Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-01-17
three or four times larger than the present.

advised there is such State, are informed
somewhat in regard to its character, pOpu
laiion, productions, improvements, climate
and the special advantages it presents I,
the emigrant. When we consider how
little the mass of the people Of this cOuu
try know in regard TO the condition anC
character ofthe interior countries of Eu
rope, we may form some opinion as to how
little the masses Of the people there un
derstand about ourselves and our State
While they may have general knOlwedg'
OF the character of this country, il is thu
specific knowledge of our State which vii
bring them To her borders, and this is wha
we should labor to give them.
therefore earnestly recommend the es
Establishment oil a Bureau OF Emigration, up
on plan similar to that adopted by severa
OF the Western States, providing for one o.
more Agents in Europe, whose duty il shall
be TO furnish 10 persons about TO emigrat'
TO America, information OF the geo graphy
population, wealth and resources of tn,
State. and the prospects for health, comfort
wealth and education presented to those
who come in search of new homes. and o
such facilities for getting here as the Stat,
may be able to furnish. Some of our sis
their population and wealth. and while W,
are somewhat late in the beginning, il vii
be later and worse for us The longer il il
put off.
The fact that Indiana is rapidly growing
in wealth and population, furnishes NJ
reason why that growth should not bt
greatly accelerated by the use of means Sc
simple and legitimate in their character
and costing so little when compared witt
the great advantages To be derived.
had the honor to call the attention of thu
Legislature TO this subject at the rcgulal
session in 1855, and beg leave To repeat tho
arguments and recommendations | thcT
offered
| request your special attention to that
part of Nh. Wilstach's report. in which ht
describes the effort made and the difficult
ties attending it, To make an exhibition o.
Indiana productions. manufactures and
mineral resources at the 'Worlds's Fair,
to be held in Paris this year. The impor-
lance of thus presenting To the people 81
the "Old World" in tangible form, the
great resources of our State, requires nc
Illustration.
SCHOOLS
The School Fund of Indiana may be es
timatcd in round numbers AT SOL .:;37 ~
and is | believe. larger than the School
Fund OF any other State.
While our school system is far from
being what ii ought to he, vet it is being
gradually and substantially improved
The standard of qualification for teachers
has been elevated. and teaching. a. sci
ence. is far better understood than former
~ 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, and which
trust viii be speedily put into successful
operation. The other great evil consists
in the fact that the schools are kept for too
short time and can only he remedied bv
increasing from taxation and other sources
that might be made available. the annual
revenue for school purposes. will enter
into no argument before this General As
sembly TO prove the importance Of cduca-
ton, and that our schools should he open
10 all. and able to furnish an education
sufficient for the ordinary business of life;
but assuming that all admit this truth, will
simply say that the common schools of In
diana. cannot furnish such an education
without they are continued for longer pc
Rod in each year.
EDUCATION OF COLORED CHILDREN.
In my message. delivered To the Legis-
lature at the late extra session. | presented
the Importance of providing for the educa-
ton OF colored children, in language which
beg leave here To repeat:
The first section OF article eight of or
State Constitution provides as follows:
knowledge and learning generally diff
fused throughout a community. being es-
sential to the preservation OF free Govern
ment il shall he the duty of the General
Assembly TO encourage, by all suitable
means. moral. intellectual scientific and
agricultural Improvement: and to provide.
by law, for general and uniform system
of common schools, wherin tuition shall
be without charge, and equally open to
all"
The language of this provision is very
broad. and would seem. in letter and in
spirit, To embrace all the children of the
State, without regard to color
Surely. il cannot be denied that. as we
have q colorcd population in our midst. il
is our interest, independent of those CON
siderations of natural justice and humani-
ty, which plead so strongly, to educate and
elevate that population.
An ignorant and degraded element is a
burden and injury 10 society, whatever may
be its color. Ii therefore becomes n matter
of sound political economy, IS well as alb
sOlute justice, that whatever colored pOpu-
lation We may have, should he educated.
and enabled to become intelligent. indus
irious, and useful members OF the COM
munity.
The laws of Indiana exclude colored
children from the common schools, and
make 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 The co.ored chill
dren Of the State, and such portion of
the School Fund as may be in proportion
to their number, be set apart and applied
to their education, b. the establishment of
separate schools. under such suitable pro-
visions and regulations as may be proper
| would not recommend that white and
colored children be placed together in the
same schools, believing, as / do, in the
present state of public opinion. that to do
so would create dissatisfaction and conflict.
and impair the usefulness Of the schools.
! am informed that system can be de-
vised, by which separate schools for the
education of colored children can be sue
cessfully maintained in various parts of the
State, and believe that justice, humanity
and sound policy require that it should be
done.
BY the school law Of 1865. negroes and
lnulattoes are not taxed for the support of
common schools, but If cOlored schools
should De established. this law should be
so amended as to subject them to like taxa
lion with white persons for educational
purposes.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
By an act of Congress thirty thousand
acres ofland were donated to each State
for each Senator and Representative in
Congress for the purpose of erecting and
an Agricultural College This
entitled Indiana to 100000 acres. The act
provided that where there were public
lands in the State subject TO entry at 81 %
per acre, the quantity TO which the State
was entitled should be selected from such