The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-01-20
THE NEW GOVERNOR OF OHIO,
Inaugural Address TO the Legislature.

Magistrate vt the state of Ohio. am not ignorant
of the magnitude and Importance Of the position,
nor unmndtul ot my own want Of experience and
ability To- So administer Il as to satisfy the expec,a
tions ot the people who have chosen me. Most
gladly would have seen its honors and duties im-
posed upon some abcr citizen Of the State; and u
Is with no ordinary degree of dnidence that as
sumo to-day its labors and rcspous Utilities. can
only assure YOU, gentlemen, and those yuu repts-
sent, that bring To this position fixed dctcrmina-
uon tu discharge its dutics to the best of abil-
ity, in spirit ct unyirlding aithfulness and ineg
ry to the State, and impariaty and justice to the
people.
There is significance in the recent expression ct
the popular will that relieves us all from nany Of
the emharrasSments that usually attend such events.
II hernlds NO mere party triumph-itis Is no indivd-
ual success. No mere partiLan effort could hava
achieved such n victory nan in the State Is
worthy ut, or could have received, SO sublime
ovation. It's spontaneous declaration ,fths IN
tense LOYALTY of our people to their government,
and bearing IL with the stern commandment tha;
every energy Of their State, and every exeTtion Of
lis rulers. shall be given TO the restoration Of that
government TO its original unity and power. IL
not only relieves us of all mere partiIan trammes
aud nhnit,cs but it commands us that, for the time
hclng, these shall be laid asde until the great puI
pose is accomplished Of restoring our country loa
position in which partEan contests may be indulged
without involving our nationality and party VIC
tories be won without their possible results giving
encouragement 10 Sebols in arms against the
prenacy of the constitution and laws of the land
In that spirit | accept tho late declaration of our
common constituency; and humby thank them
that, in this particular, they have made my path
easy and straight before mo.
While this national obligation il laid upon us,
II does not relieve us from the further duty OF
guarding the local interests and promoting the
prosperity of the State. In all that can, and
properly may do, IL will give me great pleasure to
cooperate with you in the accomplishment of this
great purpose.
The annual message Of my worthy predecessor.
with the accompanying Documents presents you,
,.,N.l
ot our State affairs. His recommendations are
worthy of, and will undoubtedly receive, your
careful consideration. His arduous labors have
contributed, in small degree, to the gratifying
results presented to you; and 1t is pleasing re-
Election that the people ofthe State will be able TO
follow him into his present retirement from
executive duties. with the grateful plaudit of
well done. good and faithful servant" Il will be
an abiding pleasure TO me, il at the end Of my brief
service, shall be able to attain alike his useful
| ness and his reward.
1t is not less gratifying than honorable to the
State that we have becH able To pass through the
third year of an cNpcuSlve and sanguinary war,
in the full performance Of all our duties to the
tiona government, without impairing, in any man
ner, the prosperity OF the State, or expressing our
people by bu,thensome or excessive taxation.
The financial condition of the State ~ highly
| satisfactory. The currency is in sound condition.
The agricultural, industrial and commercial inter
| csts tthe State were never more prosperous. Tho
| State has been protected, with single exception,
| from invasion; and the desoating ravages of war
have not spread themselves within our limits. AT
the same time the great institutions of education
| and bcncyOlcnce, which constitute material ele-
ment of our pride and strength, have not been en-
| croachcd upon impaired. Our schools and
colleges our somuaries of learning arts and
sciences noble institutions for the relief and
instruction Of the strken portion Of our poopleour
public woIks.-all these have been tostered, encour
aged, and protected, MS thOngh war had not existed
| in our land. While we have abundant cause in this,
not alone for graduation, but of dcvout thank
uness in that Divine Providence that rules in the
affairs of nations as Ofindiyduals, we may learn OF
it the obligations Of duty, that by wise admnistra
ton, We secure 10 the future, as far as human Of
forts can do 50, the blessings we have enjoyed in
the past.
