The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-13
= Governors Message.


AT the coInmencement1 Of your regular
session yesr sRo, 4 transmitted TO you in
obedience 10 the fonsiiiution, afulI exposi-
tion Of the general condition Of the State, to-
Vethef with such Recommendation in re-
spectl to legislation, as the public good seem.
ed to me 10 require. l.Is .e~
nn In that atacommunicaiiou endeavored to set
in = clear light The industrial progress, the
material resources and the financial strength
Of our great commonwealth. II seems not
inapprOpFiate, now, before proceeding to
more special statements and particular sug-
Restions, to submit to you some general views
of our social condition, as affected BY other
elements lhnn those to which then invited
your attention.
SOCIAL CONDITION.
Seventy.one years sgo what 10 now Ohio
was unbroken wilderness. Seventy years
Ggo the work Of American civilization within
her limits was just begun by the settlements
at Marietta and Cincinnati. Tny-four years
sgo che became State Of the American
Union. Her subsequent social progress has
been sublime triumph. To day power.
fnl commonwealth, numbering nearly two
millions and q hall Of people, exats upon her
soil with unsurpassed energies, resources,
agencies Of development, aud means of hap.
piness. From the emiaence already reach.
ed wesufvey, with confident reliance upon
the favor OF Divine Providence and the in.
spirntion OF Free lbstilutions, the lof.ier
heightsyet to be attained.
Prominent among the elements which de-
termine sociul condition. Is the numerical ad
vance or decline. .oI population. The rate and
character OF this NOV vtsnent, in the absence
ofsa ceneus. must be gathered from the mum.
ber Of marringef, Of births, OF deaihs OF i'm.
migrants, Of emigrants md OF new hubita.
lions: For ascertnining the number of these
with reasonable certainty, sufficient means
sre essuPpliet BY State and Federal legIsla.
iion. According to the estimates OF the Com
missioner OF St"tis,rs, the M mnrriagrs in Ohiu
during 1858 wer" 2IGOO; the deaths 40 O0oi
the blrths 80 coo; the nniuralizatuus b 600;
the new structures ~ coo. The increase by
births, according o this estimate, is 80 900
annually, and tie yesriy Immigration from
foreign countries nnd uth"r States ID esti.
mr''i''o rxterd the yerriy emigration by
~ Ou0; %iting an hGg'rg te increase OF 55,'
OG0 an, uhiIy, "r 440 600 in eight yeats.
rlhe new structures, uiluwing six persons
Y for each, indcste nearly the same r1'" oI
pr'gr Sc. The population ol Ohio in 1850
va. $40 329, and is nuw, il the s;inate,
just ,."erled TO. be correct, 2, ,420, ,329.
The Iur mort c,nc,rn Ut Oh iutrlIigen,
hnpF'sp.r' us 4" opIe Pnhic Instruction.
/ b, lninI ot every mnuh!y ,a the motive
w'"ei o. ite aGvhnte mFIi; ard the measure
oi is Gu atun IL prnslIcnlly thr measure vi
~ GGErt'Cn IA d Ui ell eubrtautial prugress.--
VI H. Uhlo,Ib Constitution wisely requires the
Grhrcl A stmby to secure thorough aid
{ al. ieni eyti, mo CunInon Scho j. through
.u' ,hr Stntr. The hun,r ., the ire, .ct N
fu1 llment ol the duty thus e' joined, b-.
longs to the Legislature OF 1923. Tha,
Legs lsture re-organlzed Common Scnuu
Education in Ohiu. 1t Goes not ut all de.
H CT from the Outy justly due to-it, tu shy
that much hud been dLne by previous irgIs
| ton ond l. tclligent and 70 luus l.bors U!
the fret State superintendent und the State
teachers Asso' laiIun, to prepare the'way Tor
the culnpr, hcnsive aud benrticehl measures
thtn Ad pied euu under ~h. h the Common
kchouls u Ohio have attained their present
stnte Oi excellence aud usefulness,
A breI comparison between the condition
Of our Common School, the year before this
enactment and at the present time, will il
lustrate, III some degree lts, happy effects.
EDrc- -TIoNAL.
The number OF Common Schools in 1853
was &, ,VeA; in 1858. l2.5OO the number o
youths over Eve years oi age and under TWEEN
ly-one enumerateJ III 1853 was 500, 7S2 ; in
1858, 3,s40; the youth enrolled as attend
ing school in 1853, 35s,4I7 in 1858, 6O9,
3l3; the average number in daily attendance
In 1859 was 27l, ,l9G (; in 1858, 355, ,063 !; the
humber OF teSchers employed in 1868 wal
1864; in 1853, 1888; the amount paid tC
teschera in 1853 was $500, 1850; in 1858
SI,975,832; the number OF school houses in
1859 was $3.50; in 1853, l0.497; the value
Uf school houses in 1868 was estimated al
&2OOO,U0O; 10 1858, at SO. 1885, ,420.
These figures exhibit a gratifying progress
but they by no means furnish a complete
view OF our educational condition.
There has been constant and rapid pro-
greSs which figures cannot measure. The
character aEd condition OF our school houses
end school rooms has been greatly bettered
tkes.tandurd OF qualification Tor teachers ad
vanced; the methods Of teaching improved
the range and scope Of instrut tion enlarged
and the resuts, in acquisition and capacity
largely augmented. "
A great educational work is prosecuted
also, outside OF the Common Schools. The
- Colleges and F. male SeninarieS in the State
send forth yearly mum rous young men aud
wtmen 10 take up and carry forward, in itt
various departments, the work Of moral, So
cial and political Improvement. During the
past year Intended the COmmencements oil
D % muny OF the Colleges 40 WINS practicable
end was gratltied tO observe the marked abil
ity and proficiency Displayed by the gradu
Atts. s.. .S .'E -
|. is to be regretted that the requirements
for admission and the course OF instruction
+, vary 80 greatly in these colleges end semi
nsries; SDd would suggest the expediency
OF establishing by law some classification o
these institutions, and come edncationG
standards to which universities, colleges anC
seminaries shall be required respectively t.
conform, in the sdmissiUn, instruction ant
graduation OF students, az conditions OF in
corporation. ,,l. , u.a
Besides these colleges and semlnaries
there are many schools, corresponding in
general character with our commoD schools
but sustsias4 by denoninationAi or private
resources, III which large hu.aber Ol youths
receive inssrOction. ,st
regret that / have no means Of ascertain
ing the Number OF these various educatiUna
instisutions, the number OF their teachers
students Or pupils; or their schemes OF in'
struelion; Ur their results; and i respectiul
ly suggest the expediency Of such Legislation