Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-23

GOV. BEBB'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Geslismen Of the Senate and
cfthe House Of Representatives.:
The past history and present condition
of the State Of Ohio, present interesting
subjects for the contemplation and instruct
ion Of her legislators and statesmen. Half
century has but yet elapsed since the
victory OF Wayne over the Indians on the
Maumee, and the consequent treaty of
Greenville, gave to the North Western
Territory peace, and to the tenants Of its
rustic abodes assurance of safety.
The great central valley of the west was
then in oil its primevaI grandeur-its
mountains, lakes and gult-lts rivers
gliding over cataracts, or meandering
throug n vast alluvial plains-its boundless
prairies and herds of buffalo-its forests un-
rivalled in extent and variety, and its great
tribes Of aborigines who, from time un.
known, had been the lords Of this vast
domain. The bold outlines of the scene
remain unchanged and Interchangeable. The
mountains are here and the lakes, the rivers
still flow in their channels, but the buffalo
have been hunted from the prairies and the
deer from the forest. Logan and Tecumseh
are no more. The spirit Of their race is
broken. Their children have sullenly
retired beyond the "Father of Waters" and
buried tho red scalping knife in the ashes
of despair. The yells Of the war dance,
the eloquence of the council, and the
incantations Of the prophet, are seen and
heard no moro; but in their stead, halls of
legislation, courts Of justice, and temples
consecrated to Christianity. The annals
Of men present no example where the
trlumphs Of civilization, $50 brief a period,
have been SO brilliant and complete.
Our ewn State Of Ohio, embracing q very
favored portion of this great valley, stands
out before the eyes of all men wonder,
for her progress in population, wealth and
power ; for her metropolis of near hundred
thousand souls; her agricultural and me-
chanical productions, her public works, her
colleges, asylums and schools; and her
population Of two millions of people, en-
ioying more of the necessities and comforts
Of life and enduring fewer Of its privations,
miseries and wants than any equal number
of men in any age Of the world. ..
Compared with the great resources OF
the State, present and prospective, even
her large debt Of nineteen millions of dol
lars is seen, at q glance, to be entirely
under her control. She owns eight hun
dred miles Of nayigable canals, and is
largely interested in twelve hundred miles
Of McAdamized roads, besides her stocks in
tho chains Of railroads which will ere long
be completed from Lake Erie to the Ohio
river. The valuation retured under her
newsrevenue law, shows that she has over
four hundred millions OF dollars worth ol
taxable property.
And no man, born within the limits oil
the State of Ohio at the period Of the for.
nation Of her constitution, who has marked
with flial affection and pride her every
step from that hour until the present--no
man who has ever been out upon her lakes
and rivers, up and down her beautiful val.
leys, over her hills and plains,in her mines,
workshops, and farm houses, meeting, eve
ry where, population whose spirit Of en-.
terprise and industry "endureth all things
and never falleth," can avoid the realiza'
ton that she has but just entered upon the
threshold Of her future greatness and
prosperity, or fail to see that her popula
ton have, as yet, cleared but hereand there
spot in her forests, occupied but q few
sites Of her immense water power, and but
just beguntto open her inexhaustible mines
Of iron and fields Of conl. Before the
lapse Of twenty years, her population will
have increased, from two to four millions
and her taxable property from four hun.
dred millions to q thousand millions of dol,
lars. X, s..s5l,.ssss..sa. ..,., l,1s n sss..,s
The cause oFthis unexampled prospect
sy, is as much without parallel in history
ss the effect. II will be found in the nat
ural resources Of the State, in the security
oftitles to land, in the, early protection and
liberal policy ofthe general government
II will be found il the character Of hel
population, who, instead Of emerging
through long ages from barbarism 70 ciyili
cation, brought with them freedom, law
christianity, and the arts Of civilized life
twill be found in her free constitution
conferring on her Executive neither pat
ronage, nor the psio power; and in her leg
islation, which, iristhe main, has been liber
al and wise. Il will be found in the Ordi
nsncc Of l7e7 That great charter o