USA > Ohio > A history of the state of Ohio, natural and civil > Part 25
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302
HISTORY OF OIIIO.
THE OHIO MECHANICS INSTITUTE,
Was established in Cincinnati, in October 1828, for the pur- pose of aiding, in the diffusion of scientific information, among all classes of the community.
John P. Foote, Esquire and others, got up a public meeting of the citizens, who framed a constitution and adopted it, thus organizing a society. Operations commenced under this con- stitution, and a course of lectures was delivered. Two class- es were established, one in Geometry, and, another in Arith- metic.
In 1829, a class in Mathematics was formed, which has con- tinued to this time. Lectures were delivered, and application was made to the legislature, for an act of incorporation. This was granted on the application of John D. Craig, John P. Foote, Thomas Reilly, Luman Watson, William C. Anderson, David T. Disney, George Graham junior, Calvin Fletcher, Clement Dare, William Greene, Tunis Brewer, Jeffry Seymour, Israel Schooley and Elisha Brigham. The object of the society was the advancement of the best interests of the mechanic, the artisan and manufacturer, by the more general diffusion of use- ful knowledge, among the aforesaid classes of citizens.
During the three last years, three lectures in each week, have been delivered in the lecture rooms of the Institute.
The library consists of about fifteen hundred Volumes of well selected books, which have been presented to the institution by individuals. The members of the Institute contribute, each, annually, three dollars.
The society have an annual Fair, for the exhibition of such articles as our mechanics and manufacturers may feel disposed to exhibit. The Fair held in May 1838, at the Bazaar, was attended by all the intelligent citizens of Cincinnati. The . articles exhibited, did honor to the ingenuity and skill of those who produced them. We saw, and felt proud of the producers and their productions. This institution deserves the patron- age of the whole people and we hope will receive it.
The classes in the Institute are established by voluntary
303
STATE OF RELIGION.
association of young men, who form their own by-laws and adopt a course of mutual instruction; receiving aid from pro- fessional teachers, many of whom have been very zealous in pro- moting the objects of the Institution.
During the summer seasons, courses of lectures in natural philosophy are delivered in the Institute to young ladies.
A class of fifty is now attending Doctor Craig's course.
THE STATE OF RELIGION AND THE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS SECTS.
An experiment is now making which will ascertain wheth- er religion can be sustained without the support of the gov- ernment. Our constitution utterly forbids any preference to be given to any one religious sect. It permits religious soci- eties to be incorporated, so that they can build churches and own the land where they stand; it also recognises any con- tract entered into by any society with a clergyman for his support and maintenance. But these things are all the gov- ernment does, unless it be that religious people are protected by law, while they are worshiping their Creator, as it does any other persons while peaceably assembled together for any lawful business. Should any one suppose, however, that our western people are not as religious as those who have an estab- lished religion, supported by, and connected with the civil gov- ernment, he would do them great injustice. Our people believe that religion is a matter between God and his creature, with which, the civil ruler has no right to interfere. Most of the ministers who are in some sense permanently settled, perform much more labour than ministers do in the eastern states. Doubtless there are conveniences and inconvenien- ces, pleasures and the reverse, connected with the situation of a western, or an eastern minister. Our balances will not weigh these very correctly, so we do not attempt it. Our eastern brethren are wonderfully deceived in one thing respect- ing us. They often state in their meetings, papers, magazines, &c., that we are destitute of preachers.
According to our population we have two ministers here,
304
HISTORY OF OHIO.
of some sort, to where they have one there .* Ours are itinerants, each one officiating in several neighborhoods. This is owing to our great number of religious sects. We speak of Ohio. We have swarms of missionaries from the Atlantic cities, and from our own, consisting of Cumber- land Presbyterians, Campbellites, Catholics, &c., all in mo- tion, to build up their various sects; but they all move forward in peace, and in a good degree of harmony. We see no evils growing out of all these sects, except it be, that the people are not able to support all this host of ministers. Fewer of them, and those well qualified for their missions, would be a vast improvement. If the people were divided into one half the sects to which they now belong, and would be contented with one half the preachers we now have laboring among us; and if the other half of our preachers, would travel farther west, and officiate there, a great deal of good might be done, by this improvement, in our religious matters. The people of the east, need not mourn over our destitute state, as to preaching, because we have ten sermons to their one, in proportion to our numbers. There is scarcely a day in the year but there is preaching of some sort, in every town of any size in the state. We by no means, say that we have too much preaching, but we do say that there is no want of it in Ohio.
