The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-03
To the Honorable Senate and House
of Representatives. of the United

/ iStates:-
The undersigned, appointed by a
mass convention of the citizens OF
Kansas Territory, held at Lawrence,
on the 25th day of December, to me-
morialize your honorable body, in
regard to the educational interests of
this Territory, would most respect
fully represent, that we appreciate the
provision which has been made for our
Territory, for common school pur-
poses. But, we are satisfied that
whoever would begin at the founda-
ttion of any system of public instruc-
tion. must begin by providing the
means for furnishing the requisite
supply of competent teachers; and
without these, any system of common
school education, however wise in its
laws and details, however ample In
its expenditures, prolonged in its ses-
sions, or free and accessible to both
rich and poor, will prove only an on
erous and useless tax to the one, and
waste of time, if not a positive
nuisance, to the other. This great
truth has been admitted and acted
upon, not only by all practical edu-
Gators, and conventions of teachers,
but also by the legislation of many of
the States, and in the acts of Congress,
providing for the means of education
in the several States.
The Universities and higher schools
of Europe, and of the older States of
this continent, were founded before
any attempt was made at thorough
system of common schools. And,
through them, teachers were prepared
to descend into, create, and instruct
all departments below. If any State
can ever secure good system of COM
mon schools for the people, by any
other process, it is quite certain no
one has ever yet done it, nor is it easy
to see or imagine how it can be done.
In accordance with this view, and in
distinct recognition of this great fun
damental truth or fact, Congress
granted to each of the new States of
the West three separate and distinct
funds.
| 1st.-A UNIVERSITY FUND.
2d.-A SEMINARY FUND.
3d.-A COMMON SCHOOL FUND.
The first to supply the second, and
| tho cnoon1 For 4ln Iacf rY,o1I
ing that the experience of the civil
lied world has as fully demonstrated
the mutual necessity for those three
departments of education, as it has of
the three departments of civil govern
ment, in free country.
We understand that every conven-
tion of practical teachers held for sew
eral years past, however divided on
other questions, have given it as their
unanimous opinion, that the first in
dispensable step towards the obtaining
of good common schools. is the insti-
tuition of Normal schools, for the sup
ply of greater number of competent
teachers.
Your petitioners are satisfied that
there is no portion of the territory of
the United States, which possesses
greater agricultural and mechanical
resources. The diffusion of practical
knowledge among the industrial
classes of the settlers of Kansas, by
the endowment of departments for the
use of their professions, it is believed
will add saving of from one-fourth
to one-half to the profits of the labor
now employed in these pursuits, while
we may save an equal amount in the
material wasted or misused in all the
mechanical arts-especially in the ar
chitecture of houses, bridges, and
other structures. 1t is believed that
the minds of large portion of the
youth of our land may be developed
and disciplined as well and as fully,
while turned towards these important
and practical subjects, pertaining to
agriculture, mechanics, civil engineer
ing, architecture, &c, as when direct
ed to other pursuits. In our new
country we also require schools for
law, medicine, DC, which, when con-
nected with such an institution, will
make perfect university, established
in some central portion of our Terri
tory. Connected with, and as a sec
ond system, we propose the establish
ment of four seminaries-one in each
of four equal divisions of Kansas.
For the establishment and endowment
of this university, your petitioners
pray that an appropriation of two
hundred and fifty thousand acres of
land be made; and for the establish
ment and endowment of the four SEM
inaries, we would petition your hon.
orable body to appropriate one hun
dred thousand acres for each seminary;
said lands to be selected before the
lands of Kansas come into market, by
commissioners appointed by the Gov
ernor; and to be held in reserve for
this special purpose, till the Territory
becomes State. Then, by the Leg
islature of the State, to be placed in
the hands of trustees, to be disposed
of under the direction of the State
government, and to be protected by /
such other laws as your honorable
body may deem necessary in order to
its proper appropriation for the use
intended; and thus provide the means
for the liberal and practical education |
of our industrial classes and their
teachers, in their various pursuits, for
the production of knowledge and lit
erature in these pursuits, and develop |
ing, to the fullest and most perfect |
extent, the resources of our soil and |
our arts, the virtue and intelligence of
the people, and the true glory of our
common country.
In behalf and by order of the Mass
Convention of citizens of Kansas, |
we humbly pray.
w. F. M. Army,