Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-12-16
GOV. VILLAGES INAUGURAL ADDRESS
FelIoU- Cie;zens Of he Senate and
House Of ReDreae>kat;res.

DccPty Impressed win the responsibility o. Ia
The station which the kindness Of my fellow-cit-
liens Of Indiana has selected me to fill, | embrace
this opportunity Of rendering TO them, through
you, my most grateful acknowledgements for
this distinguished manifestation Of their conf
dence, together, With = brief expose Of tho views
state policy. In takingthis step, feel that am
only following the wake Of my predecessors.
They have, believe, without . single exception,
deemed it most respectful and proper, prior to
terng on tho discharge Of their official duties, to
publish to the people an cPitiome Of the Princi-
ring their continuance in Office. Upon this Gus
tom ! have no desire to innovate; and, If had,
this 10 certainly not the time to attempt il. The
surprising increase Of wealth and population i
which the history Of Indiana for the last eight
years 20 cheerin9ly exhibits, the acknowledged
extent and fertility Of her SOIL the singular vare
~ Of stirring aud important interests growing |
out Of these circumstances, added to the bold dar-
ing and gigantic effort she 10 now making to en- |
sure full and speedy Development Of her re-
Sources calls not only for the undivided aP2lica-
ton Of the whole energies Of her people, but
also, for tho ssconcealed opinions Of her public
servants.
In acquitting myself Of this delicate task,
frankly confess beforehand, that the conscious
ness that Of the duties that shall likely be
required 10 perform, will consist, either in design
ing, limiting, or establishing, any new system
OI STATE pOlICy o. improvements, tS 10
Of great and peculiar relief. Because, l cannot
but look upon these perplexlng matters as being
already settled, the controversies concerning
them as ended, and the scale and character Of our
future plans and operations, for years to come as
in q measure, permanently fixed. If in this
do not err, tho duties devolviDg upon each and
all Of US, as mere agents Of the people, are, to
my mind, both obvious and easy Of cOmprehen-
sion they are evidently to be confined to the
labors of execution; to the toilsome, vexatious,
and difficult endeavors to carry out and perfect
the magnificent system Of State Improvement
which the Legislation" Of past years has SO LAHORE
ously matured.
Il In assuming such grounds, am not uncen-
scious that in the estimation Of . very resPecta-
Bile portion Of my fellow-citizens, it is considered
that the State has undertaken entirely too much
that the very attempt to prosecute 80 great an en-
terprisc with the means in possession or exPec-
:. fancy, must inevitably involve Us in debts beyond
our abilities to pay; and thereby entail upon W,
: the worst Of all evis-oPPressive and ruinous
taxation without even the hope Of relief or miti-
cation. ! am not unaware too, that in anticipa-
ton Of such fearful consequences prediction af-
tor prediction has repeatedly escaped from intel
ent lips calculated to chill the ardor and to
,inguish the noble spirit Of daring which seems
to have animated the bosom of u large majority
+ Of tho people. But the astonishing success which
has thus Ear attended progress the realization
= Of all, and more than friends the most sanguine
% dreamed Of; nay, the fattering auspicics of the
future, Should it apPeas to me, dsPci every doub
q and quiet every fear which such boding Prognos
N tics may nave created. To relieve myself, how
=" ever, in speaking encouragingly, from the i'm
putation If ovcr-wrought zeal, perhaps, from the
v charge Of being too deeply cnamOrcd with the en-
70 terprse itself, to exercise = sound and unbias
!" ed judgment, permit me, by departing little
m from the course usually adhered to on occasions
ike the present. topresent you with some Of thu
n" most important facts which the experience Of thu
of past most inevitably furnishes.
Is, From documents that will; in due timo be lai
upon your tables by the proper department,
o. have, at the expense Of some labor, md with
- view to the assurance Of my own mind, geane
few interesting items Of statistics which seen
to exhibit the truest picture Of the strength an
81 resources Of the State as they now are, togethe
with the best data upon which to build calculs
II, tons for the future. These have been taken U
- niformly by me, from the official returns of tn
assessment of taxable property, made from tn
he several counties in the Safe, agreeably to tn
Il acquisitions Of law.
Ii the rule which some political economist
ID have laid down be correct, that the wealth Of
=. State consists in the number and the industr
10 Of her population, Indiana has surely the mos
abundant reason to feel confident in, and proud o
r her present condition and prospects. Tho yea
oi w accession she has made to these undoubte
elements Of wealth has been less chcerin
N. than wonderful. To prove this, take the return
lie Just referred to-the returns for instance,
= Of the Auditor Of State, and compare them.-
These show that the taxable polls Of 1880,
mounted to 50, 1877; that the same for 1885
mounted to g. ,2S9; for 1896 to u ,43S; for 1873
the present year, to $1,000 or Whereabouts.
an, here constrained, however to acknowledge
that these returns arc in many respects, garing
imperfect that they fall greatly below the tr,
estimate as the aggregate vote for Governc
this year, most conclus,vely demonstrates. TIL
vote amounts to between eighty three and eight
four thousand, little less, YOU perceive. th'
the number CT taxable polls returned, where's
in truth and in fact, all parties will admit tn
not less than fifteen or twenty thousand vote
either remained at home, did not vote. b
still imperfect these returns are. they sufficel
~ indicate the progressive increase Of PoPul
tion to answer our present purposes. Tn
furnish the friends Of the present system Of Sta
policy and improvement. with the most exhile
ting results. Instead Of witnessing the gloon
process Of dePoPulation, a. was 80 confident
predicted, they have been grati6ed with the I
hibition Of scenes the very reverse. The tide
emigration has continued to swell around US