That there is a prejudice against all preachers in this and all other states, is certainly true, but so far as we are acquainted with them, and we know them well, we are complled to say, that our clergymen in Ohio, especially those who have lived here ever since our first settlement, de- serve unqualified praise for their zeal, and good works. No men in this state have been so useful in building up society, in making us a moral and truly religious people. Their dis- interestedness and benevolence, their kindness, forbearance and charity, zeal, industry and perseverance in well doing,
*The presbyterians and protestant episcopalians need more ministers, and have many churches without being able to supply them at present. Our re- marks do not apply to them.
305
RELIGIOUS SECTS.
merit and receive the respect, gratitude and affection, of all good men. They have labored zealously, faithfully and long, and their pay has been but trifling. But they have generally been blessed, in their children, whose good conduct, prosperi- ty and success in life, are the consolation and support of these aged servants of the most high God. We name them not, though we know them all. They have always been the true friends of liberty, and they would be the very last men in the nation to wish to overturn our free institutions. Persecuted they may be, but it must be, either by those who know them not, or by those who would overturn all good government, good morals and true religion. The religion of Jesus is friend- ly to liberty, but because, in the rude and barbarous ages of Europe, there were hypocrites in the church, who made mer- chandize of this religion, that is no reason why its Author should be persecuted, more than it would be, to refuse to re- ceive the true coin because there were counterfeits in circu- lation. Christianity is friendly to free government, and with- out this religion, there can be no good government.
RELIGIOUS SECTS.
These are composed of Presbyterians, Methodists, Protestant Episcopalians, Baptists, Catholics, Dunkards, Congregational- ists, Seceders, Unionists, Friends, or Quakers, Cumberland Pres- byterians, Swedenborgians, Jews, Newlights or Halcyons, Asso- ciate Reformed, United brethren in Christ, Radical Methodists, Universalists, Campbellites, German Lutherans, Unitarians, Shakers, and Mormonites. We have several shades of differ- ence, even among several of the above named religious sects, such as high and low Churchmen, among several sects, but they all live together in a good degree of harmony, often assisting each other, in the erection of churches, and, in permitting min- isters of other denominations, to officiate in their churches. This tolerant spirit, is highly commendable, and is rather gain- ing, than losing ground, among us.
39
306
HISTORY OF OHIO.
We suspect that a greater proportion of our population be- long to some church, than any other people in the Union. This is more the case with the people in the Scioto and Miami countries, than in any other part of the state, perhaps, but it is so, generally, in all parts of it. As to talent and learning, we have at all times, had a good degree of them in the pulpit. Our ministers, like our lawyers, speak with a great deal of animation, otherwise, they would not be western people. They speak extempore, mostly, but not a few of them, speak accu- rately, so that every sentence might be printed, and it would read very well. On the whole, we feel quite proud of our ministers as such, as Christians, as citizens and as men.
The Presbyterians have in the state, about twenty presby- teries as follows, viz:
No. of No. of
Communi-
Presbyteries.
ministers. churches.
cants.
Names of the stated clerks of these Presbyteries.
Steubenville, 16
31
3218
Charles C. Beatty.
Beaver,
18
37
2515
Robert Dilworth.
Grand river,
15 35
1721
Dexter Witter.
Portage,
27
23
1857
William Hanford.
Huron,
19
24
1025
Xenophon Betts.
Trumbull,
12
18 3246
Wells Andrews.
Cleveland,
27
39
1785
Daniel W. Lathrop.
St. Joseph,
11
12
364
Phanuel W. Warriner.
Monroe,
9
21
1310
Ira M. Weed.
Athens,
9
19
1134
Addison Kingsbury.
Columbus,
12
15
1124
James Hoge, D D. L L D.
Lancaster,
21
31 2622
James Culbertson.
Wooster,
9
26
2069
William Cox.
Richland,
10
21
1528
James Rowland.
Chillicothe,
22
28
2892
Henry Van Deman.
Miami,
18
23
1250
James Coe.
Cincinnati,
27
29
1858
Thomas J. Biggs.
Marion,
8
19
1348
John P. Vandyke.
