Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-01-13
GOVERNOR DENEIsONS' IEAuGU-
RAJ Address.

appear before yon TO take the oat0,
which the Constitution rrescribes. az a
necessary qualification to perform the
duties of the chief Executive Office of our
State, to which ! have been called; and
| avail myself Of the occasion now pre-
scented, to express my grateful thanks to
my fellow citizens. for the favor with
which they have Seen pleased to look to-
ward me. aud in compliance with a usage
sanctioned by the example OF my p:ede-
eessers. to declare. briefly. the principles
that will guide me in the discharge Of
my official trust.
My Immediate predecessor has COM
municated to you the condition of the
State, with tho eminent ability and fidel-
ity that have characterize all Of his off
cial acts.
I may well congratulate yon npon the
gratifying evidences he has furnished of
the growth and greatness of our State
The history of no other political commu-
nifty has been marked by a more wonder
full progress in all the elements Of a ben
Efficient civilization. Oui conditions is at
ncs prosperous, commanding, and hap
Py.
Little o than half a century has
elapsed since we passed from a Terrific
rial to a State government. The number
of our inhabitants did not at that time
exceed fifty thousand. The State was
an almost unbroken wilderness. What
have we not accomplished since?
We have created and reared up civil
Institutions, and monuments of public
spirit and social enterprise, which in 9th
or countries have been the work of centu-
Ties. Our population has increased fifty
fold, and we rank among the first States
of the Union in wealth aud dignity and
power.
We have cleared the Forest from many
millions of acres, reclaimed the soil from
the dominion of naturc, and subjected ii
TO such a course of profitable hustandry
ms to supply an annual surplus of aSri-
cultural products Of not less than fifty
millions OF dollars in valne. We have
erected numerous and wealthy towns and
cities and opened excellent ~thoroushfares
in nearly every part of the State. When
almost in our infancy, comparatively
peor, and with an untrird credit, we pio-
ieete6 and speedily completed the con
Etruction of our extensive system of ran
ais, and slackwater navigation in our in
terror river, at a cost of over fifteen mill
lena Of dollars. We have built, almost
e~ati-cly by private capital, more than
three thousand miles in length OF railroad
at @ cost OF over enc hundred millions OF
dollars, which have greatly augmented
the pahlic wealth, largely contributed to
equalizing the valne Of lands in the diff
erent parts of the State, aai vigorously
encouraged the Development OF nearly ev-
cry branch OF .seful employment. We
have invested largely ana proftably in
mines and mining. and in manufactures,
all Of which branches OF industry give
promise of such a steadily increasing
prosperity, "a will permanently preserve
to Ohio her place in the IRON rank of the
mining and manufacturing States Of the
Union. Our commercial anil navigation
Interests have kept equal pace with our
agricultural, mining aud manufacturing
We have done more. We have alop-
ted q vigilant and humane confinement
and discipline for The vicious; have eIee-
ted asylums for the unfortunate which
challenge the admiration of the world;
have endowed colleges and universities
nunerously and literally. and organized
. system of schools for educating the
youth of the State, which is justly ON
greatest pride.
Such are ON of onr triumphs. To
what causes are we.> under the favor al
Providence, chiefly indebted to them?
Our geographical position, giving to
us a mild and healthy climate. equally
removed from the severe cold OF the
North, and the intense hest of the South
and peculiarly adapted to vigorous labor
in every form; the diversified character
Of the surface of the State, divided into
uplandS and lowlands. hill ranges. and
intervening valleys, heavily timhere'
tracts and naked prsiries, which aitern-
ate in a manner the most favorable fol
the productive interests of life; the ex-
tent and unsurpassed fertility of our soil
yielding in perfection. nearly all the ag-
ricultural staples the most valued by
civilized communities; our exhaustless
mineral treasures, and natural facilities
for commerce and navigation, which by
the genius and enterprise of the people
have been SO beautifully tributary to on
wealth and power-have been SO potent
and indispensable agencies in the produc
tion of our marvellous growth. as net t.
be overlooked in however summary a re
view of it's causes.
But as inviting as they have been te
labor and capital aud their multipliet
auxiliaries, they would nave been com
paratively Intellectual in populating and
enriching our State, and in securing te
as the social advantages for which W.
are so cminently distinguished. but fol
the moral assistants afforded in the wise
provisions of the organic act. under
whose benign auspices the foundations
of our territorial organization were laid
and which incorporated into our State
Constitutions as fundamental principl ii
OF government, have been most effective
in moulding our institutions. and. by
furnishing the chart, in directing tn,
progress of our legislation.
Il was appropriate that the ordinance
of 1887 should nave been tn last. as i
was the browning. gift of the Congress o
the old Confederation to the country
Nobly did It's trainers illustrate, IN it
matchiess provisions for guarding tn
rights and promoting the happiness o
the people, their sagacious forecast ant
exalted patriotism.
1t established the fundamental princi
pies of civil and religions liberty as tn,
governments; provided for the freedom
of person under tho protection of the ha
bsas corpus and trial by juries to be i'm
partially selected; made the encourage
ment of schools and advancing tn,
means of education a high and bind
ing duty Of government, on the plair
reason that religion, morality and knowl
edge are necessary to good government
and the happiness of mankind j; estab