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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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76 History University of Illinois 1854. In a letter to Turner, Rutherford confessed that he put the idea into the heads of some friends who carried it forward.28 It was well attended by citizens of Stephenson county and by a goodly number from a distance. The chairman of the convention was John A. Clarke. The principal lectures and speeches were given by the Reverend Samuel Newberry of Dubuque, Iowa, J, B. Turner, Bronson Murray, and Dr. Rutherford. A young Mr. Clarke, brother of the chairman, was reported by Dr. Kennicott to have made the best individual speech. Although many attended as opponents of the industrial university plan all the resolutions introduced by the friends of the plan were unanimously adopted. The convention resolved: to approve of the industrial league and its plans; to call on the legislature to appropriate the university fund for an industrial university and the seminary fund for a normal school; and to ask congress to appropriate lands for the endowment of an industrial university in each state of the union. 29 Besides the lectures and conventions of this year there was great activity of a political nature among the friends of the league. They felt it essential, judging from their past experiences, to have political power back of their movement if they were to succeed. In February and March friends of Turner made an attempt to persuade Governor Joel A, Matteson to appoint Turner state superintendent of public instruction, an office that had just been created. On February 27 Bronson Murray addressed a letter to the governor urging Turner's appointment. Turner wrote his friends that he did not want the office but he would be guided by their desires. Many petitions in behalf of Turner were sent to the governor from various parts of the state. Opposition in Democratic ranks was too powerful, however, and Matteson being a Democrat naturally was much influenced by it. He did not appoint Turner, but did appoint Ninian W. Edwards instead.80 "Rutherford to Turner, April 30, 1854, Turner manuscripts, Springfield, ^For an account of this convention see Prairie Farmer, August, 1854, and Illfaois Journal, July 25, 1854. *°In saying this there is no intention of casting any reflection on Edwards. He was well known in the state, having been attorney-general and a member of the legislature. He was the son of a former governor and had many influential friends.
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