Oxford,
14
26
1083
John W. Scott
Professor, in
Oxford college.
304 477 33,949.
This denomination of christians, have besides the above three
307
RELIGIOUS SECTS.
hundred and eight ordained ministers, twenty licensed preach- ers, besides thirteen candidates, for the ministry. Let us see, three hundred and eight ministers, and four hundred and seventy-seven churches, or sixty nine more churches, than preachers.
The Methodist Episcopalians are far more numerous, than any other christians, as the following statement, derived from the very best authority shows. Number of church members, seventy-seven thousand and thirty six; two hundred and ninety four traveling preachers; five hundred and sixty local preach- ers, four hundred and ninety churches, in the state, fifteen dis- tricts and these are divided, into one hundred and thirty nine circuits and stations. They have erected, at different places, fifty six parsonage houses for the accommodation of the itini- rant ministers.
This denomination, own a large commodious, Book room in Cincinnati, eighty feet, by forty-two, four stories in height, erect- ed on the corner of Eighth and Main streets. From this western book establishment, they distribute many thousand dollars worth of books, annually, into Ohio, and all the states and territories, west of the Alleghanies. The present agents, of this valuable establishment, are John F. Wright and L. Swormsted. They publish at this establishment, a religious periodical, called "The Western Christian Advocate." And to this paper, there are now, eleven thousand subscribers. C. Elliot and L. L. Hamline are the editors of this paper.
PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Names of the churches; places where located, in 1834, to wit:
Trinity Church, Columbus, Trinity Church, Newark,
St. James' " Zanesville, St. Luke's “ Marietta
St. Paul's Chillicothe, Trinity 66 Cleveland,
St. Peter's Ashtabula,
St. Paul's 66 Norwalk,
St. James
Boardman,
St. Paul's, Mt. Vernon
Christ Church, Windsor,
Christ
Dayton,
308
HISTORY OF OHIO.
All Saints Church, Portsmouth, Harcourt Church, Gambier,
St. Thomas' « St. Clairsville, St. James' " Batavia,
St. Mark's " Mill-Creek, St. John's
" Cuyahoga Falls
St. Matthew's Church, Perry, St. James' Hanovor,
Christ Church, Cincinnati. St. Michael's "
Unionville,
St. Paul's 6 Cincinnati, .. St. John's Ohio City,
St. John's
Worthington, St. Timothy's" Massillon,
St. James' 66 Piqua,. St. John's
Lancaster,
St. Paul's
Steubenville, St. Paul's 66 Utica,
St. James' 66 Cross-Creek, St. Jude's 66 Montville,
St. Paul's 66
Medina, Trinity 66 Lyme,
St. Peter's
Delaware,
Christ 66 Liverpool.
St. Peter's "
Morristown,
St. James'
Painesville,
Grace Berkshire,
St. Matthew's" Ashtabula,
St. Stephen's Church Grafton, St. Andrew's " Elyria,
St. Matthew's Hamilton, Trinity
Jefferson,
St.Phillip's Church, Circleville, St. Paul's
Greenville,
Trinity 66 Troy,
St. John's
" Wakeman.
St. Luke's "
Granville.
Intimately connected with Christianity, and one of its legiti- mate offspring, is the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, located at our seat of government.
THE ASYLUM FOR THE DEAF AND DUMB,
Is located in Columbus. Here the Deaf and Dumb are received, and that mental and moral cultivation is bestowed on them, which raises them to the occupations of society, and the enjoyments of social life, of which they were naturally deprived. It is one of those benevolent institutions, to which this age has given birth, and which does honor to human nature.
This Asylum has been in operation nearly nine years. It owes its origin to the philanthropy of the State legislature. The present number of pupils is thirty-five; twenty-seven of whom, are supported by the bounty of the State. It is an
309
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
additional misfortune to many of this class of persons, not only to be deaf and dumb, but poor.
The Asylum is managed by a board of Trustees, appointed by the Legislature. It is at present under the immediate superintendence of a Principal, and two Assistants. The expense attending a year's residence at the Asylum, is seven- ty-five dollars. This sum covers all expenses at the institution, except those for clothing. Pupils remain at school four or five years, during which time they study Arithmetic, Geography, History, &c., and become able to do business for themselves. The system of instruction is that of the Abbe L'Epee, and per- fected by his celebrated successor, Abbe Sicard. The eye is the avenue through which the instructor communicates with the minds of his pupils. Signs are substituted for sounds; and they are found sufficiently copious and expressive, to teach written langague, or any branch of education.
