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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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Illinois Plan for Land Grant Colleges 27 ical and law schools in Illinois and elsewhere are glutting the market with still more, but such institutions as those of which we speak are few and far between.9 The Galena Gazette, Ottawa Free Trader, Mt. Morris Gazette, Peru Democrat, Lacon Herald, Quincy Whig, and other papers, have all declared in favor of the Agricultural College; but we have not room, at this time, for further extracts." The enemies of the enterprise were particularly among the small colleges. There were two very evident reasons for their somewhat violent opposition. For one thing, education based on the classics as they offered it was to them all-sufficient. To question its all-sufficiency was in the nature of heresy. Moreover, they needed money, and they were sure they deserved whatever money was available. The "seminary" or "college" funds at this time amounted to about $150,000 and to have an interloper, something apart from the prescribed order, a mere experiment, come in even for a share, not to mention all, when money was so scarce was intolerable. The Morgan Journal (Jacksonville) and the Illinois Journal (Springfield) among other newspapers, contained articles denouncing the plan as proposed at the Granville convention as "premature," "too expensive," "visionary," "ungodly," and "absurd." A writer in the Illinois Weekly Journal, January 21, 1852, under the initials of J. T. S. was thus resentful in regard to Turner's plan. " I would not join him in his crusades against the religious denominations or sects in the state . . . . The plan proposes too much. The true friends of education can never unite upon such a project, and if they could, they could not sustain it. I could not support a project, which, upon its face, assumes that all the departments of government were, and always will be filled with dishonest and unworthy incumbents." Again with reference to a state university: "If the funds designed to be used in establishing and sustaining such an institution cannot with safety be placed under the control and management of the legislature or the trustees of existing colleges, they had better remain as they are, until a different order or race of people shall be raised up by whom they may be used.
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