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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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52 History University of Illinois 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." 4 8 It was also asked that the college fund, if not appropriated for the university proposed, should for the present, be held as it had been for years, and the interest thereon applied to the support of common schools.49 The memorial to congress presented by A. C. French and his committee bore the following introductory paragraph: "The Industrial Convention of the State of Illinois assembled at Springfield, Illinois, this fifth day of January 1853. ''To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives in Congress assembled, would respectfully represent that " W e are members of the Industrial class engaged in the various pursuits of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. We find ourselves " I t closed with the appeal for an appropriation by congress to each state of an amount of land not less in value than $500,000.50 The members of the general assembly now seemed very willing to listen to the appeals for industrial education although only six months before, in June, 1852, there were not a dozen men favorable to this movement. Why this sudden and unexpected attitude of consideration? Turner explains: " W e found the Legislature surprisingly changed. They listened to us with much respect, and with an unexpected degree of favor. The people had turned their attention seriously to the subject, and we appeared before them not as one or 'two d d abolitionists, seeking to rob the dear children, and turn the world in general upside down,' but as an organized force, that could command votes, and therefore, at least, would have respect." 51 "Turner, Industrial Universities for the People, 43. 48 A discussion of the origin and uses of the "college*' and "univers i t y " funds will be found below, p. 156. "From a copy in long hand signed by each member of the committee and found in a letter by Lumsden to Turner, January 13, 1853, Turner manuscripts (Springfield.) See appendix, p. 430 for letter and the memorial. "Illinois State Agricultural Society, Transactions, 5:37.
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