The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-01-12
Gov. Cox,s Inaugural Address.

Gov. Cox's Inaugural Address.
We are entering upon new epoch
in our history. The period of the
struggle for national existence is
ended, we have celebrated our thanks
giving to God for delivcrance. The
war administrations of both Nation
and State have gone by, and we have
begun all era of peace with its new
beauties and new responsibilities.
We have proven that our Government
is strong enough to resist the most
formidable efforts to destroy it by
force, and we are now to show wheth-
er it has such Vitality that it can as
similate the different elements com
pi i5ed under its rule, and harmonize
the antagoEisms necessarily remain
ing after so fierce a strife.
For years all our energies and our
resources have been devoted to the
simple duty of subduing q great re-
bcllioa; and what was demanded of
us was undaunted cour"ge and obsti-
nate determination, concentrating
our will and our power upon the sin
gle purpose before us, and refusing
TO be turned aside tor any other Oh
jcct till that was thoroughly accom-
plished. Now we have put Off the
harness of war: the grand army
which saved the republic 10 disband-
ed its veterans have been quietly
absorbed into the mass of their fel-
low citizens; and are all now intent.
ly studying the problem of changing
Union restored by force, into one
whose pcrInanvnUv sh~u |~ s~~-~~
teed by mutual good will and COM
mon interests, and based upon uni
versal freedom and genuine republi
canism. To do this will demand quail.
ities of head and heart quite as high
rs Gny that have been called into eX.
crcise hitherto, and il we succeed in
finding the solution VIC seek, we shall
prove that the victories of peace are
far greater than those of war. On
the ore ha33 are the dangers Of re
receiving into full participation in
the Government those WHO have been
stalking everything upon its over
throw, and upon the other, the obliga.
tions we are under to the whole world
to adhere to those doctrines of dem
ocratic liberty and equality which lie
ut the foundation OF our system
whilst our relation to the unfortunate
African race, whose slavery we have
abolished and whose freedom we are
scarcely bound to protect, come in
to complicate both classes of Difficult
ties.
Congress- and the President are
now at work upon the details of com
plete restoration of civil government
in the States lately rebel!ious, aad
we, in common with the whole coun
try, are watching their progress with
the most earnes. hope that they may
speedily agree upon national poll
cy which shall thoroughly accord
with the highest interest of the whole
laud. / do not regard this proper
time to discuss specific measures
which are before our Federal Legis-
lature and authorities, but all our
public acts in our State organizations,
as well rs in our national capacity
must be more or less modified by cir
cumstances shaped by the great wal
in which we have been engaged, and
it seem necessary, therefore, as a
preparation Tor every species of pub
lie duty, that we should look with
special care at. any dangerous ten
denotes the war may have developed
and recall the general PRINCIPLES
which should guide our action as ser.
vants ofthc people.
II is in the excitement of great
struggle that the institutions of q
country are in the most danger oi
change, and perhaps no nation has
ever passed through such convul.
sion rs ours and then returned to tn,
principles of government and exact
: form of constitution which it had be
fore The maxim that revolutions
, d. not go backward, has seen ed to
have even 4 wider end deeper signif,
icance than has been popularity giveI
to it. The same law Of progression
J which has made the conyulsion O
monarchial governments tend towart
, the development Of popular liberty
} has, in republics, too often led to ,
/ despotism of classes or of factions
and thence by easy stages to anarchy
and utter disruption. A victorious
majority, flushing with its triumph
+ finds it easy to forget the rights o
| minorities and it remains for us t.
Y prove whether, in our day, the oil,
I cry of "Woe to the conquered" ma,
be silenced by truly republican de
termination to administer the Gov
g ernment for the real advantage to al
9 --oi the defeated rebels as well as lh
loyal victors.
The war was not waged by us
!. who remained faithful to the Govern
ment, to subvert any Of the princi
|. pals of human liberty upon whicl
. that Government was based, but Il