The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-01-26
laIlfaar E9rd's lnangnraI lddrtss.
ctMe Senate and

NNCNttCatCN u W 1t"Nte eNe
Honse of Representatives.:
Having been officially informed that
the people of the Stale have. by their
voice conslitulionally expressed selected
me as their chief magistrate, now ap-
pear before you to take the necessary oath
of office.
/, seems to be required, in pursuance
of established custom, that shnuld on
this occasion. express sumo of the views
which deem of Importance to the vel
fare and prosperity Of the State. Before
doing this, permit me TO present my ac-
kuowledgements 10 you, and through you
"a our common constituents, for the hon
orcoufemed upon me, and to express my
abiding sense Of the responsibilities
which that honor brings with it.
The trainers of our constitution wore
mendeeply imbued with the spirit of lib
erty and jealous of arbitrary power. They
felt that the will of the people, as express
sed through their immediate representa-
tives, should prevail, uncontrolled by ex-
ecutive Interference. They therefore
conferred the law making power upon a
General Assembly composed of two
branches. The pUwers conferred upon
the Governor were extremely limited,
and almost exclusively of an executive
character. They neither intrusied him
with power directly to check the action OF
the General Assembly by the veto nor
Indirectly to influence it by the dislribu-
ton of official patronage. This caution
of the convention was doubtless induced
by previous experience under the terri
toriaI Government, during the existence
Of which the veto power had been freely
exercised
The wisdom Of the convention in this
distribution of powers has been proven by
more than forty years experience, aud il
is fondly hoped that whatever changes
NAV hereafter be made in that instru.
ment, in these particulars it may remain
unaltered. In one short paragraph in
the preamble to our constitution, the OBJ
iect ofthat convention and the same OBJ
iect for which all governments should be
formed. is explicitly set forth. That OBJ
iect as therein declared was, 10 establish
Justice, promote the welfare and secure
the blessings of liberty to ourselves and
pos,eriiy." That this object should be
attained must be the earnest desire OF ev.
good citizen; aud when attained it is all
that can DO required at the hands Of any
government. To secure this result O
the hi CHEST importance, the action ufOllthe
different branches of the government
must be confined within the limits pre-
scribed by the constitution; each care
fully guarding its own. neither interfering
with the rights and duties of tho other
all faithfully and imparlially performed
and when so done. all chesIlully anc
promptly complied with.
1t is the duty ofthe General Assembly
from time to time to enact such laws al
the necessities Of the people require ant
ofsuch character as will secure tho right
and redress the injuries Of all equally ant
alike. And that these laws may be wei
understood and operate most beneficial.
they should be generally permanent
Frequent changes. or changes for sligh
causes, should not be made. ...,s ..
Laws, while they remain in force ,shoul,
be implicitly obeyed; and no who know
ingy violates them, dislergards his frs
duty as good citizen. and a patriot
Without law their is no rational liberty
Unrestrained individual action is onl,
anarchy, and anarchy is a despnlism NOR
TO be dreaded than the arbitrary rule of
single despot. Under its reign there !
no security Of life, person or property. |
is our boast that O mr. government is agov
ernment Of law, and no one can in an
way, more eifsctually show his attach
ment TO our free institutions, than by hi
cheerful obedience to. and his faithful ex
ecution of the law; thus giving stability t
individual rights and interests. and per
manency to our institutions.
The people Of Ohio have been law
abiding people. and as consequence
our prosperity has been almost. If not en
tirely uuexampled. It's now less thai
fifty years since the formation of our con
stitution aud the admission of this Stat
into tho Union. At the time Of It's for
nation the population Of the State wa
less than fifty thousand, scattered spar
sely over its surface, then an almost an
broken wilderness. The productions q
the soil scarcely sufficient to supply tn
wants Of the people, together with tn
wants of those who were constantly com
ing within our borders. Since that pc
riod our population has increased to neat
ly or qnite two millions, engaged in q
tho various employmenIs Of life, furnish
ing annually from the productions Of AS
riculture alone. above the wants OF HON
consumption, but little if any less tina
fifty millions Of dollars.
The natural result of the increase
population, is division of labor, by III
increase Of the different varieties Of bus
ness 10 which labor Is applied each bel
eftting the other. But after all The grel
source of wealth To the people Of III
State generally, is, and will continue
be. its agricultural productions. IL wi
therefore readily be seen that the prom
ton Of the interests Of the farming cla
of our communty.reqairea the particulI
attention Of tho General Assembly. Th
interest is always fully Represented
this body. and will ] trust, receive n f
share of its consideration.
History and example teach. that
publican government. depending as