Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1859-01-13

HOlI. y. - f-s si.nc{
Governors Message.
FaQow Citizens Of the Senate .8sdso -
and Of the House Of ofReprescntat;ves:
:. At the commencement of your regular
session o year ago, ! transmitted to you in
obedience TO The Constitution, a full expo
sition Of the general condition ofthe State,
together, with such recommendations in
respect to legislation as public good seem
ed to me to require.
In that communication l endeavored TO
setina clear light the industrial progress,
the material resources and the financial
strength of cur great commonwealth. 1t
seems not inappropriate, now, before pro-
ceeding TO more special statements and par
ticular suggestions, to.suba,it TO you some
general views of our social condition, as af
.fected BY other elements than those to
which l then invited your attention. 40
= Seventy-oDe years ago what is now Ohio
was unhroken wilderness. Seventy years
ago the work of American civilization with
in her limits vas just begun by the settle
ments of Marietta and Cincinnati. Fifty
fours she became State OF the American
Union. Her subsequent social progress
has been a sublime triumph. To-day a
powerful commonwealth, numbering nearly
two millions and a. half Of people. exists
upon her soil, with unsurpassed energies,
resources, agencies of development, and
mean of happiness. From the emiuence
already reached, We survey, with confident
reliance upon the favor of Divine Provi-
dence and the inspiration Of Free Institu-
tious, the hotter heights set to be attain
O Prominent among the elements which
determine social condition, is. the numeri-
cal advance or decline of population. The
rate and character of this movement, in
athe absence Of a census, must be gathered
from the number of marriages; of births !;
Of deaths; of immigrants, and of new bab
sjtatious. : For ascertaining the number of
these with reasonable certainty, sufficient
means are supplied by State and Federal
Legislation. According to the estimates of
the Commissioner of Statistics, the mar
riages in Ohio during 1858 were 24,000;
the deaths $4,000; the births 90, 600; the
paturalizaiious 5000; the new structures
10000. The increase by births, according
70 this estimate, is $4,000 annually, and
the yearly immigration from foreign coun-
tries and other States is estimated 10 ex-
eeed to exceed the yearly emigration by
10000; giving an aggregate increase of
$4,000 annually, or 44O, 900 in eight years.
The new structures, allowing six persons
for, each, indicate nearly the same rate of
progress. The population of Ohio in $50
was 1,9so,329, and is now, if the est
mate just referred TO, be correct, 2,42O,32
The foremost concern of an intelligent
and prosperous people is Public Instruc-
tion. The mind of every community is
the motive power of its advancement; and
the measure of its education is practically
the measure Of production and Of all sub
stantial progress. In Ohio the Constitu-
tiou'~isely requires the General Assembly
to secure thorough and rfficie tsystem
Of Common Schools throughout the Stale.
The homer of the first act, in fulfllment Of
the duty thus enjoined, belongs to the
Legislature of 1929. That Legislature
ire-organized common, school education in
Ohio. 1t does not at all detract 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 Superintendent and the State
.Teaehers' Association, to prepare the way
for Che comprehensive and benefcient mea-
sure then adopted, under which The Com
mon Schools Of Ohio have attained their
present state of excellence and usefulness.
q A brief comparison between the eondi-
ton Of our Common Schools the year be-
fore this enactment and the present time,
will illustrate in some degree, its happy ef-
fects. go
'sh The number Of Common Schools in $50
was 5,es4; in 1858, 1880; the number
of youth over five years Of age ander
.tweuty-one enumerated in 1853 was 806,-
1872; and in 1858, s43,s4o; the youth
enrolled as attending school in 1853, were
i35e,417 in 1858, 6O9,343, the average
number in daily attendance ia 1853 was
T27i, 1876; in 1858, 355,s63; the, number
of teachers employed in 1858 was Il, ,564 !;
in 1858, 1888; the amount paid teach
ers in 1858 was. SS00,l45 90; in 1858,
'4I,975,s32; the number Of school houses
in 1853 was 6,s50; in 1858, 10, ,497; the
value Of school houses in 1853 was esti-
mated at 81, ,000, 900; in 1858, at $685.
400. ~ u -'' .n'
These figures exhibit a gratifying pro-
sgrees; but they by no means furnish a
complete view of our educational condi-
ton. esz===-z-~-'1 -'17==z.z'-s.-- !
There has been constant and rapid
progress which figures cannot measure
The character and condition of our school
houses and school rooms has been greatly
beltered; the standard Of qualification for
teachers advanced; the methods of teach-
ing improved; the range and scope of in
struction enlarged; and the results, in ac-
QUESTION and capacity, largely augmented.
a great educational work is prosecuted,
also, outside of the Common Schools. The
Colleges and female Seminaries in, the
State, send forth yearly numerous young
men and women who take up and carry
forward, sin ats various departments, the
work of moal social and political i'm
pproyement. During the year | attended
the Commencsments of as many of the
Colleges as was practicable, and was graft
fed to observe the marked ability and
proecieucy dispisysd bya the graduates.