Year: 1863

| wv A1Ae1NOAe'S NNEIS9ANGs
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House of Reprcssn


tdtiVes:


. congratulate the people Of the State, oui
common constituents, that the period has ar.
rived when you, their immediate neiRhbors and
representatives, fresh from your homes, can par.
ticipate in the duties and responsibilities of pro-


viding for aud protecting their interests; and il
is source of great relief to yself to know that
{ with your presence shall have able counselors


to guide and direct me, in the discharge of the


many cares and responsibilities resting upon
the Executive.


DUTY OF THE PEOPLES REPRESENTATIVES,.


There never has been period in the history Of


our State when a faithful and vigilant effort nt
duty, on the part ofthe peoples representatives


was more required than the present. The ques-


tion of mans capacity for self-govenment is not


yet unsettled. The gigantic effort of wicked


and bad men % overthrow beautiful and


heavenly form of government, which existed at


the period OF our adjournment, has not yet been
quelled. We were given the reins of State gov
ernment, for the time being, by an honest and
conhding constituency with special view to
carry out their wishes in maintaining the gov
eminent as handed down to them by their
Fathers; we should look well to it, them that


we do not disappoint their expectations They
have not faltsred in this great work; but fully
apprecating the mighty Importance of preserv-
ing our institutions they have yielded up
everything with a degree of generosity unpar-
! alleled in the history of any people. Every
thing dear to them has been given TO the cause
! Husbands, fathers, sons and brothers have
left their loved ones to brave the dangers of the
field of battle and the disease incident to camp
life, with cheerfulness never before manifested
The mothers, wives and sisters have fully DEM
onstrated their claim to the love and affection
Of these brave aud gallant men. All that wo-
man can do has been done to alleviate the dis
| traesaa Of our ao11iaro nd
them to duty.


Such being the character of our constituents
it is impossible TO measure tho claim they have
upon us, their agents. Energy, integrity and
purity Of purpose, economy and industry are
at least, due from us to them


Aside from the claim that our constituents
have upon us for all this the only true reward
public servant can win for himself is TO be able
to claim, when communing with his Maker, an
honest and vigiant effort at public duty. five
cannot claim this for ourselves when we shall
surrender up our trust we will have worked to
little purpose.


| THE PEOPLE OF OHIO AND THE REBELLION.
! 1t is not necessary to discuss the question pre-
sented by this rebellion with the people of Ohio;
they have with great unanimity, determined,
that cost what it may in time treasure or life,
| the Union of the States as handed down to us
by our Fathers shall be preserved unmparied
and thus handed down to our children. They
VIII not Iof one moment concede that there can
be any cause sufficient to Justify a State or any
number of States in Withdrawing from the I'M
ion. Admit, if you please, that the authorities
of the Federal Government, for the time being
were to attempt to interfere with the institutions
of either Ohio or South Carolina, to the extent
Of introducing Slavery into the former or ex-
cluding it from the latter; this would not give
the slightest pretext for the one thus attempted
to be interfered with, TO take up arms against
the government. The Federal Constitution it,
self expressly protects the State nterferred with
from injury. Long before any such attempt
could be executed, the people in whose hands
all power is placed. would through the peacea-
BILE, quiet mode pointed out by the Constitution,
hurl the authors of such attempt from power
and thus rescue the injured State. But no such
attempt has been made thought of by the
Federal officers now i'll power; and this the
authors and leaders of the rebellion well
know. President Lincoln has again and again.
| in the most solemn manner, assured the people
that it was his determination, SO far as lay in his
power, to preserve inviolate all the rights of the
several States. The Federal Congress, the sew
eral State Legislatures of the loyal States, and
the people of said States, in their political as
semblies have all, again and again made the
same pledges to the people of the South. 1t was
not, therefore, either the fear the belief that
their State rights were about to be interferred
with, that caused them to take up arms against
the Government. Mad ambition, and disap-
tpointment in not obtaining place and power on
the part pf a few wicked men, was the sole
cause; and all other causes alleged by these
leaders are simply to deceive their blind follow
ers ~. -


| To bring these wicked men to the punish
ment they deserve, and thereby restore harmony
law and order throughout the common country,
the people Of Ohio desire to do their full share
of duty: and to that end, will bear any burden
that may be imposed upon them.


PROMPT RESPONSE or OHIO VOLUNTEERS.


The period since your adjournment has been
one of great excitement. About the first of
June our National Capitol was seriously threat
ened by the rebel army; and, but for the prompt
response to the Presidents call for more troops,
would have been sacked and plundered. The
gallant young men Of our State were among the
first to rush to the rescue-over five thousand
promptly assembled at Camp Chase, and ten
dered their services. To their honor, and the
honor of the State, it should be known, that al
though they thus assembled without officers, or
military organization of any kink, more quiet,
orderly, and we'll behaved body of men or sol
diers never met together About three thous-
and of this number were promptly organized in
TO regiments and sent to the vicinity of Wash
ington City, where they remained during the
term for which they were organized; and, it is
proper to add, maintained their high character
for courage and gentlemanly bearing. The re-
mainder were organized for duty at Camp Chase
and other points within the State. Many of
these, since their discharge, have gone into the
service for three years or during the war.


ATTEMPrED INVASION OF ouR SOUTHERN Dor DER.


Tho desperation and audicity of the rebel en-
emy led them early in September, to attempt the
invasion of our Southern border. To repel this
impudept and wicked movement, it became nee
essary to call upon the loyal citizens of the
State TO arm Themselves, repair to the border,
and drive back the insnlent foe.


Most nobly were these calls responded to-
| From the fields, workshops, stores, offices and
sacred desks, both old and young most gener-
ously turned out and armed with the same old
rifles used by the pioneers Of the State, with the
same old bullet-pOuch and pOwder-horn and
with three days rations, cooked by dear mo-
theirs aud wives, rushed to our Southern border
and drove the fiends back and thus saved the
soil we all loved so much, and the Queen city, of
which we are all SO justly proud, from invasion
and destruction. The enemy, seeing this evil
dence of gallantry and power, were glad to
abandon their hellish purpose and retire; thus
preventing an opportunity of testing whether or
not the old gun was still true to the steady and
manly hand of him who held the same.


The enemy having thus RETIRED these patriot
| ic volunteers had but to return to their anxious
! friends; happy, however, in the reflection, that
their short term Of service, though bloodess, had
demonstrated to the world that our love fol- free
institutions is such that we will, on moments
warning, peril life, property, ALL for their preser
| yation.


It is difficult to estimate, with and degree Of