Another legislative step, which showed the feeling that exists on the subject of education, was the commission given to Professor Stowe, two years since, to examine the public schools of Europe, whither he was going to purchase a library for Lane Seminary. His Report was made to the legislature during the last winter, and is a very interesting one; clear, condensed, and practical. This feeling has shown itself also by education conventions, and in the yearly meeting of teachers, which takes place at Cincinnati. Nor have High Schools and Colleges been disregarded by Ohio, though it is the general feeling that they, as the Superintendent says, "will, as a natural consequence, grow out of good common schools." In the Ohio Company's purchase two townships were given by Congress for a university, and its place of location was called Athens. The present income from the lands owned by this institution is four thousand dollars. There are four professorships, and, during 1835-6, this College had from ninety-five to one hundred students; during the present year there are but fifty-three. There is another college at Marietta, established in 1832, which is doing very well. In the Miami neighbourhood are, the Miami University, at Oxford, Butler county, chartered in 1809, endowed with one township of excellent land, and now containing about one hundred and sixty students;-the Cincinnati College, at Cincinnati, incorporated in 1819, but, for many years previous to 1835, entirely quiescent; now, however, in full operation again, having, in March last, an Academical Department with one hundred and eighty-two scholars, most of them youths in the primary and preparatory classes; a law class of eighteen; and a medical class of one hundred and twenty-five; with eighteen teachers; the Woodward College and High School, at Cincinnati, well endowed, and having about one hundred and fifty students;-and the Lane Seminary, about two miles from Cincinnati, which is now a purely theological seminary, of the Presbyterian sect. This institution, in March last, contained forty-two students, and five teachers; it also possesses a library of ten thousand volumes, which is, for its size, one of the most complete in the United States. In the Western Reserve, we have the Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Portage county, with one hundred and seven scholars, two years since; the Willoughby University, in Cuyahoga county, incorporated in 1834, and but partially organized; and the Oberlin Institute, in Lorraine county, incorporated in 1834, and containing, in 1836, three hundred and ten students, ninety-two of whom were girls. Besides these, are Kenyon College, at Gambia, Knox county, an Episcopal Seminary, with one hundred thousand dollars' worth of property, and educating more than two hundred students; Franklin College, in Harrison county, chartered in 1825, from which, in 1837, graduated nine young men ; and two Medical colleges, one at Worthington, Franklin county, and the other at Cincinnati, the latter being a State institution.* We may also mention, in this connexion, the State Institution for the Deaf and Dumb; the ninth Annual Report of which, in 1837, shows that one hundred and twenty-seven persons have received instruction therein;-that for the Blind, opened a year since, and containing eleven pupils, under the temporary arrangement which exists until the building, now erecting, is finished;-and the Lunatic Asylum, which, it is thought, will be in operation during the coming autumn; the building (of two hundred and ninety-five feet front, and capable of containing one hundred and twenty patients, each having a room, beside officers, and those patients that require strict confinement,) being nearly completed. We have thus, in a hasty and incomplete, but we trust, not wholly useless manner, presented an outline of the agricultural, manufacturing, and commercial advantages of the State of Ohio; together with the prospect she has for affording to all her children an ample intellectual education. We will now only point to some of the more prominent influences, that will bear upon the individual spiritual well-being of her citizens;-that object for which government, civilization, and knowledge, all exist; and leave our readers to prophesy, each for himself, her future destiny. The necessity for industry on the part of the people of Ohio, to which we have already referred, we regard as an important element toward determining the spiritual character of that people. To this we now add, -the climate, that permits labor, and, during most of the year, makes it grateful; the absence of slavery, which prevents the un * For most of these facts we are indebted to the Ohio Gazetteer, of 1837. natural prejudice against bodily labor, which that institution. produces; the division of the soil among its tillers; their freehold tenure; the mixed character of the people, in respect to religious faith, social views, political and sectional prejudices, which mixture tends to make men less bigoted, and more catholic in their spirit; the ease with which