The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-12-10
pREsIDENT.s alESsAsE.

orr national existence as n free and indie.
pendent people, It affords me great pleasure
TO reetlr TO the advancement fhat has been
made from the time OF the colony, Que hun.
dred years ago.
A CENTURY's GROWTH.
We Were then a people numbering only
three millions; now we number more than
forty millions. Then our industries were
confined almost exclusively to the tillage
OF the soil; now manufactures absorb
much of the labor of the country Onr
liberties remain unimpaired. The bonds
men have been freed from slavery We
nave become possessed of the respect, if not
the friendship, of all civilized nations. Our
pr. grSss has bee great in all the arts, in
science. i'll agriculture, In commerce, in
navigation, in mining. in mechanics. in law.
III med.cine, ETC.. and iii general education
the pre- grcss has bet n iii cwise encouraging.
Our thirteen States have become thirty
eight. Including Colorado, which has taken
the Initial steps to become Il State and
eight Territories. ineutling e Indian Ter
ritory and Alaska. and excluding Colorado
making territory extending from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. On the south we
have extended to the Gulf of Mexico, and
on the west from the Mississippi to the
Pacific. One hundred years ago the cotton
gin. the steamship, the railroad. the teIe-
graph. the reaping, sewing and modern
printing naeliines, and numerous other in
business and happiness, were entirely un-
known.
INCREASE or MANUFACTURES.
In 1776 manufactures scarcely existed
even in name, in all this vast territory. In
1870 more than 1000, 600 of persons were
employed in manufactures. producing
more than 81, Ice. COO. 600 of produce. In
amount annually nearly equal TO onr
National debt. From nearly the whole of
the population of 1875 being engaged in
the one occupation of agriculture, in 1870.
So numerous and diversified had become
the occupation of our people that less than
I6.OoU, 200. ont of more than &C, ,G00.0
were so engaged. The extraordinary eff
ttctS produced i'll cur country by a resort
to such occupations, has built Il market for
the products of our fertile lands. distant
from the staboard and the markets of the
world. The American system of working
various aud extensive manufactures next
to the plow and the pasture, and adding
connecting railroads and steamboats, has
produced in our distant country results not
equaled by the intelligent parts of other
nations. The ingenuity and skill of Amer
1Cztn mechanics have been demonstrated ut
home and abroad. i'll Il manner most flat
tering TO their pride. Without the extra
O-tiiIIary genius and ability of our mecliarl-
les, the achievements of our agricnltHrists.
manufacturers and tr;InsporteTS, through
out the country, would have been imposSi-
bic of attainment.
GROWTH OF OUR MINING INTERESTS.
The progress of the miner has also been
great, Of coal, ,>our production was once
small; now many millions of tons are
mined annually. So with ron, while it
formed scarcely an appreciable part of our
products half century ago, we now pro-
dHce more than the world consumed at IL e
beginning of our national existence. Lead.
zinc, aud copper. from being articles of
imports, we may expect TO be large export
ers Of in the near Future The devotion
nient of gold and silver mines throughout
the States and Tcrrit orics has not only
been remarkable, but has had large in
firence upon the business OF all CONNER
ci:ll nations.
OUR MERCHANTS
In the last hundred years have had success,
aud have established IL reputation for enter
prise, sagacity, progress and integrity,
unsurpassed by the people of older nation
alities. This good name Is not confined to
their homes, but goes out upon every sea,
and into every port where commerce
I nters.
OTHER INTERESTS.
With equal pride. we can point to our
progress i'll ;lll OF the learned professions
GENERAL RETROSPECT.
As we are now about to enter upon our
second centennial, commencing our man
hood as nation, it is well to look back
upon the past, and study what will be best
to preserve, and advance our future great
Iiess. From the fall of Adam for his
transgressions, to the present day, no
nation has ever been free from threatened
danger to its prosperity, and happiness. |
We should look to the CANCERS threatening
MS and remedy them, SO far as lies in our |
power. We are n republic wherein one
man is rs good as another before the law.
the utmost Importance that all should be
possessed OF
EDUCATION AND INTELLIGENCE,
EnougII to cast a vote with a right under
standing of its meaning. A large associa-
tion of ignorant men cannot, for any
considerable period, oppose successful
resistance to acquiescence to the will of
intelligence, whether directed by the
demag0glIe or by priestcralt. Hence the
education of the masses becomes of the
first necessity for the preservation of orr
institutions. They are worth preserving,
because they have secured the greatest
good to the greatest proportion of the
RSopulatiOn of any form of government
devised. All other forms Of government
approach il just in proportion TO the
general diffusion of education and ilde-
penilence Of thought and action. As the
primary step. therefore. TO our advance
Tnent in ali that has marked our progress
in the past century, / suggest for your
earnest consideration and most earnestly
recommend III that constitutional amend
Inent be submitted to the legislatures of
the several States Tor rsatifieatit II. making
it tile duty Of each of the several States to
establish and forever inaintain free public
selloo'- adequs tie to the education of all
the children In the rIldimentary branches,
within their respective limits, irrespective
of sex. color, birthplace or religion, for
htffflf11o teaching said sel1fl0fl faf
religious, atlleistie or pagan texts, and pro-
IGbffing the granting of any school funds
or school taxes. or any part thereof, either
by the legislative, municipal or any other
power for the benefit of any other object
of any OtlIer nature or kind whatever. in
connection with this important question.
TAXATION OF RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS.
would also call your attention 10 the
importance OF correcting an evil that if
iermitthd % continue, will probably lead
to great trouble In our lailel before the
close Of the 18th century. Il Is the ac-.
ctimniatfon of vast amounts of unEaxed
cisurch property. LII 1850, believe, tho