There is now erected in the vicinity of Columbus, a build- ing for the accommodation of the pupils. Its dimensions on the ground are eighty feet by fifty. There is some land belonging to the Asylum, on which it is expected the male pupils will labor.
In this Institution, the unfortunate Deaf and Dumb children of our state will for a time find an " asylum," and will, through its means, have light shed on their darkened minds. H. N. Hubbell, A. M., is the Principal.
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
EXPORTS.
We export, wheat, maize, or indian corn, hemp,flour, bran, salt pork, beef, bacon, feathers, hops, iron in hollowware, and bars and pigs of iron; cider, apples, hay, whiskey, mill stones, grind stones, carthen ware, glass, cordage, cattle, horses, hogs, sheep, wool, boards, shingles, coal, woolen and cotton cloths, janes, gun powder, printing types, cabinet ware, beer, fowls, butter, cheese, boards,planks, steam boats, frames for houses,
310
HISTORY OF OHIO.
bricks, hewn stone, boots, shoes, books, paper, rags, thread, twine, tobacco, of all sorts, manufactured or not manufactur- cd, plows, shovels, spades, potatoes, grass seed, ale, porter, domestic maple sugar, molasses, axes, hoes, saddles, bridles, bristles, tallow, staves, printing types and printing presses. The two last articles are made at Cincinnati in abundance for our supply, and enough, for the West.
REMARKS.
Of the above enumerated articles of commerce, horses, cat- tle, hogs, sheep, beef, pork, lard, bacon, wheat, flour, indian corn, and whiskey, form our principal ones, of value, and pro- duce, at least, a great many millions of dollars, annually, equaling, and more than equaling in value, all our imports. This balance of trade, in our favour at this early day, of our existence as a state, is but the mere dawning of a brighter day, when all our territory shall be filled up with such a popu- lation, as will naturally find their way to Ohio. Large quan- tities of pork and flour, are exported from the Scioto Valley to Montreal, Quebec, and the Islands below the mouth of the St. Lawrence bay. These are sent to feed the getters out of lum- ber, in the British North American provinces. For these, we receive cash, in payment. English goods landed at New York, pay for pork in Ohio. The money comes from New York and returns there, or buys lands in the west.
OUR IMPORTS,
Consist of the productions of every country on the globe; and of the manufactures of every manufacturing town in Europe. The cloths of England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany, find their way into Ohio, and are worn by our citizens. England, sends us her earthern wares, her cloths, Liverpool china, her cutlery, needles and pins. France sends, us her silks, printed calicoes, watches, wines, brandies, prints, and porcelains. Switzerland sends to us watches and jewelry.
311
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
Germany, her cloths, and glass. Holland sends her gins, pins, and delf wares. Italy sends us her figs, currants, raisins, olive oil, gewgaws and beggars. Sweeden and Russia, send their iron, cordage, and furs. Africa furnishes us ivory for the handles of our knives, and for combs. Central America sends her mahogany wood to make our tables, chairs and bureaus.
We use the teas of China, her porcelains and silks. We have the wares of Japan, the coffee of Java and of Mocha-of Brazil, of Cuba, and the West Indian isles-their sugar also. We have the spices of the East Indian islands, and the cocoa nuts of the islands of the Austral Asians-their tortoise shell, and their pine apples .- We use the oil and bones of the whales of the arctic oceans, about each pole.
We use the furs of the Northwest coasts of America. We use the skins, and fur of the seals of the far southern islands of the Pacific ocean, and the tins of Banda, and of England. We have in our Cincinnati Museums, specimens of nearly every mineral, and of every animal in the world.
Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama furnish us with cotton and sugar. We import lead from Galena and Du Buque-furs, skins and peltries from the Rocky Mountains, and send them our productions in return.
We import the manufactures of our own eastern states- glass, and the manufactures of iron from Pittsburgh-shoes and leather from all the cities, east of us-their cotton and woolen goods-their fishes, and all sorts of manufactured ar- ticles, either of wood, iron or steel. Paints, dye stuffs, drugs and medicines are imported. We feed our eastern brethren, and they clothe us, and they send us medicines to keep us in health, or cure us, when sick, so that we can furnish them with meat and bread to eat, and horses to ride on, or be drawn alóng by, in their carriages, on their roads.
