The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1866-01-10
Inaugural Address
OF
GOV NOR y. -. COX.


Woare entering upon u new epoch In our
history. The period Of struggle for ma
tional existence isendcd, and we have celc-
brated our thanksgiving to God for de-
livcrnncc. The VIA administrations Of
both Nation and STATE have gone by, and
we have begun an era of pence with It's
now duties and new responsibilities. We
have proven that our Government IL strong
enough TO resist the most formidable efforts
10 destroy II by force, and we are now 10
show whether 1t has such Vitality that II
can nssimnlnte the different elements COM
prised under Its rule, and harmonlze the
lpntagonisms necessarily remaining after 10
| fierce n strife.
| For years all our energies aud our re-
sources have been devoted to the simple
duty of subduing Il great rebellion; and
| what wns demanded of us was undauntcd
courage and obstinate determination, con-
centrating our will aud our power upon
the single purpose before us, and refusing
% be- turned aside for any other object Till
| that was thoroughly accomplished. Now
we have put oil the harness OF war; the
| grand army which saved the republic IL
liisbanded; its veterans have been quietly
absorbed Into the mass of their fcllow-citi-
yens, aud all are now intcntly studying the
| problem Of changing Union restored by
force, into one whose pormnnence shall bo
guaranteed by mutual good will and COM
| mon Interests, and be based upon universal
freedom and genuine rcpublicanism, To
do this will demand qualities of head and
heart quite IA high as any that have been
called into exercise hitherto, and If we sue
| ceed In finding the solution we seek, we
shall prove that the victories of peace are
far greater than those of war, On the one
hand are the dangers OF receiving into full
| participation In the Government those who
have been stalking every thing upon its
overthrow, and upon the other, the obliga-
tions we ara under to the whole world 10
| adhere 10 those doctrines of democratic lib
| erty and equality which lie at the foundn-
tlon of our system; while our relations 10
tho unfortunate African race, whose slavery
we have abolished and whose freedom we
are sacrediy bound 10 protect, come In to
complicntc both classes OF difficulties.
| Congress and the President are now nj
work upon the details of complete rcstora-
! tion of civil governmental IN the States lntely
rebellious, and we, In common with the
whole country, are watching their progress
with the most earnest hope that they may
! speedily agree upon national policy which
/ shall thoroughly accord with the highest
intnrcsts of the whole land. do not re-
! gard this proper time to discuss specific
measures which are before our federal leg
islaturc aud authorities, but all our public
acts IN our State organizations, as well rs
.
| less modified by circumstances shaped by
| the great war In which we have been en-
| gagged; and II seems necessary therefore. rs
"a preparation for every species of public
duty, that we should look with special care
ut any dangerous tendencies the war may
have developed and recall the general prin-
ciplcs which should guide our action rs SER
wants of the people.
IL IL in the excitement OF great strug-
gle that the institutions Of u country are In
the most danger OF change, and perhaps no
nation has ever passed through such con-
vulsion as ours aud then returned to the
principles Of Government and exact form
Of Constitution which Il had before. The
maxim that revolutions do not go back
ward, has seemed 10 have even n wider and
deeper Significance than has been popu-
larly given 10 ID. The same law of progress
sion which has made the c0nvulslons OF
monnrchical Governments tend toward the
development of popular liberty, has In re-
publcs too often led tO n despotisn of clas-
ses or Of factions, and thence by easy stages
10 anarchy and utter disruption. A victo-
rious majority, flushed with Its triumph,
finds II easy 10 forget the rights of minori-
ties; and Il tremains for us 10 prove whether.
IN our day, the old cry of "Woe 10 the con
quered" may be silcnced by truly repub-
lican determination tO administer the Coy
eminent for the real advantage of all--oi
the defeated rebels, ~ well ~ of the loyul
ylctOrs.
The war was not wagcd by us, who re-
nminel faithful 70 the Government, 10 sub
vert any of the principles Of human liberty
upon which that government was based,
but 20 confirm and establish them. The
one great doctrine which has been settled
by the war Il that the National Union can
not and shall not be destroyed by the action
Of any Of the States composing u; but its