Itis true that amid all this prosperity our people
have been called upon to meet priyations and en-
duro sacrifices. The blood OF Ohio has been poured
out upon almost every battlefield orour nation, and
her sons have found graves in nearly every South
ern State. The shouts of victory from ensanguined
battle fields, have been two-fold messengers bring
ing alike JOY and sorrow TO our people and with tho
exultation Of the one has heen mingled the laments
| tons Of the other. Our men have given freely of
| their substance, and our noble women Of their
duriug patience and labor, to alleviate the priva-
tUns aud suilerings of sons in the field. The
parental hand of the State Government has been
honstantly and literally exten led To aid and pro-
cect her gallant men living, aud honor her dead he
rOes. Yet all these burthens have been freely and
even cheerlully borne; for the reason that the
| cause was that Of u nation struggling for its ex-
istcncc--of freedom gasping for its vitality-Oi
good and bcnchcent government laboring to assert
its supremacy over a rebellious and sguded pol.
tion OF its people The lesson of the past is eyet
the guide of the future. While this struggle con
tinues, priyatiOns and sacrifices will continue with
| II and while we adhere to the purpose OF accom-
| plishing the restoration OF our goveromont and our
! Union, we must alleviate, as far as practicable,
the sulerngs and bear with fortitude the burthens
! imposed upon us.
| Ia one particular only do desire, upon this oc-
casi"r, to add to the recommendations Of my pred
cccssor; and that is in regard 10 the act Of March
2lst 1868, imposing tax for the aid Of tine fami
lies of soldiers aud marines in the service have
carefully watched the operations of this law. it
| is not sufficient for its purposes. cordially ap-
| prove the recommendation of Governor Tod for the
increase of the tax ; but in my Judgment that in
crease should be even greater than lao proposes III
order to do Justice alike to our soldiers aud our
| people, The advance in the cost of living has
| reached the neccssaTies of life as heavily Us tho
| luxuries. The increase of wages does not reach
| the labor of dependent women, with children ia
CluthC, feed and educate. The amount saved from
| their scanty pay, and sent home by our soldiers,
! though large in the aggregate, is very small in its
! distribution among those lur whom II u designed.
| When this revenue, and the proceeds of the tax.
are added together, there is still u large amount
dependent upon private bounty, TO meet the actAsl
wants Of this class of people, and ward of positive
suffering. have not been able u collect the sta.
tistiCs as extensively as desired,-but IN many
counties of the State the private coilccponS Ter
soldiers families have considerable exce6dnd and
in some cases doubled the amount Of the tax.
Even in these cases the object has not been fully
accomplished, II is argued that it Is better To con-
tinue thus 30 divide, between State and people,
this contribution SO that in what the one fails tho
other will make good. The true aud Just response
Is;
lst. Thatii the State acknowledges this obligation
] 10 tho family of the absent soldier, she should
meet il as compensation for his services, aud IA
u fully equal TO the necessities of The case.
"a. Private contribution is not equitable IN Its
character, and cauue b. adjusted tO thr property
aud interests that are protected by armies. The
generous will give beyond their actual abilities,
while the parsimonious, or the opponent al the war
will withhold, from pecuniary or unpatTlotic con
sderdti0ns. Taxation alone will equallIe this bur
them and impose IT, where II should rest, upon the
property projected by the services that the revenue
is Intended H. compensate. Ii the additional hwy
lncrtas'S the TAXATION Of generous contributors, r
relieves them from larger amount OF private
huunty, and imposes It upon the non contributors,
where il should fa'l. Even when the State as
sumns the entire support OF soldiers families, there
will be scope enough for private contributions TO al
is late the privatious and sulerlnEs OF siCk dis
abrd aud woundsd men, 10 hospitals and At hacDe
80, The form OF private charity Is not alw avs
acceptable to its recipients aud especially IA the
class to whom this Is applicable. Much suffering
and prvauon will be endured before pride Will sui-
fer application 10 private charity, where there IS
sClouSnPss that pent9riOus services OF the ah-
sent proyiacr should promptly call tho state 20
tho protection aud support 81 his dependent family
We shonld dvcsl this fund OF the appellstion II
charity IL Is not such, ip any application Of tho
term. II Is an honest debt, aud an imperative
duty, that we owe the men who are serving US VI