Whofirststartedthatidea?Imaysurelysay，myself。Turntothebillintherevisedcode，whichIdrewmorethanfortyyearsago，andbeforewhichtheideaofaplanfortheeducationofthepeople，generally，hadneverbeensuggestedinthisState。Thereyouwillseedevelopedthefirstrudimentsofthewholesystemofgeneraleducationwearenowurgingandactingon：anditiswellknowntothosewiththomIhaveactedonthissubject，thatIneverhaveproposedasacrificeoftheprimarytotheultimategradeofinstruction。Letuskeepoureyesteadilyonthewholesystem。Ifwecannotdoeverythingatonce，letusdooneatatime。Theprimaryschoolsneednopreliminaryexpense；theultimategraderequiresaconsiderableexpenditureinadvance。Asuspensionofproceedingforayearortwoontheprimaryschools，andanapplicationofthewholeincome，duringthattime，tothecompletionofthebuildingsnecessaryfortheUniversity，wouldenableusthentostartbothinstitutionsatthesametime。Theintermediatebranch，ofcolleges，academiesandprivateclassicalschools，forthemiddlegrade，mayhereafterreceiveanynecessaryaidswhenthefundsshallbecomecompetent。Inthemeantime，theyaregoingonsufficiently，astheyhaveeveryetgoneon，attheprivateexpenseofthosewhousethem，andwhoinnumbersandmeansarecompetenttotheirownexigencies。Theexperienceofthreeyearshas，Ipresume，leftnodoubtthatthepresentplanofprimaryschools，ofputtingmoneyintothehandsoftwelvehundredpersonsactingfornothing，andundernoresponsibility，isentirelyinefficient。Someothermustbethoughtof；andduringthispause，ifitbeonlyforayear，thewholerevenueofthatyear，withthatofthelastthreeyearswhichhasnotbeenalreadythrownaway，wouldplaceourUniversityinreadinesstostartwithabetterorganizationofprimaryschools，andbothmaythengoon，handinhand，forever。Nodiminutionofthecapitalwillinthiswayhavebeenincurred；aprinciplewhichoughttobedeemedsacred。Arelinquishmentofinterestonthelateloanofsixtythousanddollars，wouldsofar，also，forwardtheUniversitywithoutlesseningthecapital。
ButwhatmaybebestdoneIleavewithentireconfidencetoyourselfandyourcolleaguesinlegislation，whoknowbetterthanI
dotheconditionsoftheliteraryfundanditswisestapplicationsandIshallacquiescewithperfectresignationtotheirwill。Ihavebrooded，perhapswithfondness，overthisestablishment，asithelduptomethehopeofcontinuingtobeusefulwhileIcontinuedtolive。Ihadbelievedthatthecourseandcircumstancesofmylifehadplacedwithinmypowersomeservicesfavorabletotheoutsetoftheinstitution。Butthismaybeegoism；pardonable，perhaps，whenI
expressaconsciousnessthatmycolleaguesandsuccessorswilldoaswell，whateverthelegislatureshallenablethemtodo。
Ihavethus，mydearSir，openedmybosom，withallitsanxieties，freelytoyou。Iblamenobodyforseeingthingsinadifferentlight。Iamsurethatallactconscientiously，andthatallwillbedonehonestlyandwiselywhichcanbedone。Iyieldtheconcernsoftheworldwithcheerfulnesstothosewhoareappointedintheorderofnaturetosucceedtothem；andforyourself，forourcolleagues，andforallinchargeofourcountry’sfuturefameandfortune，Iofferupsincereprayers。