The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-01-17

whose patriotism q Wlsuom VIC nave %
great cause for confidence, and that the
progress they have already made promi'
res q conclusion which shall be reasona-
bly, speedy and generally satisfactory to
the country.
In the presence Of the vast interests
which are before us as part OF the Ma
tioh, the local concerns which affect US
as q State alone, are likely to be dwarfed
and iose their proper attention. | do not
propose to enter into any detailed or elab-
Grated examination Of our condition, or
10 make recommendations Of Legislative
action. This has been fully aud ably
done by my predecessor. / shall only
glance at the outlines Of affairs and con-
tent myself With the briefest and most
eursory view Of the situation. In our
oficial State duties we find no such heavy
responsibility as rests upon the shoulders
Of the officers of our National Govern.
ment. TIE close Of the war has taken
from US the necessity for putting armies
in tbhleldI and relieved us, in our State
capacify, II the labors incident to close
oo.opefation with the General Govern
.ment ia all the great affairs which have
made the past Eve years so memorable in
our history. We are subsiding into the
quiet routine Of peaceful times, and as
our young men ara returning to their
farms, their merchandise and their shops,
the great drain upon our physical strength
being removed, the energetic use of in
telligent labor will soon prove how rapid
.ly herfecuperative powers Of this people
act, and how true it is that the times
which make least show IN the worlds his.
tory are very commonly those Of greatest
real happiness and prosperity TO a State
Oar veterans will not bs adding new
names to,the long list of their fields Of
glory, but they will be winning victories
over physical nature and transforming
the fruit Of the soil aad the minerals Of
the earth into that wealth which shall
spread comfort and happiness everywhere.
We, who have been called to guide the
movement Ct our State Government, will
. connect our names with no such brilliant
acts as have given wide spread reputa
tionfor high statesmanship to the sue
cession Of State officers who have pre-.
cedsd US during these troubled times /;
but ID the humber duties which Wilt
fall To- Us, we may rejoice that these quiet
days are, in some sense, our best days,
because they are, as w hope, tho begin
ming Of an era Of purer and more rapid
advancement in everything which tends
10. the highest civilization.
The habit Of grasping great thoughts
aud Of daring to do great deeds has np-
parently bsgotten in our people a dispo-
sition which makes all business enter
prise take wider scope than. heretofore,
and the keen insight with which all our
resources are scanned, and the adventur-
GUS energy with which their develop
mient is pushed, leave nothing to be de
sired 10 q business point Of view, unless
it,be an increase Of that sagacious caution
which may save Us from danger Of those
commercial reyulsions which have, with
considerable regularity, followed great
expansions Nf. tho currency. The late
change in the. banking system Of the
country transferred the control of the cir
culating medium to Congress, and CON-
paratively little can be done by US di.
rectly to provide against the threatened
evils to which l have alluded, except 10
exhprt our fellow citizens to prepare in
season for every contingency.
Tho large tracts Of valuable lands with
IN the State which are unGultivated re.
mind us Of the desirability OF encouraging
immigration, and Of the evident policy Of
seeking to attract the most thrifty and
valuable classes Of immigrants within our
borders. Wise foresight and prompt ac-
zion may unquesiiopably do'much to in
daee the best class Of foreigners who are
ffocking to u shores to settle amongst
US, where they will find in the highest
degree the advantages which have allur-
cdthem TO this country, with many Of
those pleasures Of society aud Of an older
civilization, which they must forego in
the sparssly settled regions Of the far
West, 10 which the great current Of mi.
grafton is tending, 1t will also be our
duty To- promote the most rapid assimila.
ton Of the foreign element with our ma
tsve population. The events through
which we have just passed have proven
how rapidly the foreign settler has be-
come American in interest, 10 thought
and in patriotism /: but tho good %reaults
we'have seen should only encourage us
to-smore systematic use OF the means
which tend to SO desirable a result.
nation is strong in proportion to the no.
mogeneity Of its people, To be country
men should il itselfbe o pledge OF broth.
erhood wherever we meet, and baother-
hood implies community Of language and
similarity Of habit and thought. To en-
courage and stimulate our naturalized
felloW-citizens, and the new comers who
propose becoming such, to adopt our Ian
guage, TO edusals their children with ours,
sndt identify themselves with US as
npidly ps- possible, 10 the dictate Of true
patfiotiim n Ne and, atths same time,
since there can DO no question acquain,-
cd with their rights as citizens, will be
least LIKELY to be averfeachsd and made
dupea Of in business or in politics, and
viii find the road TO pecunisry profit and
personal advancement most rapidly open
before them:
Our common school system is 10 be
foslsred and improved, aud there is moth.