The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-01-13
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
FeUo,o- Citizens Of the Senate and

W '''" aA|N.o' VI Ah' |'f COT hfh'to s
At the commencement of your regu-
lar session a year ago, I transmitted
TO you, in obedience to the Constitu-
ton, a full exposition of the condition
Of the State, together with such recon-
mendations in respect to legislation, as
the public good seemed to me to require.
In that communication I endeavored
TO set in n clear light the industrial pro-
gress, the material resources and the
fnancialstrength Of our great common
wealth Tt seems not inappropriate,
now, before proceeding to more special
statements and particular suggestions,
to submit TO you some general views
of our social condition, as affected by
other elements than those to which 7
then invited your attention.
Seventy-one years ago what is now
Ohio was unbroken wilderness. Sew
euty years ago the work Of American
civilization within her limits was just
begun by the settlements at Marietta and
Cincinnati. Fifty-four years ago she
became a State of the American Union.
Her subsequent social progress has been
a sublime triumph To-day, a power
full commonwealth, numbering nearly
two million and a half of people, exists
upon her soil, with unsurpassed energies,
resources, agencies of development, and
means of happiness. From the emil
nenco already reached, we survey, with
confident reliance upon the favor of
Divine Providence and the inspiration
of Free Institutions, the loftier heights
yet to be attained
Prominent among the elements which
determine social condition, is the numer-
ical advance or decline Of population
The rate and character of this move
ment in the absence Of census, must
be gathered from the number of mar
riages; of births; of deaths; of immi-
grants; of emigrants, and of new hab-
itatiOns. For ascertaining the number
Of these with reasonable certainty, suf-
fcient means are supplied by State and
Federal legislation. According to tho es-
Inmates of the Commissioner Of Statistics,
the marriages i'm Ohio during 1858 were
$4,000; the deaths 40, 600; the births So
600; the naturalzations 5000; the new
structures 100000 The increase by
births, according to this estimate, is
35,O 600 annually, and the yearly i'm
migration from foreign countries and
other States is estimated to exceed the
yearly emigration by 20,OOO giving an
aggregate increase Of $4,000 annually,
or 100000 in eight years The new
structures, allowing six persons for
each, indicate nearly the same rate Of
progress. The population Of Ohio .,
1850 was ,98O,329, and is now, if the
estimate, just referred to, be correct,
2,42O,329
The foremost concern Of an intelli-
gent and prosperous people is Public
instruction. The mind Of every com
munity is the motive power of its ad-
vancement; and the measure Of its edu-
cation is practically the measure Of
production and of all substantial pro-
gress In Ohio the Constitution wisely
requires the General Assembly to secure
a thorough and efficient system of Com
mon Schools throughout the State, The
honor of the first act, in fulflment of
the duty thus enioined, belongs to the
Legislature of 1928. That Legisla-
ture re-organized Common School edu-
cation in Ohio. 1t does not at all de-
tract from the honor justly due to it, to
say that much had been done by previous
legislation and by the intelligent and
Jealous labors of the first State Superin
tendent and the State Teachers Asso-
citation, to prepare the way for the COM
prehensive and benefcent measure then
adopted, under which the Common
Schools of Ohio have attained their pres
ent state Of excellence and usefulness.
A brief comparison between the con-
dition of our Common Schools the year
before this enactment and at the present
time, will illustrate, in some degree, its
happy effects
The number Of Common Schools in
1853 was 1884, in 1858, 1880; the
number of youths over five years of age
and under twenty-one, enumerated in
1858, was 8O6,782; in 1858, 843, $40;
the youth enrolled as attending school
in 1853 we're 358,417; in 1858, 609, ,343;
the average number in daily attendance
in 1853 was 271, 1856; in 1858, 1855 ,863;
the number of teachers employed in
1853 was 1861; in 1858, 1888; the
amount paid teachers in 1853 was $500,
145; in 1853, S1,975,832; the number
Of school houses in 1858 was $3.50; in
1853 1O,497; the value of school houses
in 1853 was estimated at S2,000,0 900; in
1853, at $3,846, ,42O,
These figures exhibit a gratifying
progress but they by no means furn-
ish a complete view Of our educational
condition.
There has been a constant and rapid
progress, which figures cannot measure,
The character and condition of our
school-houses and school-rooms has
been greatly bettered the standard of
qualification for teachers advanced; the
methods of teaching improved; the
range and scopeof instruction enlarg-
ed; and the results, in acquisition and
capacity, largely augmented.
A great educational work is prosecu-
ted, also, outside Of the Common Schools.
The Colleges and Female Seminaries
Of the State send forth yearly numer-
Gus young men and women 60 take up
and carry forward, in its various de-
partmeuts, the work Of moral social
and political improvement During the
mast wear l attended the Commence
an