to give seats.
The real occasion for seeking possess
sion of the university was the fear
that Chancellor Kirkland and some
of his professors who had sought a
wider theological liberty in the
church, would exert too liberaliz-
ing influence over the students. A
lower court sustained the right of the
Methodist conference, but the Su-
preme court of Tennessee has re-
versed that decision and given full
authority to the trustees. The gen
eral conference contended that the
church founded the university; the
decision says that Commodore Van
derbilt founded it and that his fam
lily provided the blood, bone and
sinew of the body corporate" They
contend that the church owns the
even Mr.. Vanderbilt's
gifts having been made thru the
church; the court decides that the
church does not own the university.
and that Mr.. Vanderbilt's gifts were
made neither to the church nor thru
the church. They contended that the
were board of visitors with
an authority superior to the board
of trust; the court decided that the
bishops are not visitors and have no
authority over the university. The
conference is utterly, totally |
and finally defeated, and many in |
the church, and even some among the |
are glad of it.
Our interest in the case rests in
our conviction that a great university |
which appeals for support to the gen
eral public should be free from &C.
clesiastical control. To be sure, we
may have Presbyterian or Methodist
Or Catholic colleges anchored to g
faith and meant for youth of that |
faith, but they will be in the nature
If the case of second rate Importance.
To. tie a college to a creed is like |
lettering a horse to a post in o pas
cure. 1t limits freedom of thought. |
Professors are fettered in their |
studies and their teachings. 1t is |
against the free spirit of the age.
Brown University has got rid of its |
Baptist bonds. Wesleyan University
has just now been in trouble over the |
matter. And his insistence on the |
Presbyterian creed has just caused |
the forced resignation of the cultured |
president of Lafayette College.
We are glad that Vanderbilt Uni
versity can now receive the gift of n |
million dollars from Mr.. Carnegie |
which was refused by the Methodist |
independent.