Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - History of the University (Powell) [PAGE 451]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

410

History University of Illinois

t crest of the common school and the industrial classes, precisely the same principles of mental discipline and thorough scientific practical instruction) in all their pursuits and interests, which are now applied to the professional and military classes. The effect this must have in disciplining, elevating and refining the minds and morals of our people, increasing their wealth and their power at home, and their respect abroad, developing not only the resources of their minds, but their soil and treasures of mineral, and perfecting all their materials, products and arts, cannot but be seen by every intelligent mind. No other enterprise so richly deserves, and so urgently demands the united effort of our national strength. We would, therefore, respectfully petition the honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Illinois, that they present a united memorial to the Congress now assembled at Washington to appropriate to each State in the Union an amount of public lands not less in value than five hundred thousand dollars, for the liberal endowment of a system of industrial universities ; one in each state in the Union, to co-operate with each other and with the Smithsonian Institute at Washington, for the more liberal and practical education of our industrial classes and their teachers, in their various pursuits, for the production of knowledge and literature needful in those pursuits, and developing to the fullest and most perfect extent the resources of our soil and our arts, the virtue and intelligence of our people, and the true glory of our common country. We would further petition that the executive and legislature of our sister States, be invited to co-operate with us in this enterprise, and that a copy of the memorial of this legislature be forwarded by the governor to the governors and Senates of the several States. We would also petition that the University fund of this State, if not at once applied to these practical uses, be allowed to remain where it now is, and its interest applied to present uses, until such time as the people shall be prepared to direct it to some more efficient use. By order of the convention. BRONSON MURRAY, President