Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-01-14
Governors Message.
and Representatives !:

ou are summoned, Dy the suffrageS o
your fellow citizens, to the important du
ties of Legislation, at period of peculiar in
terest both in State and National affairs
The year Just closed has been strongly
marked BY prosperous and adverse circum
stances.
Abundant harvests have fulfilled the
farmers hopes; almost unbroken health
has blessed our homes and animated oul
activities; Industry, in every vocation, has
successfully pursued its legitimate objects;
Education, with steadily enlarging aims,
and powers constantly augD,enting, has
prepared the youth for the duties and re-
sponsibillities of citizenship; and Religion,
unembarrassed by the interference of the
State with the domain of conscience, has
fulfilled lis 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 or
ganization of the State Government, has
been more conspicuously distinguished by
substantial increase in all the elements Of
real wealth, permanent power, and true
greatness.
And yet, this year, SO distinguished by
these circumstances of prosperity, has been
marked, hardly less conspicuously, by the
evils of disordersd currency, PROSTATE cred
it, and impaired fortunes.
The financial embarassments which have
affected the citizens of Ohio, in common
with those of the whole country, have been
augmented in this State, by special and pc
culiar causes The criminal misconduct Of
former State Treasurer, resulting in a
defalcation of over half million of dollars,
concealed from the people by the false
statements and reprehensible contrivances
of himself and his successor in Office, de-
prived the Treasury, at a critical moment,
of the proper means of paying the interest
on the public debt, and of meeting the or
dinary demands of the public service; while
the failure of a great moneyed corporation,
intimately connected with the business in
terests of the community, suddenly disclosed
the alarming fact, that vast proportion of
all the Immediately available resources of
very many of the banks of The State, had
been distracted by the fraud cf its cashier
in New York, and converted into means
for posiponing, ifnot arerting its fall.
1t is most gratifying fact, and it well
illustrates the energetic good faith which
so honorably distinguishes the people of
Ohio, that, notwithstanding these embar-
RAISING circumstances, every obligation of
the State has been punctually fulfilled, and
her banking institutions, with very few
temporary exceptions, have performed their
entire duty of specie payments, without
evasion and without delay.
The disorders and embarrassments of
the present time, thus manfully encounter
ed, must soon pass away. They may check
for a moment, but cannot arrest the ad-
yanccment of the State. Our fertile soil,
our productive mines, and our varied indus
Try, will soon redress. present inconyenien-
ces, and revive, in full measure, our finan-
cial prosperity.
That you may clearly see the founda-
tions of this anticipation, permit me to di-
rect your attention to brief review of our
industrial condition, which will be more
fully exhibited by the reports of the Com
missioner of Statistics, and of the State
Board of Agriculture.
Of the 25,576,96O acres which consti-
tute the area of the State, according to fed
eral computation, no portion worth consid-
Grafton, can be classed as absolutely uncul-
tivateable. Only l0,300,000 acres, how
ever, are actually cultivated, and of these,
only about 100000 acres by the plow,
while more than 100000 yet remain to
be brought under contribution TO our pow
er and wealth.
This whole area, with a trifing excep-
tion, is reduced to 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-
perties, promotes improvement in methods
ofculture, augments production, insures in
dividual independence, and contributes
largely to the security of public freedom.
Every tendency in the opposite direction
should lie watchfully observed, and wisely
checked.
The value of these properties as assess
ed for taxation, is S435, ,6O2, ,655, and that
of townlots and chattles is, S4I3,626,426
making an aggregate of S849, 329,0s1.
The real value largely exceeds 81, 100000
900.
The present population of the State, up
on the best attainable data, is estimated at
Mt 100000 persons, of whom nearly all,
except the very young and the very old,
are actively engaged in pursuits which in
crease 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 ofindustry.
The agricultural machines, put in operation
during the last few years, do the work of
more than 100000 agricultural laborers,
and do it quicker, better, and cheaper than
they could. 1t is difficult TO make any es-
Innate even proximately accurate, in respect
to machinery otherwise employed. It is
reasonably computed, however, that the
steam engines alone, now in use in Ohio,
perform labor equal in quantity to that of
more than half million men, and better
in quantity, as well as cheaper in cost.
The forces of nature thus engaged to
the service Of man, through the instrument
tally of machinery, augment the means Of
exisfenee. comfort and enjoyment in Ohio