, 1865-06-25

ILLINOIS. Nonn1AL SCHOOL.

The Illinois Normal University, at Bloom
ineten, has passed beyond the .ma1n OF ex-
pertinent and has become fact in our Slate
history. as honorable 10 the peoples Iibera1Itv
as II Will By and By prove to be beneficial to
their intelligence. The recent commence.
ment, bringing ont the annual exhibit Of ths
financial and educational condition of the in.
sututicu, shows That by the aid of the Legl.-
latnre every dollar Of the acknowledged in.
deoteduess has been paid that more than
seven hundred young men and women, spmr
ol ~hom have been, md sill OF whom nm,
pose 10 be teachers, are In attendance; that
thc Standards Of scholarship and ABILITY are
pGns Etat!y elevated to a higher marx that
tae general condition Of the school Is decided,
~ heslthlal and progressive; and that herr.
after. depending upon it's accumu,ated ~
o'ces t'he University lands donated to the
e'a1c y, the General Government y II viii hc
sell supporting. This is statement th,t
carries Vlth 1t the most 0atterins Assurances
'o1 me 1atuFe; and we trust that wise and
eate1ul management will be able to realize al,
tin. 's' sene'a-
We are cory to observe, however, IN A..
part OF those whom the Management. ~ ~
school is committed, q disposition to ,n,tait
an university In fact as it Is in its cbar r+.,-
."1e- we near that department of Law, a
department CT Medicine, and for anght ~
az" department Of Theology, ere sought
to he added to the existing IA acIi.ffes far e..
sequisition Of knowledge. VIC are snrc tbat
th!sls fatal utstake. The fnstitnt1on r,s
started primarily for teaching tea.bers-s
necessity that has not been outliyed--and I
as such It received the legislative aid hv
which It exists at all. Law and Med5c,noars
tpc'alties outside OF the general ranoc NJ
scholastic requirements; and tl,ouph 1,c ,rho
understands the kinds Of knovledce
but adapted to acquisition br vnnthe11
minds, and the most apprcyed 1nefhnae ~
conveying that knowledge, would not h.,
Worse teacher becausehe had tue ]caal 1ore
OF a Coke or tie skill OF m Aberucthv. ve
doubt if lie would be bitter, Ttsch1or ia
ais" specially to which knowledge ofLaw
ana OF Medicine save snail as belongs to any
young man of Intelligence, Is by no meansa
necess1'5; and Wc greatly ftas that the c.ea-
H1n Of these proposed departments w,uId
have only tllis rcsols-to tLe ont yearly In
creasfnE deficiencies in what Is the tea.her,s
art, BY an ability In tic eradustes to prove
themselves glib pctt1foggefs in nelehborhooa ,
qustrels, or to do licensed killing sacuudr,n
dr'e'n. Again, If Medical schoo, {
Is required, Bloomington, an interior ,
tCWn. is not the place for Its apnt
II is without hospitals, int1rmaries, Tree dis.
pensafies. the opportunities for c1in1oues ar ,
oastetric psactices and the ma1eria fo- par-
ucal anatomy could be ob.alned on,v br ,
neans that would make Mclean cnnntv
quake. school founded there cou,d hare
only q eickly and unwholesome existence :
and, when compared with institutions In WHICH =
Medicine is taugh. In accordance y 1th mod =
eln ideas, be only bywo:d and q reproach. =
Aii s'mhsf experiments have failed in the r
Last rs well ss In the West; and It ia hardly /
worth while for the Normal University to at /
tempt what has everywhere proved 60 disas-
efoas before What Ia true Of Medical is q
itne VIII Limitation OF Law School, The | {
.aeefy Of The Law Is In books; its practice | s
rs rs IN the courts; aud both books and courts,
soeefy and practice, are neceeeary for the e
complement OF Students education. The !,
aosantase OF listening to the lectures Of a 1
professor WHO spends m hour e,rb E
oas N diiut'ng Blackstone or Sto- o
feS with bad grammar and discursivc n
phrase Is, to say the least, not conspicuous b
enough to demand State interference to bring i
It within The grasp Of the young gentlemen G
md young ladies who propose to teach boys
ana girls the Tudiments Of English education j
IN Illinois achool.houses by the prairie edge
md down By brook-sidcs. An opportunity
or ginning knowledge Of cousts and the n
lance Tor daily observations Of how law Is Q
administered, a:e temptations That Blooming t
on, though admirable in many respects, docs b
'ot bold out to the aspltant who Is looking J
o The Bar.
We trust that If any expectations have
'een eoterta:ncd by tue Boa.d of Education, c
i making the Normal School an University, =
Ley will be aband med forthwith. For that c
Institution as It Is and rs It may become, the y
hs1d OF honor AID usefulness is broad enough i
% E7ahiy a65 ambition hat anybody con !
ntcttd with It may entertain. To II Is, In | Z
q eat MEASURE, entrusted to The forming of j,
lie minds Of the young Of the State, 70 far as i
they arc to be Influenced by cur public !
schools; and that is q respons sihlllty that !
ought, properly weighed and valued,
to make Its managers careful of .
Tlat new obligations they incur. From )
II will 70 the ldoas and principles. !
rornl, Eocial and political {uot parilsan) that 8
viii determine the future not only Of ILL {
ncis, but perhaps of half a dozen nov COM :
nunlties westward between the Mississippi | {
End the eca. To teach Itself how best to :
teach those who In turn will teach others, to !
the crd that 1.-THE hopes entertained Of It {
By its founders may not be disappointed, md !
Inst 1t msy prove equal to the task 1t has rs. !
sumed. Is Its duty IS we trust It may con-
Time to he Its pleasure. At any rate, let It
leave law, medicine, and all kindred special !
tics to other Institution. built AID endowed :