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position of Virginia, so far as the act of her Convention can fix it, will soon be known. It is not our place to assume any thing in anticipation. * * * Their determination will be such as may give reason to every member of our Commonwealth for saying, in the face of the world, and of Heaven itself, "IT IS RIGHT." Its support will then be accepted as a religious trust.

These modest gentlemen say, "It is not our place to assume any thing in anticipation," and yet they both assume and anticipate a large amount that is political, for a religious journal. They openly declare for separation; "assume" to know, "in anticipation," that the action of the Convention will be "right" before "every" Virginian, and before "Heaven itself;" and all this, when the Convention gave the people of the State some forty days to think upon the matter, before they should be called to vote upon the Ordinance of Secession. How valiantly these "Northern ministers with Southern principles,"—who have constantly protested against "mixing politics and religion,”—can fight with religious weapons on the arena of politics, when they become leaders of the people, and declare their will forty days before they are called on to express it, and seal it "in anticipation" with the signet of "Heaven!"

AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

So, also, the North Carolina Presbyterian, with no more modesty than the Virginian, and likewise before that State seceded, while disclaiming to "assume," does yet declare, what should be done, as follows:

What, then, shall North Carolina do? Where does she stand? On which side? Without assuming to speak for others, though we doubtless reflect the opinions of four-fifths of the clergy and membership of the Southern Presbyterian Church, we say that the South should unite for the sake of the South-for the sake of peace, humanity, and religion-of our soil, our honor, and our slaves; and that ALL THE SLAVE STATES should make common cause in this hour of their extremity.

And so it was with the conductors of the religious press all over the South, of every denomination which had its organs. They were among the early champions of treason and rebellion, urging resistance to the Government "in anticipation" of Conventions and votes of the people; and thus becoming open leaders, and "assuming" momentous responsibilities.

EDUCATION IN AID OF THE REBELLION.

Another item in illustration of our subject, relates to the efforts in behalf of Education in the South, on a footing which should secure its independence of Northern Colleges and Universities, and strike out a curriculum within which should be safely ensconced all the interests of the "peculiar institution."

The world is familiar with the fact, that for many years the South has attempted to provide itself with an expurgated literature; that nothing in the shape of books and periodicals, from the North or from across the Atlantic, suited its tastes; that nothing of this sort was deemed "safe" or "sound," from a Child's Primer up to a work on Moral Philosophy; and as for teachers of both sexes, for whom it was largely dependent on the North, and most commonly upon New England, they could "not be borne with much longer, even though Southern children should have to grow up in ignorance." Their progress in this direction was small, though of late years something was accomplished. As they supposed the time nearly ripe for national disruption, a stimulus was given to their efforts.

We aim here only to notice one recent movement of a different kind. The South has been constantly increasing the number of its Colleges, and some of them are of a high character. But since the Presidential election of 1856, a bold scheme for a Southern University of magnificent pro

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portions was projected, which is worthy of a passing consideration. Its design will be seen to have been to serve and perpetuate" the educational interests of the South in behalf of Slavery.

GREAT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.

The plan is developed in De Bow's Review, a monthly, issued in New Orleans, which has been a leading organ of disunion, and one of the stoutest champions for perpetual slavery. The project is treated in several numbers, and seems to have occupied the attention of leading minds in Church and State for several years. In the number for November, 1857, is one of a series of articles advocating the plan, written by a gentleman of Georgia. It is entitled, "Central Southern University: Political and Educational Necessity for its Establishment." The editor prefaces the article, representing the author as saying:

That the Southern people, through individual, municipal, and State action, comprising all denominations, orthodox and heterodox, Jew and Gentile, should move with one accord to secure, for our political as well as intellectual redemption and development, at some advantageous point, a vast Central University, towards which should radiate, to be afterwards condensed, intensified, and reflected, the emanations of our municipal and State Schools, Academies, and Colleges.

DISUNION.-FIGHTING MEN TO BE EDUCATED.

The article presents the subject in four parts. The following sentences are taken from the first, illustrating the "necessity" for such an institution, and the grounds on which it rests:

The opinion that it is vitally important to the interests and general welfare of the South, for the slaveholding States to endow and organize as speedily as possible a great Central Southern University, seems to be rapidly gaining ground. That there does exist a political necessity for the establishment of an institution of learning of the

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character alluded to, an institution around which shall cluster the hopes and the pride of the South, the teachings of which shall be thoroughly Southern, one pledged to the defence and perpetuation of that form of civilization peculiar to the slaveholding States, will not, perhaps, be questioned, although some may entertain doubts as to the pressure of that necessity. * The difficulty between the South and the North can never arrive at a peaceable settlement. The supreme and ultimate arbiter in the dispute now pending between them, MUST BE THE SWORD. To that complexion it must come at last. The first step then which the South should take in preparing for the great contest ahead of her, is to secure harmony at home. The safety of the South, the integrity of the South, not the permanence of the Union, should be regarded as the "paramount political good." No true Southerner, no loyal son of the South, can possibly desire the continuance of the Union as it is. * * * The University of Virginia is not sufficiently Southern, sufficiently central, sufficiently cottonized, to become the great educational centre of the South. * * * According to the census of 1850, the number of white inhabitants of the Southern States is 6,113,308. The number of fighting men is usually estimated at about one-fifth of the population. That gives 1,222,661 fighting men. Of these, at least one-fourth are of an age suitable for going to College. * * The establishment of the University has been proposed as a measure certain to produce, by its working, unity and concord of action on the part of the slaveholding States. The young men of the South will then assemble and drink pure and invigorating draughts from unpolluted fountains. They will meet together as brethren, and be educated in one common political faith, at one common alma mater.

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The writer urges, in this article, the necessity of action, on the further ground that "each of two denominations of Christians at the South proposes to establish a Central Southern University," the Methodist Episcopal South, and the Protestant Episcopal,-for the same general ends, of promoting the special interests of the South; and he thinks other denominations may follow suit, and hence the system may lack the power which one institution of his type would have for making "thorough Southerners." In this same number of De Bow, is found a brief notice

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of a pamphlet issued by the Bishops of the Episcopal Church at the South, exhibiting a plan for a "Southern Episcopal University;" one of the cases referred to. This institution was not to go into operation until $500,000 had been subscribed. The agreement entered into by the Southern Bishops and several distinguished laymen, all of whose names are given in De Bow, was "signed at Lookout Mountain, near Chattanooga, Tennessee, the sixth day of July, A. D. 1857.”

ENDOWMENT, FIVE OR TEN MILLIONS.

In the number of De Bow for December, 1857, the Georgian further develops his plan for a great "Central Southern University," from which we learn something of its grand proportions:

A total, then, of five millions is supposed to be sufficient, both to establish the University, and to endow it in perpetuity. This is not a very large sum; and even should it be advisable or necessary to double the amount, and make it ten millions, that would be a very small sum to be paid by fourteen sovereign States, for the innumerable blessings and advantages which are sure to result from it. * * * The method which I suggest for raising the five millions of dollars, is to levy a tax on population, a tax on area, and a tax on property.

PROFESSORSHIP ON PATRIOTISM.

The writer then presents at length his programme for "professorships," of which he proposes forty-three, numbered in order. The eighth is devoted to "Patriotism," on which the writer thus descants:

The duty of the incumbent of this professorship should be, to instil into the minds and hearts of his pupils a pure and undivided love of country; to vindicate the domestic institutions of the South; and to hold them up as worthy of their hearty support, their love and admiration. He should be a man of commanding presence, of fervid eloquence, of undoubted integrity, of extensive erudition, great in historic lore, A THOROUGH SOUTHERNER.