The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-18
Feito,O- Citizens of the Senate,
find House of ReDyesentatiyt

/ s" AAo"Se " RePFeSentdttUeS: :
appear hefore Jou to take the oath. which
the Consultation prescribss, as a necessary
qualification to perform the duties of the chief
Executive Office of our State, to which 7 have
been called and I avail myself of the occa.
sion now presented, to express my grateful
thanks to my fellow citizens, for the favor with
which they have heen pleased to look toward
me, and in compliance with usage sanctioned
by the example of my predecessors, to declare,
briefly, the principles that will guide me in
| the discharge of my official trust -
4 My Immediate predecessor has commnni.
Gated to you the condition of the State, with
the eminent ability and fidelity that have
characterized all of bis official acts ~
] l may well congratulate you upon the graf
flying evidences be has furnished of the growth
and greatness of cur State. The history of
no other political community has been marked
by more wonderful progress in all the ele.
ments of benefcent civilization. Our con.
ditiou is at once prosperous commanding, and
happy. .sg9a 1sa 4oil,i saa. T.
Little more than half a century has ELAPSED
since we passe from a territorial to a State
government. The number of our Inhabitants
did not at that time exceed City thousand
the State was an almost unbroken wilderness.
We have created and reared up civil insti.
tutions, and monuments of public spirit and
social enterprise which in other countries have
been the work of centuries. Oar population
has increased fifty fold, and we rank among
the 6rst States of the Union in wealth, and
dignity, and power. g. -.
We have cleared the forest from. many mil
lienR OF acres, reclaimed the soil from the do.
minion of nature, and subjected it to such a
course of psoftable husbandry 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, ahd opened excellent thoroughfares
in nearly every part of the State. When al,
most in our infancy. comparatively poor, and
with an untried credit, we projected and speed,
lily completed the construction of our exten.
sive system of canals, and slackwater naviga.
tionsih our interior rivers, at q cost of over
fifteen millions of dollars. We have built al.
most entirely by private capital. more than
three thousand miles in length of railroads, at
a cost of over one hundred millions of dollars
which have greatly augmented the public
wealth largely contributed to equalizing the
value of lands in the different parts of the
State, and vigorously encouraged the devel
opement of nearly every branch of useful EN-.
ploSment. We have invested largely and
proftably in mines and mining, and in mann.
features, all of which branches of industry
give promise of such steadily increasing
prosperity as will permanently preserve to
Ohio her place in the front rank of the mining
and manufacturing States of the Union. Oar
commercial and navigation interests have kept
equal pace with our agricultural, mining and
manufacturing.
% VVo bava daoa Uy - =
vigilant and humane confinement and disci
PUNE for the vicious have erected asylums
for the unfortunate which challenge the ad.
miration of the world; lave endowed colleges
and universities numereusly and liberally. and
organized system of schools for educating
the youth of the State, which is Justly our
greatest pride. a4 80 .o ,-,-..s
Such are some of our triumphs To what
causes are We, under the favor Of Provideuce.
chiefly indebted for them 7 sae@ q ts''
Our geographical position, giving to rs
mild and healthy Climate, equally removed
from the severe cold of the North, and the in
tense heat ofathe South, and peculiarly adapt
ed to vigorous labor in every form; the diver
slhed character of the surface of the State.
divided into uplands and lowaDds, hill-ranges,
and intervening valleys. heavily timbered tracts
and naked praries. which alternate in a man.
per the most favorable for the productive in.
terests of life the extent and unsurpassed
fertility of our soil, yielding in perfection,
nearly all the agricultural staples the most val.
ued by civilized communities ourexhaustless
mineral treasures and natural facilities for
commerce and navigation, which by the genius
and enterprise of the people have been 90
bountifully tributary to our wealth and power
--haVe been SO potent and indispensable agen.
eies in the production of our marvellous growth
as not to be overlooked in however summary
q review of its causes
But asiinviting as they have been to labor
and capital and their multiplied auxiIiaries.
they would have been comparatively inefec.
tual in populatiug and enriching our State,
and in securing to rs the social advantages
ior which we are so eminently distinguished.
out tor the moral assistants afforded in the
WISE provisions of the organic act, under whose
oenign auspices the foundations Of our terri.
torial Organization were laid, and which incor.
porated into our State Constitution as funda.
mental principles of governments have been
most effective in moulding our iustitutions.
and oy furnishing the chart, in directing the
pregress OF our legislation
1t was appropriate that the ordinances of