Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-01-10
Inaugural Address
4 WILLIAM NDENNIsON.
GOVERNOR OF OHIO:
DELIVERED Before ne Senate Gnd House Of Rep.
A. ressntatisss, Jaauay Q. 1860.
ILLow cITiEFNs OF TaE SENRTE
AND HousE oF REPREsANrAT1yl


have been pleased to look toward me, and In
compliance with a usage sanctioned by the ex
ample Of my predecessors, to declare. briefly,
the principles that will guide me in the dis
charge Of my official trust.
NJ immediate predecessor has communicated
to you the condition Of the State, with the emf
nent ability aud fidelity that have characterized
all Of his official acts.
may well congratulate you upon the graft
flying evidences he has furnished Of the growth
and greatness Of our State The history of no
other political community has been marked by
a more wonderful progress in all the elements
Of beneAcient civilization. Our condition is
at once prosperous, Commanding, and happy.
Little more than half a century has elapsed
since we passed from a territorial 10 q 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 cgeate1 and reared up civil institu-
tions, and monuments Of public spirit and social
enterprise, which in other countries have been
the work Of centuries Our population has in-
creased fifty fold, and we rank among the first
States Of tho Union in wealth, and dignity, and
power.
We have cleared the forest from many mil
lions of acres, reclaimed the soil from tlIs do.
minion Of nature, and subjected il to s1ch a
course Of profitable husbsndry as to supply an
annual surplus of agricultural products OF not
less than fifty millions Of dollars in value. We
have erected numerous and wealthy towns and
cities, and opened excellent thoroughfares in
nearly every part of the State When almost
in our infancy, comparatively poor, and vFith an
untried credit, we projected and speedily COM
pleted the construction Of our extensive system
Of canals, and slack water navigation in our
interior rivers, at cost Of over fifteen millions
Of dollars We have built, almost entirely by
private capital, more than three thousand miles
in length Of railroads, ct cost Of over one hun
dred millions Of dollars, which have greatly
augmented the Lublic wealth, largely contribus
ted to equalizing the value Of lands in the diff
/ ferent parts of the State, and vigorously en-
eouraged the development Ofnearly every branch
Of useful employment. We have invested
largely and prOfitably in mines and mining, and
| in manufactures, all of which branches of in
dustrY give promise of such a steadily insress-
ling prosperity, as will permanently preserve to
Ohio her place in the front rank of the mining
and manufacturing States Of the Union. Our
commercial and navigation interests have kept
equal pace with our agricultural, mining and
manufacturing.
We have done more. We have adopted a
vigilant and humane confinement and discipline
for the vicious; have erected asylums for the
unfortunate which challenge the admiration of
the world; have endowed colleges and univer~
4 sites numerously and literally. and organized a
system of schools for educating the youth of
the State, which is justly our greatest pride.
Such are some of our Liriumphs. To what
causes are we, under the favor of Providence,
chiefly indebted for theml rs q
Our geographical position, giving to US mild
and healthy climate, equally removed from the
severe cold of the North, and the intense beat
of the South, and peculiarly adapted to vigo-
rOus labor in every form; the diversified cha
racter Of the surface Of the State, divided into
uplands and lowlands, hill ranges, and interve-
ming valleys, heavily timbered tracts and naked
praiTies, which alternate in manner the most
favorable for the productive interests of life;
the extent and unsurpassed fertility of our soil,
lyiedng in perfection, nearly all the agricultural
staples the most valued by civilized communi-
ties; our exhaustless mineral treasures, and
natural facilities for commerce and navigation,
which by the genius and enterprise Of the peo-
pie have been so beautifully tributary to our
wealth and power-have been so potent and
Indispensable agencies in the production of our
marvellous growth, as not to be overlooked in
however summary review Of its causes,
But as inviting as they have been to labor
and capital and their multiplied auxiGaries, they
would have been comparatively Intellectual in
lpopulating and enriching our State, and in Sc
curing to Us the social advantages for which We
are SO eminently distinguished, but for 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 Constitution as fundamental principles Of
| government, have been most effective in mould
ING our Institutions, and by furnishing the
chart, in directing the progress Of our legisla-
ton.
1t was appropriate that the ordinance Of
1887 should have been the last, as it was the
browning gift, Of the Congress of the old con-
federation to the country. NObly did its
trainers illustrate, in its matchless provisions
for guarding the rights and promoting the hap.
lPineEs Of the people, their sagaciOus forecast
and exalted patriotism.
It established the fundamental principles Of
civil and religious liberty the basis Of all our
laws, constitutions and governments; provided
for the freedom of person under the protection
of the habeas corpus and trial by juries to be
impartialIy selected made the encouragement
of schools and advancing the means of educa.
ton high and binding duty of government, on
the plain reason, that religion, morality and
knowledge, are necessary to good government
and to the happiness of mankind; established
the inyioability Of contracts, and the security
of private property; prevented the lingering
remnants Of feudality from taking root in oui
soil, ard proclaimed, and defended the rights
of labor, and of humanity by forever excluding
slavery from the territory.
To these noble principles the people Of Ohio
have ever been true. Our legislation has never
been marred by prescription for religious Opin
ions, nor any political privilege denied because
of the birthplace of the citizen. The inViola'
bility Of the person of the inhabitants has beer
always defended, and the habeas corpus and
trial by jury, maintained as the bulwarks o.
personal liberty. In the faithful observance o.
her contracts, the State has furnished an ex
ample OF the sacred regard in which ali obliga.
tions should be held by the citizen, while by
refusing, under the most solemn sanctions, to
/ appropriate private property to her use without
lmsking just compensation in money to the
owner, she illustrates her wise purpose of pro-
teeting the property rights Of the ctiEen
against whatever invasion to his pecuniary
damage.
The pledge of the ordinance on the subject
Of education has been faithfully redeemed. II
4 was made a part of the Constitution Of 1902
and is repeated in the Constitution of 1850.
In 1926, the corner stone of our free school
system was laid. One thirty-sixth part Of the
soil of the State had been consecrsted by Con-
gress forever 10 its support. Although this
mUnihcent fund may not have been altogether
judiciously managed, it has yet been nobly in
strumental in the diffusion of learning, moi
merely primary, but comparatively liberal
among the youth of the State, and, aided by
the pledge in our Constitution, which cannOi
doubt will Be faithfully observed, requiring
"the General Assembly to make such proVis
ions by taxation or otherwise, as with the in
come arising from the school trust fund viii
secure thorough and efficient system of com.
mon schools throughout the State,H she future
history Of our State will be adorned bV even