1

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH.

The most pleasing phenomenon upon the
rising spirit of Southern literary sentiment just
now, is that which points directly to the
necessity of a Southern University.

Already, the literary sentiment of the South
has taken a higher step into writing ; in the
first trial of its genius ; and is daily struggling
between the higher suggestions of original lier-
ary tasts (indigenous to its fruitful mind), and
the sluggish servility of Northern sentiment
that is rained upon it in merciless showers, with
each evolution of the rotating shafts of the
steam-power press.

The prevailing light spirit, of Northern liter-
ature is chargeable alone, to the educational
system of that division of the Republic, which
with its hundreds of schools, colleges and insti-
tution[s?] of learning, has failed to establish a
single University. But this might be forgiven
did [no?]t a more deplorable fact exist in their in-
stitutions, and that is, the want of Scholastic
Doctors to direct and control them. In all the
literary commerce of the Northern States, with
every part of the civilized world, the scarces of
all their sentimantal commodities in the aggre-
gate, is that of scholarship ; hence it is, that the
prevailing passion of the American people be-
comes manifest for light reading, which is, em-
phatically,a national misfortune, but not the fault
of the masses. This fact reveals, to the thinking
mind, the curious result of original and creative
genious ; directed into such false and ridiculous
channels, arising from an imperfect system of
education.

It is not, that this nation is incapable of in-
venting and establishing an original school of
literature, such as the world had never before
saw. Under the influences of a free government
and independent religious opinion there is no
necessity for imitation, and a strict conformity to
those nations, which have set up such models as
the mind of Doctors invariably lean upon in the
absence of scholastic acquirements.

It is for us to speak just now of Divisional,
and not of the so-called National sentiment, and
of the evidences of a higher reign of literary
taste in this division, than that which has been
set for its imitation.

In no feature of its whole character is this
more striking, than in the knowledge of their
first great need of an University--the super-
structure, upon which their rising literature is to
be built.

To give a cinsistency to the spontaneous
growth of genous, like that of Provence in the
tenth century--the Savans of the South have
wisely determined to establish a Southern
University in a central location, which is the
very first step taken, in the right direction in this
Republic, since its organization of confederative
States.

The project is the beginning of a new era in
American life and character ; and marks its own
epoch in the chronicles of the nineteenth cen-
tury. Nor is this phenomenon anomalous in
comparative history, which has through all time
marked the direct on of the current of learning
flowing Northward from the South.

It was the University of Alexandria that
caused the princes, and philosophers of Persia,
Greece, and Asia-Minor, to seek the sunny
plains of Egypt, in search of these treasures of
knowledge, which were garnered in her scholast-
ic store-house. From this fountain flowed that
pure stream of civilization, which fer[tile?]
barbaro[u?]s mind of other nations of [?]
world, into marvelous refinedment. [?]

[?]terior [gen?]erations[;?] and the young nations of the
Pacific coast and the Southern Eldorado will
reach forth their golden cups for a draught. The
tawny children Anahua[c? e?] will carry its influ-
ences into the ancient realm o[f?] the Montezu-
ma[s?], and the sons of the Antilles come hither in
quest of knowledge. From this fountain is des-
tined to flow a mighty river of united sentiment
which shall find a thousand tributaries ; stretch
in from the two great oceans that clasp our
territory in their embrace ; and the same phil-
osophical and political axiom[s?] extend, from the
banks of the Mississippi to the golden River of
the Amazons.

The State Colleges of the South, have proven
themselves but feeble auxiliaries to the growth
of intellectual pursuit. They have in many in-
stances fallen a prey to the petty quarrels of
their Doctors, and have become the theatres of
the most disgraceful contention, between North-
ern fanatical prejudice, and Southern principle.
The prevailing feature of Northern Institu-
tions, is fearfully manifest in those of our own--
the want of scholastic excellence. The most ob-
vious defects of these system[s?] are the intenerency of
professors; and want of perpetuity of the Institu-
tions.

The guardi[a?]ns of the " University of the
South," are for the most part perpetuated by that
great system which controls the Episcopal
Church; and is not likely to va[r?]y, until a revolu-
tion shall have changed the polity of that an-
cient and sublime system of church legislation.
The dignity of its Bishopric control is in strict
conformity to those of the ancients. The renowned
Universities of Seville, Cordova and Palermo [,?]
which were the propelling agents of civilization
throughout Christendom, were controlled by the
learned Hildephonsus and his associate Bishops
--and the same system has been adopted by
Britain with the most wonderful success.

In all the extended territory of the South[,?]
there could not have been a more fit locality
than the one seleced for th[is?] Monument of a
nation's literary pride--in the wild and pictur
-esque district of Tennessee, lying between
the inclined walls of sloping hills, which
lends an enchantmənt to the object. There
Pastoral verse, may weave its rustic witchery,
amid the sombre shadows of the mountain sides
or reflect the vernal beauties of the mead below.
Upon this sublime height will sit the august
Oracle which shall tell of the furure of a whole
nation--the Parnassus where the inspiratio[n?]
comes down in a silvery rain and the gari[sh?]
light of pure philosophy shine through its dewy
mist,

It will be indentified by all nations as the ral-
lying point of Southern sentiment -- The Bas-
sorius of the New World,whose fire of knowledge,
blazing upon a Southern shore, will illumine
the young empires of a whole continent. The
plastic sentiments of our budding legislators,
will be directed into such channels as will
venerate and sustain the institutions and polity,
which our fathers invented.

With this impregnable fortress of national
sentiment, the South will have fashioned for
herself a bulwork of mighty power ; behind
which, she may laugh at the missiles thrust at
her institutions by the engines of her f[oes?]
Scholastic dignity will give to citizenship
higher claim, and, from the remotest boundari[es?]
of her territories, a griendly and united feelin[g?]
like the precious ointement on Arron's be[a?]
will run down to the skirts of the garments
[u? ?ades?] of her pupils.