Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-01-13


prior recommendation and appointment. The
statute clearly intends this, or that provision
| has no meaning whatever.
| On the 7th Of June addressed note to the
! Secretary of State and Attorney General, ask
! ing them to inform me whether there is in your
board or with the members thereof any infor-
nation or charges of misfeasance or malfeasance,
| in Office against the present incumbent OF that
position, or any want Of capability or integrity
on his part, which renders it the duty of the
public officers, in the protection of the interests
OF the State, to supersede him, or which impairs
his eligibility to reappointment Onthe 18th
of june these gentlemen reply at some length,
treating my enquiry as foreign to the sub
iect, but indirectly admitting that they have no
charges to make against the official character OF
integrity of Mr. Russell On the Goth, ! pre-
sented to the Secretary of State and Attorney
/ General my views and construction of the law,
| and notified them that had sreappointed Mr..
Russell State Agent in the city Of New York
| for the term of two years from July 18th 1864.
On the 23d of June, (Which, owing to my abb
sehce from the city, did not reach me until the
9Th Of July) these gentlemen reply at some
length, notifying me that they dispute my right
TO make this appointment; that they will resist
Mr.. Russell's authority and refuse to acknOwl-
edge any of his official acts. present you the
entire correspondence. The final communica-
| ton Of the Commissioners does not display the
most perfect amiability Of temper; but as it
was mainly devoted to political topics that could
be more usefully and properly discussed else
where, ] allowed it to remain as the slast word
Of the official correspondence. fasr
| On the 10th Of July, the Secretary and Attor-
ney General as Commissioners, published in
one or more of the papers of the city of New
York notice (Of which append copy to the
NJ II,
agent of the State, and declaring that no acts Of
his viii be recognized by the Board of Fund
Commissioner" Whether the credit or char
acter of the State were materially affected by it.
| am not able to say. This spirit of hostility
| To Mr.. Russell has been continued to the pres
ent time; and among other manifestations Of it
his compensation as the Commissioners inform
you, has been withheld from him. The pay
ment of this will probably require the special
action of the Legislature; and respectfully re-
commend it to your early attention. The radi-
cal change made in the Board of Commissioners
at the recent election will probably obyiate any
further difficulty in this particular. 1 -
The mode of making this appointment and of
changing the agent. is somewhat anomalous in
It's character. 1t is open to serious objections
not the least Of which IS the conflict that may
at any time arise under it. | suggest that it be
changed SO as to invest the appointing power in
the Governor, with the advice and consent of
| the Senate The officer should be subject to
rcmovalby the Governor, upon charges prefer
red against him by the Commissioners, II upon
investigation these charges are found to be Just
and reasonable. It is claimed the Commission
ers are TO some extent responsible for this agent
and should have voice in designating him.
| They have no more responsibility for his Off
cial acts, affecting the State finances, than has
the Governor, or majority Of the Senate who
must pass upon his appointment. The mode
here proposed gives a much better distribution
| of responsibility, and safer check, than the
present enactment; and its influence upon our
State character and credit will in my Judgment
be of beneficial character.
AGRICULTURAL LAND GRANT.
| By enactment last winter you accepted the
grant of land for agricultural education, made
by act of Congress, approved July 2, 1862, Of
which | early notified the Interior Department
at Washington. The whole correspondence re-
lating to this subject is appended; from which
it viii be seen that the quantity of good land in
the State was so small (only so acres) that had
no discretion but to elect to receive the amount
in land scrip. Accordingly, on the 18th Of Sep
tember the commissioner forwarded TO methree
thousand nine hundred and thirty-seyen certii-
Gates of scrip for ''one quarter section" each
equal TO six hundred and thirty thousand acres;
being IN full for the claim of the State under the
law. These certificates were deposited in the
State Treasury, and the fund is subject to such
further Legislative action as you may deem
proper.
No more important subject viii claim your
consideration than the proper disposition to be
made of this grant. Mingled with the counsels
Of earnest and honest friends of educatioH, you
viii, no doubt, find the pressure of local inter-
IS g.
ditional endowment; and some not entirely dis
interested in their character. Among these it
is no part of my duty, and have certainly no
inclination, to discriminate, The Commits
siOner of Common Schools has somewhat elab-
orately discussed the subject in his annual re-
port Without indorsing his views may be
permitted to say that the clear and forcible man.
ner in which they are presented may well COM
mend them TO your examination. He is evi-
IDENTIFY embarrassed by the question of local in
fuences; and in endeavOring to conciliate them,
falls into the error as think, of SO dividing up
the income ofthe fund as to incapacitate either
branch for performing what viii be required of
it, or the whole frOm achieving the useful
ness that might, by concentrated effort, be ac-
complished. This is no less to be avoided, in
my Judgment, than the scheme SO earnestly
pressed by educational enthusiasts, OF building
up grand institution, whose professorships
shall tempt the greatest scientific minds of the
eOuntry-whose contribution to the grandeur of
the State shall compensate for its utter want of
utility-whose education shall illustrate and ex.
pand the abstruse theories of science attainable
by the few, but sealed book to the many
whose lectures and publications, however ap-
preciable by the highly educated mind, will Be
totally unintellgible TO the honest tiller of the
soil, who desires to learn, in the simplest and
r1Oat ffaat, 40 bar L. -f
grass can be made to grow where only one was
produced before.
The first thing to be determined is, what is the
object or purpose of this grant? A careful ex-
animation Of the act Of Congress, it seems 70 me-
very clearly solves this inquiry. The language
of the law is, that the fund Ashall be i,sriola6y
appropriated to the endowment, support and
maintenance of at leaat one college, where the
leading object shall be, without excluding other
scientific and classical studies, and including
military tactics to teach such branches Of learn
ing as are related to agriculture and the me-
chanic arts.
1t is evident that the intention of the enact
ment is to institute new and distinct species
of education; one not heretofore favored or spec
tally encouraged, by State or National aid. 1t
is also evident that the purpose TO be accom-
plished is, the application Of that instruction to
the advancement of the agricultural and me-
chanic interests ofthe country. The great prin-
ciple is recognized that all wealth comes from
the earth, and the labor and mechanism reaui-
site produce it; and that whatever facilitates
and increases the production, adds alike to in
dividual and national wealth and greatness
Applying this principle to the law. ii is mani
fest
First-That this instruction is intended to be
stti generiS-of its own kind;-and that, altho'
scientific and classical studies" are not exclud-
ed, they are suboEdinated to "sueh branches of
learning as are related to agriculture and the
mechanic arts" In other words, it is the in
structiOn of the industrial classes, within them
selves, aud in that ,ckick pertains 10 hsir oucls
eGlLi'gs, in order that they make practical and
manual application of it. incidentally for their
own benefit but actually for the increase of ua-
tioDal production and wealth.
Sccond-The instruction is TO be plain and
practical not theoretic and artistieally scientfic
in its character. And this, because, from the
very nature Of. its purpose, it is designed to
reach the greatest practicable number with the
rudiments of knowledge, instead of confiniuR il