Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1861-12-11

ent time that we deplore and could wisl
were otherwise, yet are there not very
many things for which to he thankful
And may VIC not say with the Psalmist-
{" If l should count them they are more ii
number than the sand. Psalm l39, l S rr
lst. Let US look at the blessings ",
have individually enjoyed during the pas
year. Our lives have been spared and ouI
healths have been continued unto Us; II
fearful epidemic has sweTt over our com
muuity; q general time Of health has pre-
vailed. 50 that We can say that the mum.
bcr of deaths, compared to our thick ypoP
uiated country, has been small. truly.
God is good to US. let US therefore thank
him for life and health.
81. In the second place, We observe that
our civil and religious liberties arc contin-
ued unto US as a State, and with few ex,
( ceptions) as a nation.
And just here allow me to submit the
following propositions: Do We fully and
pro- erly appreciate the blessings Of rc.igi'
Gus liberty? Aud secondly. Is not our uu-
paralleled growth and prosperity as a ra-
tion attributable, to some extent, to this
fact?
In this country. and uuler this govern
mcnt, every man can worship God accord
ing to thc dictates Of his own conscience,
whether he be Christian or Pagan, jew OF
Mahommcdan. Ii is 4 fact worthy Of rc-
mark, that the first settlement Of this c3uu-
try was, to a very great extent, connected
with an unaying love FIR religious freedom.
Men, who being refused the liberty Of w,r-
shipping God in the form which their cJn-
sciences dictated in their own land, reso-
lutely severed the ties which bound them
to a sbeloved, though oppressed, country
and traversing q vast ocean, entered land
inhabited by savages, encountering every
pegil, laid the foundation Of mighty En-
pire in the West Choosing rather to suf-
fer all the trials and hardships to be met
with in the wilderness of America, with re-
ligious liberty, than to live under religious
despotism at home.
Sd. In the third place. should we not be
thankful for, and highly prize our educa-
tional advantages? Our Free School Sys-
TEN Is not elualled by any other in the
world, and truly may it be called one Of
the strong c0rner-stcnes on which rests the
perpetuity of our glorious Republic 1t
has been clearly demonstrated by practical
experience, for many years, that the strong
est and most prosperous nations IN the world,
are where the masses are educated literally.
Our country is literally filled with cduca-
tiOnal facilities which are open to all, and
If any are ignorant the only reason 70 be
assigned for 1t, is they are too indolent to
learn. Look at the hundreds of thousands
of District Schools scattered over our wide
spread country, besides our numerous A.
cadcmies and Colleges. We may form some
idea Of the rapid growth Of our country,
and of her educational resources, by the
Of a single State; take for in-
stance, our own Ohio. 1t has been but a
few years since the territory embraced with
IN tie limit OF this State was an unbrOkcn
occupied solely by the red
man Of the forest" No longer ago than
1890, there were not three thousand white
in what is now Ohio. In 1850,
just sixty years from that time, the pop
ulation had increased to over two million.
Although the early settlers had many diff
cu.,ic5 and hardships to encounter IN their
new homes, nevertheless they did not over
look the duty Of making provisions for the
education Of their children, and of laying
the foundation Of our Free
School enterprise. Among the first things
done, was TO build 4 log school house, which,
i'll those days, was used for the triple pur-
pose OF school house, meeting house and
town hall; here tle children were educa-
ted. here fathers and mothers weht to meet
ing to worship God. which they did with
as much sincerity as we DO now, perhaps,
il cur magnificent churches with cushioned
seats AID mammoth organs; ana here. also,
the people mot and held thei, elections,
Town meeting &c.
these were small beginnings, 1t is true,
but they have resulted in great things, as
the figures viii shcw. Ii 1850, Ohio had
1929 District Schools, employing 1902
teachers, at IN annull expense OF $685.
l2l -, for common school purposes alone,
besides ! long list of Academies, Colleges
and private, or boarding s-hools, which al
together are imparting instruction to an
army of children and youths, larger by
many thousands than the army now in the
United States service.
There arc also $3.50 meeting houses in ,
the State, sufficient to seat l. I.447,GJz per
sons. There is hardly a town but has
from two to four churches, anl some can
even boast Of a score or more, so that there
is no lack Of intellectual or moral iustruc-
hon among Us. Truly J We can say with the
rsalmjst: The lines arc fallen unto US
in pleasant places, yea, We have 4 goodly
heritage
Again, have We not abundant cause for
for the abundant harvest that
our land has yielded 70 Us this season, not I
the drouth and the grasshopper
ravagc, which did seriously threaten our
crops at one time, and may have done some
damage in certain localities, but after al, .
We have come out much better than We ex-
pccted Taking the whole country to-
gcthcr, think it can &c truthfully said /
llat the husbanIman has been most liber-
ally rewarded for Lis toll. as much 50 this
year as any for q number Of years past, +
lud it has been long time since the for
,ign demand for our produce has been as
great as it Is at Ills time 1t is said that
England, ireland, and France, VIII need /
,ne hundred ard fly millions Of bushels
Of grain 70 supply tbeir wants this year,
aud it Is thought that We shall be able to
furnish them with all they want and have
enough LEFT for home consumption and to
feed our armies besides.
Again, IS not the continuance Of our
government and political economy (thc
.rccst and best il the world a very great
cause for thaIklulEcss was there ever q (
under which the PEOPLE throye
more rapidly. or cui5ye,i more privileges.