The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1868-12-28

civilized communities has dcmonstra-
ted the expediency and economy of
appropriating the means necessary to
establish and maintain a sufficient
number of Normal Schools to supply
the demand for teachers. Those OK
ceptional cases of which we have
spoken, with high order of native
endowment will make much better
teachers. and the standard and aver
age of.teaching ability, efficiency and
success will beimmensely elevated by
Normal education.
.. This enterprise is undertaken in
no spirit of envy or unholy rivalry of
the excellent institution already estab
lished in the Northern section of our
great State. We rejoice in its success.
We feel a just State pride in the good
work it has already accomplished. 1t
is not TO blame for not having accom-
plished all we need, for no sing e insti-
tuition could. II we were to write her
memorial it should be in the gospel
terms" She hath done what she
could" May her shadow ever grow
longer-not by the decline of her sun,
but by her own increasing elevation.
3. The peculiar shape, and the i'm
mcnse territorial extent and popuIa-
nto of our State point to the necessity
for another Normal University. Gov
cring ) deg. 80 min. of latitude, and
stretching from north to south nearly
four hundred (400) miles, with her
greatest width south of the onl y State
Normal School, with almost every acre
of her thirty-five and half millions
(35 .459. 200) hot only inhabitable and
tillablc but fertile, and with ten thous-
and free schools already established, it
could not be expected that one Normal
University could long meet the wants
of such n State. just think of it. her
extreme southern inhabitants must
travel two hundred and fifty miles to
reach the present Normal University.
II large numbers so remote should
avail themselves OF this Normal
School. their travelling expenses would
in n few years endow another. But
the trouble is YOU cannot induce a sut-
ficient attendance from such distance.
The distance prevents acquaintance,
and hence want of sympathy With
a feeble circulation the remote eXtrem-
tiles soon grow cold. II the attend
ancc could be secured it would still he
impossible to accommodate all who
need Normal instruction in one school.
The tifty-one counties in the southern
half of the State had in 1860, n popu-
lation of nearly sevcl hundred thous-
and lG30,353 Any one acquainted
with their growth and progress, must
suppose that by this time the popula
ton is considerably above one million.
Economy may suggest that schools
of every kind should be rs large as
can Ice we'll handled by one Board Of
Instructors. But there il Il limit be-
yond which enlargement ceases be to
either economical or wise. And when
the catalogue Of IN Neutrality-suspicious.
one thousand names Of pupils We may
well suppose il is nearing that limit,
il il be not already reached. Our
" Normal University presents rs %
grand total lGl3 for the last year
that is, in both departments. Normal
and Model
I Our origin, history and condition (
point 10 the need OF such u Normal |
school. The southern portion Of the
State was originally settled by cmigra-
ton from States in which popular ed
ucation had not been SO advanced or
general rs ia some more favored Sec
tons. The tide Of emigration, moving
westward, passed above or through
our territory.
Strong prejudiccs against our sec
ton of the State were quite general.
Those untounded and injurious ideas
are fast disappearing. Our Egypt
home is beginning to rise to
Il juster appreciation of its true
character. 1t is becoming known
that for health, climate, mineral
resources, fruit growing, grazing
and general agriculture, we
have a country that will compare
favorably with any other upon earth,
and possessing some very decided adj
vantages. 1t is coming to be under
stood that we have population rich
in all the native elements Of good
character, and capable, by the refining
and enlightening influences Of religion
and education, of rising to the level of
the highest and best forms Of social
life and civilization. The rough mar
BILE, needing only the polishing hand
of the artist to develap the beautiful
model Of the statuary We may not
thank God that we are better than
other men-we do claim to be their
equals. The circumstances of our
past history have only retarded the
march of education and high intelli.
gence, Like the pent-up waters, the