Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-01-25

that the State can support in ease and
comfort population three or four times
larger than the present.
The people Of Europe desiring to emf
crate to this country can not and will not
select Indiana as a home unless they are
advised there is such State, and are in
formed somewhat in regard to its charac-
ter, population, productions, improve
ments, climate, and the special advantages
it presents to the emigrant. When we
consider how little the mass of the people
of this country know in regard to the con-
diiion and 5aracter Of the interior coun- :
tries Of Europe, we may form some opin.
ion as to how little the masses of the peo-
pie there understand about ourselves and
our State. While they may have a gen.
eral knowledge Of the character Of this
country, il is tho specific knowledge of our
State which will bring them to her Dor.
ders, and this is what We should labor to
give them.
/ therefore earnestly recommend the es-
tablishment Of Bureau Of Emigration,
upon plan similar to that adopted by
several Of the Western States, providing
for one or more agents in Europe, whose
duty il shall be to furnish to persons about
to emigrate to America, information OF the
geography, population, wealth and resour-
ces Of the State, and the prospects for
health, comfort, wealth and education pre-
sented to those who come in search Of new
homes, ard Of such facilities for getting
here as the State may be able to furnish.
Some Of our sister States have in this way
added largely to their population and
wealth aud while we are somewhat late
in the beginning, il will be later and worse
for US the longer it is put off
! The fact that Indiana is rapidly grow
ing in wealth and population, furnishes no
reason why that growth should not be nc
celebrated by the use Of means so simple
and legitimate in their character, and
costing SO little when compared with the
great advantages to be derived. ] had
the honor TO call the attention Of the Lc-
gislature to this subject at the regular ses.
sion in 1865, and beg leave TO repeat the
arguments and representations / then of
fered.
request your special attention TO that
part Of Mr. Wilstach's report In which he
describes the effort made, and the Difficult.
ties attending it, to make an exhibition Of
Indiana productions, manufactures and
mineral resources at the "World's Fair"
to be held in Paris this year. The ilnpor-
tance Of thus presenting TO the people of
the "Old World" in a tangible form, the
great resources Of our State requires no IL
lustration.
SCHOOLS.
The school fund Of Indiana may be es-
timated in round numbers at 81, Gil 1897 Al,
and is, believe. larger than the school
fund Of any other State.
While our school system is far from be-
ing what it ought to be, yet it is being
gradually and substantially improved
The standard of qualification for teachers
has been elevated, and teaching, as a sci
ence, is far better understood than former
ly. The want of qualified teachers, which
has been one of the chief obstacles in the
way Of the efficiency Of our schools, will
be greatly diminished in few years by
the Normal School, which was authorized
by the last General Assembly, aud which
| trust will be speedily put into successful
operation. The other great evil consists
in the fact that the schools are kept for
too short time, and this can only be REM
edied by increasing from taxation and
other sources that might be made avail.
able the annual revenue for school pur.
poses. | will enter into no argument be-
fore this General Assembly to prove the
importance OF education and that our
schools should be open to all, and able 10
furnish an education sufficient for tho or
dinary business Of life; but assuming that
oil admit this true, will simply say that
the common schools OF Indiana cannot
furnish such an education without they
are continued for longer period in each
year.
EDUCATION or coLoRED CHILDREN.
In my message delivered to the Legis-
lature at the late extra session, presented
the Importance of providing for the edu-
cation of colored children, in language
which beg leave here TO repeat:
The first section of article eight Of our
State Constitution provides as follows;
knowledge and legnipg generally diff
fused throughout community, being es-
sential TO the preservation oil free gov
ernGcnt, il shall be the duty Of tho Cen
cral Assembly to encourage, by all suit
able means, moral, intellectual, scientific
and agricultural improvement; and TO pro-
vide by law for general and uniform sys-
TEN of common schools, wherein tuition
shall be without charge, and equally open
to ALL"
The language Of this provision is very
broad, and would seem, in letter AID in
spirit, to embrace all the children Of the
State without regard to color.
Surely it cannot be denied that, as we
have colored population in our midst, it
is our interest, independent of those con-
sideIations Of natural justice and human
ity, which plead so strongly, TO educate
and elevate that population.
An ignorant aud degraded element is
burden aud injury to society, whatever
may be its color. 1t therefore becomes
matter Of sound political economy, as well
as absolute justice, that whatever colored
population We may have should be educa-
ted and enabled to become intelligent, in-
dustrious and useful members OF the COM
muhity.
The laws Of Indiana exclude colored
children from the common schools, and
mako no provision whatever for their edu-
cation. would therefore recommend that
the laws be so amended as to require an
enumeration to be made Of tho colored
| ob;lJean of tLa C.ata aud such N pnrtion