Litchfield enquirer., 1867-10-10
SALISBURY, Saturday Eve, Oct. 5, 1859.

DEAR EDITOR LNQU1EER A leacilef Institute held in this town, which has con- tinued it's session for five days, closed its session last evening.
 Eight hours each day and evening have been filled with hard work. About 70 teachers and school officers were in attend ance.
 The Evening Lectures by different prom inent Educators in New England, were de- hvered ill the Congregational Church, and listened to by large and delighted audien- ces. The Secretary of the State Board of Education, MT. Northrop, who conducted the Institute, is evidently scholarly man of good ability, but his chief fitness for the position which he occupies, as it seems captions of the educational wants of the State, but of the specific needs of teaching. His clear, lucid and pains taking way of imparting instruction, his manner, his earnestness, and his faculty of infusing the minds of teachers with his own spirit, combine to make him one we too seldom see-'' the right man in the right place.
 Col. Sprague, the Principal of the State Normal School, was here. He conducted the Institute the last day, owing to the ab- sence of MT. Northrop, and delivered the last, the crowning Address, last evening. Twenty years ago listened to Dr. Chee yer, as he pictured the glories of Heaven, and the blessed happiness of it's inhabi- tants, as he carried the imagination on and upward. until the soul thrilled with an ago. ny of pleasure, and I remember to have been seized with painful fear, that he could not descend from his high flight with out crash, spelling the effect of his ef- fort As we listened night after night to addresses of the highest order,I I wondered if they could thus continue to the close oi the Institute. Mr. Northrop kept his best until the last.
 I speak of these men not by way of full some eulogy, but because, to-day, they ought to be more in the minds of the peo- pie of Connecticut than any other men. Their names should be familiar in every household they are doing what they desire to do, what they should be permit ted and assisted to do, should be discussed at every fre-side in the State, until by next Spring, such storm of, indign ation shall greet the mention of the action of the last Legislature in abolishing our State School for the training of Teachers, and such a power of public opinion shall have been created, that the next General Assembly will not dare to do less than re-establish 1t upon frmer basis.
 The N. Y. Herald of yesterday has an ar ticle entitled e Education going down in the Land of Steady Habits;" and amour ces that ssthe last radical Legislature of Connecticut passed resolutions abolishing the State Normal School" What text, and what slur! Our Mountain County is in favor of the Normal School know it must be-because it is in favor of educa- tional progress.
 I trust the Press of the State will urge the consideration of this subject by all :; not in party spirit, not with prejudice, but with a desire to direct attention to it in all it's bearings. I hope as many lnsti- tutes as possible will be held by these men in different parts of the State, and l wish they would lecture upon this subject.
 I have TO doubt the State Board of Edu- cation contributed directly to the suspen- sion of the Normal School, by its action in so raising the standard of admission as to frighten from an attempt to enter the school, many very worthy candidates fer for the'profession of teaching or indeed many worthy and successful teachers who desired to perfect themselves in their Art thus sadly deminishing the number of it's pupils, and puttinga most potent argu- ment in the mouths its enemies. The State Board took step in the right direc- Eon but tho step was too gigantic, or if it