Ohio History Journal

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14 Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

14 Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly.

to be introduced to you. My duty is the simple one of

speaking but a word of welcome. When the forty-eight

passengers of that old, but modern, Mayflower landed here

one hundred years ago there was no one to speak such a

word to them. They had left the world behind. They

found here only the wilds of nature, a necessity to sacrifice

and an opportunity to labor.

But how changed! Our State is but one of the five

great empires, almost, that have been created from what

was then known as the 'territory lying northwest of the

river Ohio.' And yet we have within our borders a popu-

lation of nearly four millions of people. Our forty thou-

sand square miles of area are covered with all the improve-

ments, conveniences, facilities, beauties and adornments of

the most advanced modern Christian civilization, and Ohio

in these respects is but typical, not only of that original

Northwest Territory, but also of that further and greater

West lying still beyond, and stretching away to the golden

shores of the Pacific.

This is the hour of our might and glory. In it we turn

to this spot, proud of our achievements, but not unmindful

of our humble beginning. We come, however, not to boast

of what has been accomplished, but to express apprecia-

tion for those conditions by which that beginning was sur-

rounded, on account of which all that has since followed

was made possible. We come here to-day remembering

that we owe to New England and to Virginia and to other

of our sister States a debt of gratitude that can never be

repaid, except only by that necessary compensation that

must result, if we continue to stand together, as God and

our fathers intended, for an indissoluble Union, a common

Constitution, one country, one flag, and one destiny of the

whole American people.

In other words, we remember to-day, and are here to give

testimony to them, the effective good works of Manasseh

Cutler and his associates and co-laborers in demanding and

securing, as a condition precedent to their occupation of

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ADDRESSES OF APRIL SEVENTH

ADDRESSES OF APRIL SEVENTH.

ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY GOVERNOR J. B. FORAKER.

FELLOW-CITIZENS: The duty that has been assigned

to me in connection with this occasion is very simple in its

character. It does not require nor even allow me to enu-

merate, much less elaborate, any of the many interesting

and important suggestions which a consideration of the

event we celebrate is calculated to start in every intelligent

mind. Neither does it authorize me to recount the progress

and the triumphs of the century that has since elapsed.

All this has been assigned to others, who are here formally

to address you. They will tell who the men were who

constituted that brave, heroic pioneer band who landed

here on the seventh day ofApril, 1787. They will tell you of

their trials and tribulations, their sacrifices and sufferings,

their proud patriotism and their peerless purposes. And

they will also point out to you the importance, directly and

indirectly, of that first settlement, upon not only this North-

west Territory, but also upon the United States and the

whole world. They will indicate how the spirit of liberty

that saved and dedicated this section to free institutions

thus turned the balance in favor of freedom as against

slavery, and saved this Republic, with its recognition of

human rights, to be the beacon light and cheer and encour-

agement to the liberty-loving people of the whole civilized

earth.

These orators will also doubtless tell you the thrilling

story of how the wilderness has been transformed into a

garden, how farms and cities have succeeded forests and

savages, how manufactures, commerce, art, science, educa-

tion, literature and morality have here flourished and

blessed mankind. All this, I say, pertains to the duties that

are imposed upon the distinguished gentlemen who are soon

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