Polk Family Papers Box 9 Document 17

Bishop Polk to Bishop Ellott

New Orleans, May 18, 1857

My dear Elliott:

I did not hear until within a few days how sick you have been. You have had a very narrow escape and we are all grateful you have been spared to us. I was on the eve of writing to you to ___ ___ but one of my clergy just from ______ told me he met a person there yesterday just from Columbia who said your Convention had been in session and that you had not been able to make it in time, but had arrived a day after adjournment. I am glad to year you are well enough to be able to make such a journey. I hope you will speedily be at yourself.

I have not heard what was done at your convention, if anything, in reference to our university movement. I fear that since your illness did not permit you to be present that there might be consequently no proper information on the subject and possibly no action. I have not heard if anything was done.

The House of Bishops was the first to meet. They endorsed the movement and appointed some of their best men as trustees. My own convention endorsed it strongly and have appointed the Rev. Dr. Leacock Ingle, George E. ______, and Dr. ______ as trustees. I have just heard from Cobbs that Alabama passed upon the matter with great unanimity, and appointed __________, Col. Pollard of Montgomery _______________, Dr. Anderson ______________, Davis writes me also from Camden he has had a pleasant convention and S.C. has endorsed it cordially – a few preferring something else. They appointed the Rev. Mr. Gregg of _____, Ex-Governor Manning, and _____ Pringle of Charleston as her trustees. _________ passed through here a few days ago on his way to meet their convention for the purpose of bringing them into line.

Otey’s convention meets today. He writes they will endorse it strongly. Atkinson meets next week. He writes they will endorse it and send trustees also.

Things thus far look very encouraging and so far as I can learn from all quarters, the ____ ____ prospects for success.

We should be exceeding sorry if anything should prevent our having the benefit of the moral support of Georgia in our proposed meeting in Chattanooga. Nothing of course would have prevented it except the state of your health all Spring, and your not being present at your convention. I regard this effort of our meeting at Chattanooga as the controlling influence on the future success of the movement. It is of the first importance and should prepare a solid from and there should be no failure of interest manifested among our own people. I hope your convention may have acted. If not, do you not take the position the other bishops have taken before the public of the importance of the matter which would warrant the call of a special convention at some point to act upon the bishop’s suggestion, especially as all the rest of the dioceses have acted and have declared for the movement. What do you think of it?

At Otey’s request I have consented to go tot he mountains the first of next week to meet him and we both hope to have you also for the purpose of exploring the mountain region during the month of June with the view of seeing about a location in advance of the meeting on the fourth of July. Can you not meet with us? If you call your convention might it not be at some central point, say Atlanta, then

Bishop Polk to Bishop Elliott

New Orleans, May 18, 1857

you could come to us in the mountains. Your railroad are so abundant and ____ ______ you could get your people together at that point and could be with us so as to spend the time preparatory to the meeting very pleasantly in roaming over the mountain. It would also do your health good – and do all of us good. I trust you may see your way to get through with the whole matter and come. I shall go with Otey to Lookout Mountain to make arrangements for the meeting and through the mountains generally to collect information as such and back to Lookout Mountain by the ___ to tell all we have learned.

Mrs. Polk and my girls are going up the the {sic} Louisiana delegation at the last of June to be there in time for the 4th. I shall spend the summer in the mountains where my family are counting on your bringing Mrs. Elliott and the boys up with you. Please present our kind regards to her and say that we are counting on the pleasure of seeing her. I wish too that Potter and his wife would come to the meeting from Philadelphia. He promised if our families were there, he would come. Now my dear Elliott, it would never do for you to __________ on that promise.

Let me hear from you in answer to this in care of John San _____, Chattanooga.