The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-01-06
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

~ cSfl1ItttOCO ~
You are summoned, by the suffrages of
your fellow citizens, to the Important dn-
ties of legislation, at a period of peculiar
interest both in State and National af.
fairs.
The year just closed has been strongly
marked by prosperous and adverse circum-
stances.
Abundant barvests have fulfilled the
farmers hopes; almost unbroken health
has blessed our homes and animated our
activities; Industry, in every vocation,
has successfully pursuedsits legitimate OBJ
Jectsi Education, with steady e~nlarging
aims, and powers constantly augmenting,
has prepared the youth for the duties and
responsibilities of citizenship and Re-
ligion, unembarrassed by the interference
of the State with the domain of conscience,
has fulfilled its holy mission of instruction
in the duties of the life which now is, and
of preparation for the awards of that which
is to come. In short, no year since the
organization of the State Government, has
been more copspicuously distinguished by
substantial increase In all the elements of
real wealth, permanent power, and true
greatness.
And yet, this year, SO distinguished by
circumstances of prosperityIhasloen
marked, hardly less conspicuously, by The
evils of disordered currency, PROSTATE
credit. and impaired fortunes.
The financial embellishments which
have affected the citizens of Ohio, In com.
mon with those OF the whole country, have
been augmented in this State, by special
and peculiar cases The criminal miscon-
duct of a former State Treasurer, result
ing in a defalcation of over half a million
of dollars. concealed from the people by
the false statements and reprehensible
contrivances of himself and his successor
in Office, deprived the Treasury at a criti-
cal moment, of the proper means of paving
the interest on the public debt, and Of
meeting the ordinary demands of the pub
lie service while the failure of a great
m%oneyed corporation. intimately onnect-
ed with the business interests of the com.
munity, suddenly disclosed the alarming
fact, that a vast proportion of all the i'm
mediately available our of very ma
ny of the banks of the State, had been
abstracted by the fraud of it's cashier in
New York, and converted into means for
p~ostponing, if net averting its fall.
It is a most gratifying fact, and it well
illustrates the energetic good faith which
so honorably distinguishes the people of
Ohio, that, notwithstanding these embar-
easements, every obligation of the State
has been punetually fulfilled, and her
banking institutions, with very few tom
porary exceptions, have performed their
entire dnty of specie payments, without
evasion and without delay.
The disorders and endorsements of
the present time, thus m~anfully encoun-
tered, must soon pass away. They may
check for a moment, cannot arrest the
advancement of the State. Our fertile
soil, our productive mines, and our varied
industry, will soon redress present incon-
veniences, and revive in full measure, our
financial prosperity.
That you may clearly see the founda-
tion of this anticipation, permit me to d.
rect yonr attention to a brief review of
our Industrial cuHdirion, whieh-wa be
more fully exhibited by the reports. of the
Commissioner of Statistics, and of the
State Board of Agriculture.
Of the 9 ,576,960 acres which consti
tute the area of the State, according to
federal computation, no portion worth con-
can be classed as absolutely
uncultivable. Only 10,3OO,O00 acres,
however, ere actually cultivated, aud of
these, only about 5,000,0 600 acres by the
plow, while more than 100000 yet re-
main to be brought under contribution to
our power and wealth.
The whole area, with a trifing excep-
ton, is reduced tie individual ownership,
and is divided among about 100000 pro-
prietors, excluding the owners of town
lots The average quantity of land held
by each proprietor, is estimated at about
ninety acres.
This division of the land into small pro-
promotes Improvement in methods
of culture, augments production, insures
individual Independence, and contributes
to the security of public freedom.
Every tendency in the opposite direction
should be watchfully observed and wisely
The value Of these properties as assess
ed for taxation, is $435 1902, 655, and that
of town lots and chattels, is S4l3, 626, 426
making an aggregate of $949, 329, 08l.
The roal value largely exceeds $1,000
600, 600
The present population of the State,
upon the best a~ttaipable data, is estimated
at 2,4o0, 600 persons, of whom nearly
all, except the very young and the very
old, are actively engaged in pursuits which
or preserve public and private
wealth.
The efficiency of this vast human ener-
gy is enhanced almost beyond computa-
lion by the machinery SO extensively in
troduced into every department of indus
try. The agricultural machines, put in
operation during the last Few years do
woIk-of more than 5000 agricultu-
raj laborers, and do it quicker, better, and
than they could. 1t is difficult
to make any estimate even proximately
accurate, in respect to machinery other
wise employed. It is reasonably eompu-
ted, however, that the steam engines now
in use in Ohio, perform labor equal in
quantity to that Of more than half a mil
lion of men, and better in quality, as well
as cheaper in cost.
The forces of nature thus engaged to
the service of man, through the instrument