The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-01-19
Gov. Yates Inaugural.

interminatle document, making five or six
long columns Of close print in the Chicago
papers, and find in it nothing SO important
as TO Justify us in loading down our col
umns with such needless mass of words
We do our new Governor full justice, we
apprehend, by laying b, fore our readers,
instead of so long and dry a paper which
they would never read, the following ex-
celcnt abrdgement of his speech, which
we find in the Chicago Post:
Gov YATES begins, as Gov WooD did be-
! fore him, with a feeling and eloquent allu-
! sion to the late Gov. BlssELIr whose public
. life all respected, and whose memory all
/ cherish with much fondness. Theu he
proceeds to dilate on the general property
and rapid advance of the State and he
draws the following satisfactory picture:
Her growth has not been by any ordi-
nary process, but, setting all example at
defiance, she has marched forward with
bound to the proud position of the fourth
State in the Union, and now, imperial
wealth, power and position, beyond the
possibility Of recall or change, are hers and
hers forever. In the space of five years
only our population has advanced from
,3OG,J1 20 ,1l9, 1876. a commonwealth
OF fewer years than he who now addresses
you, now numbers q population more than
half as large as that of all the colonies
when they entered upon the revolutionary
struggle with Great Britain. She counts
her wealth by the hundred millions. She
counts among her citizens four hundred
thousand who can bear arme; and more
than double that number of children at
tend her free schools.
,,;ot,re loCt-- l.:o o,l raorS,,rae
hope, when contrastcd, as the address does
contrast it, with the picture Of restitution
and gloom that the State presented in
some of the earlier years OF its history
There has been time when our State was
in debt seventeen millions OF dollars, when
the domestic treasury was III arrear Tor the
ordinary expenses OF the Government three
hundred and thirteen thousand dollars,
when auditors warrants sold at htty cents
to the dollar, and when not one dollar was
in the treasury even to pay postage to and
from the public offices. Between those
times of sad depression and the times that
now are onrs, there is indeed a wide diff
ference We have learned wisdom from
experience. Our legislation has gradually
improved; but, above all, our rich and eX-
laustless soil has never ceased 10 yield
richest rewards TO the husbandman, and
our broad lands have been settled by
population that, for general intelligence,
sobriety and industry, is nowhere excel
led
GOV YATES makes some most gratifying
remarks on the subject of the railroads OF
the State, and the condition Of In csc great
enterprises. He says;
In ISL, the State had only % miles Of
railroad; now she had completed and in
successful operation $500 m!les-more
Z.
TEN which iii 80. was ridiculed as the
mamoUth spstem. In the progress of
railroad construction, the State has been
peculiarly favored by her geographical po-
sition. i; IS a central power III the North
west, and the general highway OF national
travel. 1t has been the crossing ground
over which the commercial emporiums OF
/. the East, In sending out their non arms to
the four quarters Of the continent, have
found their way 10 the Mississippi! 10 Lake
= Michigan. ara 10 the heart OF OF the North
west. New \ ok and Boston, establishing
their pioneer routs along the shores Of the
Lakes found their way across oar northern
borders Philadelphia found her route
upon the parallel OF forty de .rees through
the interior Of our State. and Baltimore, in
: her long reach TO II. Louis, tgayerces our
, extreme Southern border; and now with
almost LumtoTic-s roads tgaVvr-ing the
State In every direction. developing the IL
I limitab!e fertility OF orr immense area and
= clothing our prairies with fair cultivated
fields, and gardens and orchards, and
rising cities and villages, who shall predict
the future agricultural wealth. or assign
. limits to the grand destiny Of the State u
@ ! Iilinais2'
). Hederotes considerable space to a notice
OF the State agricultural Society, and dc
c!ares that the fostering hand of the lie
:, gis!ature should be continued in hehalf oil
2 I society which observation and experience
f have shown to Ice one Of the most etiactivc
= agencies III developing the agricultural re
sources. and the mechanical industry o.
I the State
t \ Timely and cyeditaLIe aliusion is made
I 70 the State benevolent institutions. The
+ Governor urges wise and discriminating
economy; but he recommends that they bl
dealt literally by, q they are an honor tC
a our people, and as they have, in all respects
= answered tie high ends Of influence FOL
@ which they were established. lie repeat:
!, the recomepdation. originally made by
GOV. BISsEII, for an appropriation for ;
5 schoo! Tor the training OF idiots.
In reference TO . uew division of The
State into senatorial and representative
districts, the Governor recommends thai
" sum ti'-tA - IL TX si4 is4Sti WIN stiiSt
est reference TO the CONVENIENCE Of tht
s people. and the natural geography of tn,
y State consulting the coriiguitv and adap:
/ alton of counties, most fairly to, re
- feet the popular wills, without regard t
the success Of this or that party"
o He makes the following mention of The
5 STATE lands:
e The State owns several tracts of land
= known as seminary lands. Several thou
: sand acres OF those lands are now in Cool
: county, now i'll occupation of German
o families, who have been in possession O
t them ten or fifteen years, and not know
: Tag the exact position Of those lands, they
have made extensive improvements OF
o the same Tie lands ought to be 5rough
l. into market. giving the occupants some
r. kind of presumption right, nrovidi-g the,
is pay fair price for the same. am in
formed that such measure would greatl,
~" relieve a large number Of worthy families
W while the interest of the State, it is be
Al lieved would not suffer thereby.
p. OF common school education, he re
marks that the system, as whole work
i well, and advises that no alterations il
g. the present law be attempted until fur
ther experience shall have developed it
defects. The Normal University is favor
ably noticed. Some intelligent observa
st tons follow upon the general subject O
IS education, and upon the subject of schoo
architecture On kindred subject t.
. that of education, that of the Chicag
u Historical Society, the address has som
~ hints, and a recommendation that the Sc
n cretary OF State be required by law to fui
~ nish this society one hundred copies of al
" documents printed by each General As
IL sembiy, Tor the purpose of exchange wit
". ether societies for similar document: