Polk Family Papers Box 9 Document 14

POLK Letters: April 1, 1857

1857, April 1

Bishop Polk, New Orleans, La., to Bishop Elliott, re: his wife's return home, much benefited in her general health and her visions; his desire to know the state of public feelings in Georgia concerning the establishment of a University; reporting on the favorable feelings of the press and leading people in Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama; his proposal to go to East Tennessee the last of May or the first of June to spend a month with Bishop Qtey and to explore possibilities for localities suitable for the University site. 4 pp.

New Orleans, Ap'l 1. 1857.

My dear Elliott,

I have been long waiting to hear from you in reply to a letter written some two or three months ago in reference to our University enterprise, & had begun to think old father made about half right when he said you were the most impracticable of correspondents, when I heard in some round about way, you were or had been quite sick {illegible} {illegible: in?} {illegible: Lo'a?}. Do let us hear from you. I hope you have not been much sick, if sick atall, & that you are at present quite well again.

Mrs. Polk came South with the family of Mr William {illegible: Mitch? Welch?} -- {illegible: Rollins?} {illegible: next?} neighbors -- they did not come by Savannah, but to Charleston & Cuba She is very much benefited in her general health as also in her {illegible: mind?}. The {illegible} & medical advice has been

evidently useful. Mr {illegible: Welch? Mitch?} & his daughters with my daughter Fanny {illegible: were?} {illegible: arrived? Or is that a single word?} in Cuba {illegible: now?} {illegible: three?} weeks. They are with us now.

I am very solicitous to know what you are doing in Georgia for our Enterpise, & the State of public feeling in regard to it. I have continued to find it {illegible} with favour among all the leading people in this part of the South, & with favour such as to give assurance of undoubted success {illegible: if? of?} {illegible: on? an?} the {illegible} {illegible} {illegible}, if the other states will atall must {illegible: in?} {illegible: no?} the effort.

I find the {illegible} press of Tennessee is nothing if not very strongly as that of Louisiana & Miss. has done. Atkinson writes quite encouragingly, the assurance I have had from Alabama are also highly encouraging. Davis in S.C. also writes more favourably than I had found from that

{illegible: eclectic?} region. What are we to hear from the {illegible: entire?} state of the South? The Southern {illegible}? In truth you will be able to give a good amount of that {illegible: part?} of the {illegible: fold? faith?}. Do let me hear from you. You will of course bring it fully before your convention, as a broad Southern {illegible: motion?}, proposing to interfere with no body already in the {illegible: fold? faith?}, but to furnish in the scope & {illegible: fallings?} that which we believe have not yet been supplied, & {illegible: wishing? working?} your {illegible} cooperation with Southern Education Southern{underlined} culture{underlined}, the{underlined} whole{underlined} South{underlined} to {illegible: relieve?} our common country of a great want.

I hope too you will give us one {illegible: Chris?} & too lay men who shall be just the sort of men we want.

I propose to go up to East Tennessee in the last of May & first of June to spend a month with Otey in exploring all that East Tenn: Country seeing & learning every body & {illegible: cultivating?} such parts

as {illegible} as may help to simplify our work in July when we all get together. I {illegible: purpose? propose?} to take my wife to the mountains with me. What in the {illegible} you {illegible: can't? could?} come up & meet us & join us in the exploration, bringing Mrs. Elliot with you?

Do let me hear from you.

Very truly & affecty

Your

Leonidas Polk.

P.S.

I {illegible: send? said?} your Sunday papers with {illegible: mother?}. &c

Bp. Polk to Bp. Elliott May 18 1857