Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-12-25
,GoIe.asr Bsbb's Inaugural Address
GtassezeH Of ne Sezafe
sad Of sse House Of RsyTessa.atirss;


sed since the victory Of Wayne over the Indians
on the Msamse, and the consequent treaty OF
Greenvius, gave the Norh Western Territory
peace, and 70 the tenants OF is rustic sbodes as
surance ofsafesy.
This great central valley Of the west was then
in all its prirneYal grandeur-iis mountains, lakes
and galf-its rivers gliding over calaracts OF me.
andering through vast iuvial plains-its bound.
less praines and herds of bufalo-its forests un-
rvalled in extent and variety. and its great tribes
Of abor;gines who, from time unknown, had been
the lords Of this vast domain. The bold outlines
ofths scene remain unchanged and unchanged.
bic. 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 sulleny retired beyond ihe "Faih.
er of Waters" aud buried the red scalping knife
in the ashes Of dispair- The yells Of the war
dance, the eloquence of the council, and The in
carnations Of the prophet, are seen and heard no
more; but in their stead, halls oflegslalion courts
ofjustlce, and temples consecrated to Chrisliani.
". The annals Of man present no example
VII re the iriumpas Of civilization, in so brief a
period, have been so brilliant and complete.
Our own State Of Ohio, embracing very IA
vored portion Of this great valley stands out be
fore the ewes Of all men a wonder for her pro-
gross in population, wealth and power; for her
metropolis of near hundred thousand souls;
her agricultural and mechanical productions, her
public works, her colleges, asylums and schools:
and her population OF TWO millions of people, en-
joying more of the necessaries and comforts of
life and enduring tswer of its prvations, misera-
ries and wants than any equal number of men in
arr age Of the world.
Compared with the great resources ofthe State,
present and prospective, even her large debt OF
nineteen millions of dollars is seen, at a glance,
TO be entirely under her control. She owns eight
hundred miles OF nayigabe canals, and is largely
interested in twelve hundred miles Of Nc Adami-
zed roads, besides her stocks in the CHAINS of
rail roads which will ere long BE- completed from
Lake Erie to the Ohio river. The valuation re-
turned under her new revenue law, shows that
she has over four hundred millions Of dollars
worth of taxable properly.
And no man, born within the limits orthe State
Of Ohio atthe period of tie formation other con.
sttuon, who has marked with flal affection
and pride her every step from that hour until the
present-no man who has ever been out upon her
leys, over ncr hills and plains, in her mines,
workshops, and farm houses, meeting, every
where a population whose spirit Of enterprise
aud industry "cndureh all things and never fail
eth" can avoid the realization that she has but
just entered upon the Threshold Of her future
greatness and prosperity. or fail to see that her
population have as yet, cleared but here and there
aspot in her forests, occupied but few sites Of
her immense water power, and but just begun to
open her ncxhau3lbe mines oflroa and fields Of
coal. Before the lapse Of twenty years, her pop.
nlalion will have increased, from two TO four mil.
lions, and her taxable properly from four hun.
drod millions 10 thousand millions of dollars.
The cause OF this uaoxamplcd prosperity; is as
much without parallel in history as tho effect.
It will be found in the natural resources Of the
State, in tho security of titles to land, in the early
protection and liberal policy of the general gov
ernment 1t will be found in the character of
her population, who, instead Of emerging through
long ages from barb1rsm to civilization, brought
with them freedom, law, christianity, and the aris
of civilized life. 1t will be found in her free
constitution, confcrng on her Executive neither
patronage, nor the ueio power and in her legis-
lation, which, in the main. has been liberal and
wise. twill be found in the Ordinance of 1897.
That great charter Of North Western liberty was
here before our fathers. 1t had guaranteed to
every cmcarant liberty of conscience--the right
oftriaIb by urv-ihe right Of equal representation
and the inyiolabiliiy of private properly. Il
had declared that mo law mpairing tho validity
of contracts, previously made without fraud,
should ever have any binding authority within
tho territory" And it had proclaimed, that
schools, ami the means Of education, should for.
over be encouragod; for the plain reason, that re.
lipion, morality, and knowledge, arc necessary to
good government, and the happiness of man.
kind"
But, of all the provisions orthat ordinance, the
most important TO the cause of humanity, and the
most benefcent in its operation upon the moraIs
the rights, the happiness aud the prosperity of
the millions, who in all time TO come will inhab
these States, is that which makes the soil north.
west of the river Ohio, forever incapable to su9.
tain a slave.
With African sorvmde, as the trainers Of our
government found il within the limits Of the orig
NAL slave holding States, the people Of Ohio have
no desire TO NEEDLE. Not that we look upon the
subject with cold indifference, or over cease 10
contemplate with earnest solicude az men aud
m Americans, the course which our brethren oil
those States, IN ted with us in the same great
bond Of union, may feel tito be their duty no less
than their true interest, TO pursue towards that
oppressed aud down trodden race; nor, much less,
that we counenance the doctrine broached by
some, that human slavery is not in itself an evil,
bit because we look upon it as an institution be.
yond our jurisdiction, subject to the control alone
Of the legislatures and the people of the several
States whet.n it exists. There the convention
which framed our Federal Constitution found in it,
and there they were compelled reluctantly to
leave il. But surely it is a matter OF rejoicing 10
US no less than Of honor 10 our fathers, that, in
laving the foundations of the social system here.
where slavery had never existed, they in great