Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-01-06
@Ottester Gully Spy.
inaugural Address
OF HIS HONOR,
d. WALDO LINCOLN.
Mayor Of the City Of Worcester,
DELIVERED AT THE CITY HALL, ON MONDAY,
JANUARY 5, 1861

JANUARY 5, 1885,
Gentlemen of the Board of Aldermen and
Gentlemen of the Common Council:
Called by the favor, or permitted by the
cheerful and willing acquiesence of so many
of our fellOw-cltizens, to assume the manage
ment of our municipal government for the
ensuing year, let us enter upon our official
duties, with determination to Justify the
confidence, and deserve the support, of
generous, intelligent, and appreciative com
munity. Our sons, and brothers, and towns
men, stand side by side, fighting the battles
of the country, surrenderng every comfort,
shedding their blood, willing to sacrifice even
their lives, that we may continue to enjoy in
peace and safety, these precious privileges of
free domestic institutions, and constitutional
government. Let their noble example inspire
U.S. Forgetting party, or remembering it only
to rise above it, let us bear in mind, that the
task OF administering this government well, is
large enough, and difficult enough to require
the aid and cooperation of all good citizens
The first thought of every individual, as
well as the most important duty of every
magistrate, at the present period, relates to
our unhappy, distracted, but still all the more
beloved country, so suffering from the selfish
ness, and folly, and wrath of man, so smtten
by the chastisements of God. Another year
has passed, and still no CLEAN of light shines
through the thick gloom which envelopes the
future, to point the way to peace and union
But, sad and disheartening as is the present
condition of things, with enormous and in
creasng debts everywhere, city, state, and
national, inevitable financial collapse or pros
traton of business, at no distant day staring
us in the face, our young men, the true wealth
OF the state, sacrificed wholly in vain the
country apparently drifting if not madly and
wilfully driven to ruin; it still becomes us to
meet the crisis like men, and not weakly des-
pair and succumb to it like children What
we have no power to prevent, let lbs at least
do what we may to remedy and make endur-
able. We have still homes to be made happy
and kept pure, business and material inter-
ests to be fostered and sustained, all the more
for the very dangers that threaten them, in
sttutions of learning and morality and relig-
ion to be cherished, city, whose continued
growth of honor and prosperity is to be Sc
cured, country, for which we cannot and
will not despair.
THE WAR.
AS in the beginning, so at each successive
call OF the president, with unquestionable I'M
hesitating loyalty, our city has contributed its
full share of men and means to aid the gov
ernment in asserting its rghtful supremacy
over the rebellious states, and in supporting
the constitution of the country and the ma
tlonality of its people. There is scarce a bat
tie field on the Potomac or on the peninsula
that has not witnessed the heroism and endur-
ance Oh our glorious 18th and 2lst regiments,
each OF them organized here, and each con-
tanning company from this city. Our own
18th, so largely composed of our townsmen,
has shown its gallantry at Roanoke and New
bern, and more recently, nobly aided by the
5lst, at Kinston and Goldsboro. The 3Ith,
now patiently dieoho-sins e4~aliy inlpor-
tant duty, waits but an opportunity to per-
form like brilliant exploits.
The whole number of volunteers furnished
by the city, exclusive of three months men, is
1920, which is our full proportion, according
to population, of an army from this state of
$4,000 men. While justly proud of the pa
triotism of our people, we have thus far,
thanks to merciful providence, experienced
comparatively little of those saddest realities
of war which have fallen so heavily upon 9TH
er communities. Much individual suffering
and woe has been endured, many most pre-
cious lives have been sacrificed, but as a COM
munity we have been wonderfully spared. Of
the whole number who have volunteered we
have the names of less than thirty of our cit-
zens who have died or been killed in the SER
vice.
The number of volunteers who have enlist
ed during the last year is between $50 and
our quota on the 18th of December last was
varously stated from So to SO, according as
credit is given or withheld for our former sur
plus. The draft, already several times post
poned, is now appointed to take place on the
8th of january, which is Thursday of the pres
ent week. The bounty of 800 for each vol
unteer entering the service was continued by
the last city council to that day, but has been
of but little or no avail. 1t is to be earnestly
hoped that by some means we shall be spared
the painful spectacle of draft in this city.
The whole amount of bounty paid by the
city Is $4,000. Other expenses incidental to
enlistments, about $1,000. Amount Of state
aid farnished to families of volunteers, about
$S0000-making the total expenditures of
the year, on account of the war, 1914 800.
There was expended in 1861, $l4, 500-mak-
ing the whole war expenditures to the present
time, $l09, 900.
BY the statute of 1862, chapter &C, cities
and towns are authorized to apply one dollar
per week in aid of the wife, each child and
parent of, and dependent upon any volunteer,
private or nom commissioned officer, who
forms part of the quota of such city or town,
when there is a necessity for it, to an amount
not exceeding twelve dollars per month for
one family, which amount is to be annually
reimbursed from the state treasury.
OF the above sums, 5000 have already
been refunded by the state, for money paid
by the city in 1861 being less than one-half
the amount actually expended. The addi-
tonal sum of $4,000 advanced as state aid
during the last year, is just claim, the most
Oil all of which should, and probably will be
allowed--leaving as the actual expenditures
on account of the war, chargeable to the city,
ST., 1881.
Not dollar of this large sum has been
raised by tax, but the whole amount consti-
tutes a debt for the payment of which, pro-
vision is yet to be made
The number of families receiving state aid
in the city at the present time, is 525, and the
monthly payments amount to, and may slight
ly exceed $4,000.
The duties connected with the raising and
enlistment of our large quota of volunteers,
and the distribution Of relief to so many
families, have been extremely laborious and
responsible. Possibly slight mistakes may
have been made, and lmpositions have been
practiced;, yet l feel that l am but doing
my duty, when 1 express my opinion, formed
from examination, of the energetic, just,
kind and discriminating manner in which
these duties have been discharged during the
past year.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The prosperous condition of our public
schools, as indicated by full and punctual at
tendance, by improved order and discipline,
by less frequent changes in the corps of teach
Al. EIa