Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-01-15

councils are here to be assembled-whose
archieyes are here to be kept, and trust
safely, so long as Ohio shall be State, or
time itself endure. May those councils be
50 wise, that their beneficial influence may
be as enduring as these walls.
Citizens of Ohio, members of the Gen.
eral Assembly, we congratulate you. Let
us congratulate each other that this noble
structure approaches completion.
Again, on behalf of the citizens of this
city and of this county, I bid you cordial
welcome.
Response of Coz. Chase.
When the applause which followed the
conclusion of the Address BY Mr.. Kelley
had subsided, Gov. Chase impressiyely and
eloquently said:
1t is made my very agreeable duty to re-
spond in behalf of the people of the State
to the cordial welcome which you, sir, in
behalf of the Citizens of Franklin county
have extended to them.
1t was very fit that the citizens Of the
county within whose limits the seat of the
State Government is established should
distinguish the occasion upon which the
State Capitol is first opened for occupancy
by an invitation to their fellow-citizens of
other counties, to join with them in this
Festival of congratulation. The multi
tudes who now throng these halls, attest
the cordial promptitude with which the in
vitation has been accepted. Only the
words of welcome which you have uttered
were needed to complete their satisfaction.
In their name, sir, l thank you; in their
name | thank the citizens whose organ you
are: in their name l thank the Committee
under whose care this pleasant Festival has
been provided. l only wish that all the
people in the State could be here to partic,
ipate in it.
We dismiss tonight all memory of par
" divisions. We forget the things where
in we differ; we remember only the things
wherein we agree.
Over the gates Of city of Scotland once
appeared, and perhaps appears now, this
inscription, "Let Glasgow flourish" Ii
the heart of every son and daughter of Ohio
native or adopted, in city or in country, al
home or abroad, lives or shall live, evel
fresh and fervent, the warm aspiration
''Let Ohio Flourishr'
A century ago, Ohio was French Do
minion. French forts, at Sandusky-ol
the Maumee, then the Miamis-at Fri,
then Presque lsle-at Pittsburgh, thel
Duquense-co commanded its whole extent
and connected it with the great line o
French Possessions, extending through th'
interior, from the mouth of the St. Law
renee to the mouth of the Mississippi. Th'
Apparent destiny of Ohio was to French
civilation and despotic Government.
But, though England, careless Of inter-
or possessions, actually offered to yield t.
France all the territory west Of New Yorl
and the Alleghenies, there were Americans
who better understood its immediate valu
and future Importance. Conspicuou
among these were Washington and Frank
lin. The former, in 1854 led a militar,
expedition to the banks of the Monongehela
the latter, indefatigable, in his cndeavors Il
arouse attention to the importance of ex
tending English colonization beyond th'
Alleghenies, confidently predicted that tht
country between the Lakes and the Ohi'
would "become perhaps in less than an
other century, populous and powerful do
minion."
The efforts of Franklin were PARTIAL,
successful. Nine years later the Frencl
dominion had passed away forever. B
the treaty of Paris, of 1868, France cede'
to Great Britain all her North American
possessions east of the Mississippi.
But the substitute for French civiliza
tion proposed by Great Britain was barbar
ism. Already jealous of the increasin,
strength of her American Colonies, or be
lieving that they would be commercially
more profitable if confined to the -Atlanti
Slope, she attempted to restrict their west
ward extension by a Royal Proclamation
prohibiting settlements west Of the ALE
ghenies.
Under the effect of this proclamation
Ohio remained wilderness for twent,
years, until 1888 another Treaty of Pari
annihilated British dominion within it
/ limits, and transferred its possession to tn
American Republic, then first acknowledg
ed as an independent member of the com
munity of nations.
A new era was now to begin its course
Anglo Saxon Civilization and Republican
Institutions were now to take the place o
savage barbarism. Plans of emigration
and settlement were promptly devised ant
, adopted. At the mouth of the Musking
, um, between the Miamis, and on the Dor
ders of Erie, the noble old pioneers of th
West, many of them distinguished officer
and soldiers of the Revolution, commence,
the work of subduing the wilderness
Regular Institutions of government wer
organized under the ordinance of 1887 ant
that grand career of developement and pro
gress which has SO far outstriped anticipa
ton, was fully inaugurated.
Another twenty years passed away, an
Ohio was State in the American Union
Her first public act recognized the inviola
bility of personal rights; the sacredness o
private obligations; the absolute freedom o
conscience; and the indispensable necessit,
to good government, of religion, morality
and knowledge. Upon these stable foun
dations she has built wisely and prosperous
ly. L need not recite her recent history
you know it well. Nor need remind yo
of her great works of improvement, of he
liberal provision and organization of educa
ton, and her noble charities. 1t is enougl
to say that "a century" has passed, and tn
prophetic anticipation of Franklin is NOR
than fulfilled.