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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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110 History University of Illinois extravagance of the Administration and the Democratic party; who, with fervid patriotism profess to desire economy, retrenchment, and reform in the public expenditures; and who, in this instance, as in most others, discredit their professions of good faith by their bad works. "Among them, strange to tell, are the representatives of some of the new States, notwithstanding, as suggested by the honorable Senator from Minnesota, (Mr. Bice,) the effect of this measure will be to enable greedy capitalists to monopolize large bodies of the public lands, keep them from settlement and cultivation, and thereby retard the growth, the wealth, and prosperity of their own States. But, stranger still, among its supporters are found a few—I am glad to say a very few—members of the Democratic party who profess to be the advocates of State rights; of a strict construction of the Federal Constitution; opposed to enlarging Federal powers by construction; in favor of the largest liberty of the States consistent with) the prohibitions of the Constitution ; opposed to the distribution of the proceeds of the public lands; in favor of the principles and sentiments enunciated by General Jackson in his veto of the land distribution bill; opposed to any intervention by Congress with the domestic affairs of the states, and in suffering them to manage their own internal and local affairs in their own way, subject only to the Constitution." During the latter half of the year 1858 and the first two months of 1859 Turner, together with a number of men in other states worked incessantly to bring influence to bear upon the senate and the president that would result in the enactment of the land grant bill intd law. In the autumn of 1858 Turner received a letter from President J. R. Williams of Michigan state agricultural college which stated there was serious danger of the bill being vetoed by the president and suggested that it would be well to get the Buchanan men among the Illinois representatives, to use their influence to prevent a veto.22 After a trip to Washington in January, 1859, President Cary of Farmers college, Ohio, wrote Turner that the United States agricultural society had considered favorably resolutions in support of the land grant bill. He mentioned also a "convocation" to which a few men, among "Williams to Turner, October 19, 1858, Turner manuscripts, Springfield. 2tfl
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