every community is approached by those from other portions, which forbids local habits and prejudices; political freedom; a continual striving for social equality, which is, in substance, an antagonism to a reverence for mere wealth and professional knowledge, unsupported by ability and worth; and a general disposition not to reject religion, but to refuse to receive any form of religious faith on the mere word of a teacher. These, with almost universal comfort in physical matters, and very general wealth; and, also, universal information; and every form of Christianity; are, we believe, the influences that Ohio contains within herself for the future developement of her children. Whether they may be expected, considered with reference to the external influences that will also bear upon her, to produce something like a Christian State, socially, politically, and religiously, all may judge as well as we. But if they do not, if, on the contrary, they lead to worldliness, and anarchy, and irreligion, are we therefore to despair? Because this people is not fitted for freedom, is freedom, therefore, not fitted for man? We reject all such views. Through freedom alone can man become what he should be; and, though America may but prove, what other lands have proved, each in its time, that he is still unfitted to escape wholly from pupilage, we look forward with not only hope, but faith, to the day when society shall be, not a mass of warring parties, but a Christian brotherhood; and we do this because, in the past, we see man ever advancing to this point. In conclusion we give the following statistical abstract. POPULATION of Ohio. By the census of 1830, it was 937,903, of which number 9,568 were free blacks. Now estimated at more than a million and a half, by the best judges. LANDS. Ohio contains about twenty-five million acres. In 1831, the United States still owned five million acres; "1837, they owned not more than three million. In 1834, seventeen million acres were returned for taxation, at an average value (excluding town lots) of a little less than three dollars; "1837, the returns from sixty-one counties (those from fourteen not being reported) gave about fourteen millions and a half of acres. The value of the whole real estate of Ohio (fifteen million acres and town lots) in 1836, was estimated at $ 67,800,000 The Committee on Finance (March, 1838,) think it should have been 200,000,000 Or, if the estimate be on twenty-two million acres, 235,000,000 STATE REVENUE AND EXPEnditure. Receipts during the year ending Nov. 15th, 1836, 205,922.44 Expenses 66 66 66 1837, 301,543.28 Of the Receipts for 1837, 1836, 208,276.17 66 1837, 274,071.40 Taxes on assessed property, (lands and houses, town lots, merchants' capital, pleasure carriages, horses, and cattle,). 214,209.15 In Large sums were expended on the public asylums, &c. The rate of taxation varies in the different counties. Hamilton county, in 1837, it was about eighteen mills on the dollar; three and a quarter for State and canal purposes, and nearly six and a half for county purposes. In Trumbull county, it was between twelve and thirteen mills. The Finance Committee estimate, on the present assessment of property, an average, through the State, of from eleven and a half to four teen mills. For expenses of State government, 2 mills. 2 This is on an assessment, which makes the whole property of Ohio but $91,250,000. The Committee think a true estimate would make it $291,000,000. So that taxes are only nominally high, on the true valuation; one mill and a half being enough for all purposes. STATE DEBTS.-JANUARY 1st, 1838. from School Funds, at 6 per cent. Other debts, amounting to nearly $550,000 *4,670,000 1,067,005 149,000 It is estimated that the cost of the public works, now in hand, will, with the above and the State subscription to private works, cause the State debt, in three or four years, to be $13,500,000. CANALS. Ohio Canal; net tolls to October 31st, 1837, Expended in repairs and new work, to December 1st, 1837, $282,407-28 155,751.55 Miami Canal; net tolls to October 31st, 1837, 54,307.12 Expenses, including large purchases of land, to obtain water power, 85,635.96 Expenditures during 1837, on other State works, 436,298.55 In 1835, Canal interest and expenses came to 309,891.47 155,777.59 "1836, Expenses were 294,463.30 Revenue was but 138,930.33 The above statements refer to all the State works, except the Wabash and Erie, and the Dayton and Maumee Canals; the interest upon the cost of which may be paid, it is thought, without taxes, in consequence of the public lands given by the United States toward their construction. As yet, the net revenue from tolls on the canals, has not been more than three per cent. on the cost; and, while new works are making, that for some time yield little, this deficiency will continue. On the Ohio and Miami Canals, the receipts are rapidly approaching the interest on their cost; in 1838, allowing less *This is from the Report of the Finance Committee; the Auditor's Special Report, February 8th, makes it $1,200,000 more. |
