New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-22
OHIO MEN.
NC nook AROUT THEM.

TIoy,L ArrAIRs-lHE TWO MASTER STRAINS VI
AMERICAN BLOOD.
A very large and handsome volume-aiihos. u,
loroe as Webster's Unabridged DictlonarE-niieu
with portraits and biographical sketches oil proui-
nent citizens of Ohio living and ead'haslateiy peon
,ublisbed by John G. YoTston d Co., OF Ciheihna'
It's title Is "A Biographical Cyclopedla anu
Portrait Gallery of Distinguished Men, WIN
an Historical Sketch. of the State of Ohlo
edited bs j. Fletcher Brennan" The work is eie-
paptly printed and bound. and is illustrated win
POI steel plate portraits. Its mechanical execution
is srikingly good in all respects and 1t is notable
evidence of the high state of excellence attained Oy
the bookmakng art in the West
glance at this porly volume. with Its Thousand
pages crowded with brief sketches OF the careers VI
men who have played important parts IN the ouSl-
ness and politics of the State or Nation, LEADS nat
urally to some reflection upon the causes wh'cn
have gwen Ohio the peculiar prominence sue n"S
occupied in recent years among the States Oh Tue
Union-a prominence which began shortly before 'Ee
war. was greatly increased by the fame OF Grant
Sherman Sheridan Mcpherson and large number
of other distinguished captains, and has been stii
further developed since the struggle ended by the
sagoctv and intellectual force of the men whom
The State has sent into the arena of National
politics. At present Ohio is the great Mlddle
Sate-the true Keystone of our politics. her
voice is recognized as expressing most neariV the
average sentiment of the North on public questiohs
her elections are the most OF tno
drift of public opinion; her citizens fill more in
pOrtant stations in the National Government thah
those of any other State. Tue President the Chlei
Justice the Secretary of the Treasury and the zen
eral of the Army are Ohio men. and she may thus De
SAID to hold for the Nation the scales OF justice Tie
sword the purse and the sceptre of executive power
4 alfnlg ~
ness. never enjoyed so many great honors at once
This concentration of political Influence ana
mower in a single state cannot rightly he regarded
MS Fictitious 1t has undoubtedly grown out OF con-
ditions which can be traced to the geographical si
uation of Ohio and the character OF her population
The inheritance of political prominence has not
passed by accident from Virginia to the oldest chiId
born OF her imperial gift of the Northwest territory
TO the General Government. Ono has ell
mate highly favorable TO the Development
of I'm energetic race and a soil which is
well adapted to small farming and a
variety of agricultural products. Nearly half OF her
border is washed by a magnificent river that Is IA
chef tributary of the central artery of tie con-
tiueut On the north she fronts upon great lake,
which gives her access to more than Thousand
miles OF Inand-sea navigation. The river on tue
south forming broad highway to the regions OF
the cotton plant and the sugar cane ana the lake on
the north inviting 10 commercial enterprise IN the
far Northwest early produced in her citizens fibre
of harlib hood and daring. Nearly the whole surface
Of .he State had to be cleared of the rmeva forests
by the axes OF the pioneers, and the hard struggle
TO wrest the soil from the firm grasp Of nature did
much to cultivate IN the early settlers tcnaclty ana
energy OF character which they transmitted to their
Offspring. Ii may perhaps be doubted whether the
prairie regions of the West where the rich sOli lies
ready for the pillow of the immigrant, VIII produce
as hardy and robust Il type of manhood as have the
older forest States.
After the agricultural resources of Ohio had been
we'll developed, the country cleared and settled,
the routes of communication opened and the towns
aud cities established, rich veins Of coal and iron
were found and important manufacturing indus
tries sprang up to diversity the occupations of her
people, add largely to their wealth, and assimlae
their interests to a considerable extent with
those of the manufacturing States Of the
East She now ranks the fourth manufacture
ing state in the Union. While. therefore, her
agricultural character turns the sympathy of her
people towards the West. their commercial and
manufacturing enterprises make them look towards
the East and thus by balance of interests they
are led to take a broad, National view of public af
fairs. The great tide OF western emlgra-
ton passes through Ohio. leaving within her bor
dcrs portion Of its living waves and taking with
it stll larger amount of her native
population, so that the State is constantly
receiving fresh elements of population from the
East and is at the same time sending forth her
sons aud daughters to people the new States and
Territories Of the West. The centre OF population
of the whole country ascertaincd by the census
of 1870. is within her borders ut a point about
fifty miles northeast of Cincinnati.
TO all these circumstances is due. no doubt, In n
large measure the prominence of Ohio i'll National
affairs. but II must be attributed in a still larger
measure to the sources from which she drew the
chief elements of her population, tho strength
and visor of those elements and their
combination under favorable conditions.
The two master strains OF American
blood arc those of Virginia and New-England.
They have played the largest part in the settlement
and civilization of the country, and in the forma'
ton of It's structure Of government. These two
elements met ard mingled in Ohio upon q
fruitful soil and under climatic influences
that were mean between those OF the
pinia immigration went mainly to the southern
part of the State, and the N"w-England
immigration TO the northern portion, but
there were many exceptions to THIS rule New
England colonies settled at Marietta on the OHIO:
nj various points the Big and Little Miami. aud
at other places IN the southern counties. so
that there was soon Il wholesome admXtnre OF
population which modified the sccuonalism
of the first pioneers. Other valuable classes
Of population came in smaller force to miugle
with these Two dominant elements. The frugal and
devout Quakers established settlements III the east
erp and southwestern sections the sturdy reunsyl'
vania Dutch spread across the middle belt. and the
energetic Scotch Irish element OF the southern tier
of PENNSYLVANIA couBtcs furnished an important
quota. . -,
From this material has been welded in less than
n century "a population as homogeneous aud III
felhccnt as can be found III any OF the
larger states of the Union. Tho foreiGa imugia-
ton which has IN during Tie past thIltY
wears has not materially modified the character.
istics of tic people, save IN few 3i
the large cities. Ono may. therefore, be larry
Looked upon aS a typical American State, represent,
ing in its population mingling OF the best ana