We build steamers for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, and they send us sugar and cotton in return. We send ' cabi- net ware to the west, northwest and south-so of whiskey, flour, pork, dried fruits, &c.
312
HISTORY OF OHIO.
This trade and commerce-this interchange of productions keep up, a constant intercourse between men, render them ac- tive, enterprising and industrious, promote their health, com- fort and happiness. This constant intercourse, is a bond of union, which may no one, ever burst asunder. Mutual inter- course produces mutual dependence, mutual profit and mutual friendship. May these forever be continued to us and our posterity, to our eastern brethren, and their descendants.
This constant intercourse, trade and commerce, will require all the energies, of ourselves, and of all our neighbors to be in constant exercise to improve all the means of transportation, now in operation; to create new modes of conveyance; new roads, new canals and rail roads, passing through the state, and to and from it, so as to make Ohio, what it should be, the point at which, all the travel to and from the western states, should centre.
Our trade should be extended more and more, north and south; to Montreal, and especially, to New Orleans and Texas. The northern trade will build up our cities located along Lake Erie, and the southern trade, render wealthy and populous, our towns along the Ohio river. Canada needs our beef, pork and flour, and we want British goods, British sove- reigns and guineas.
The amount of our productions for exportation, will for a long time to come, increase annually, as our numbers increase ; and new markets should be sought for them.
Foreign goods can frequently be purchased in Montreal cheaper than in New York city, and our merchants should visit Montreal, in the autumn, and ascertain where they can buy the best and the cheapest goods.
Canada will forever, to a certain extent, be a good mart for our agricultural productions. So will Western New York be one for our grain.
All the lower Mississippi country will always purchase their flour and provisions, from the people north of them. Texas will soon open a market for our flour and manufactured
313
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
articles. This trade will be more and more valuable as that country fills up with people.
Why do our merchants when from home in quest of goods buy in New York, domestic goods, which are produced in Rhode Island and Massachusetts? The New Yorker purcha- ses them at the east and puts his profits on them. Why should Ohio pay these profits? The article of fish, a great amount of which we consume annually, should always be bought in Boston or even farther eastward. The savings in the pur- chase of these things in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, would in a few years, amount to a million of dollars. Why not add this million to our wealth? Why not go to Montreal and obtain our English cloths, and order them home, and then rapidly proceed to Boston and Providence and procure their productions, and return to Ohio, through New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and there complete the assort- ments ?
Our trade to the south is very important to us, and is daily increasing in amount and value. Our cotton, sugar, coffec and spice are brought to us from the south. When we have more houses established in New Orleans, Tampico, Cuba and St. Domingo, more of our productions will there be sold, con- sumed and paid for, in the productions of those regions. Steam- ers, such as navigate lake Erie, rigged with tall masts, carry- ing sails would best suit the navigation of the Gulf of Mexico. The people of Ohio can build and navigate them from island to island, and from port to port; extending our commerce, and enriching our citizens. Our coffee, our cotton and sugar should be purchased by us on the spot, where they are pro- duced.
Our commerce on the upper lakes should be increased an- nually, and those seas covered with our sails.
The fisheries on those lakes, ought to contribute at least a million of dollars' worth of fish annually to this state.
All these extensions of our trade and navigation will in- crease our manufactures, and open new outlets, for our agri- 40
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314
HISTORY OF OHIO.
cultural products. They will extend and increase the num- ber of our yards, for building ships. They will demand more iron, more founderies, for making machinery for steamers, and more men to labor in these factories. These men will need clothes to cover them, and food to support them and their families.
The trade, navigation and fisheries of the Upper lakes, ought, at no distant day, to support one million of our citizens living on the shore, and near it, of lake Erie. Another mil- lion might easily be supported by the trade, navigation and manufactures connected with the western rivers. Ten millions more could easily find a support, and full and profitable em- ployment, in the interior of this state, on their farms, in their shops, offices, stores and factories of all sorts. The valley of the Mississippi, the largest one on the globe, contains ample space in addition to the Upper lakes, for us, in which, to move about and act. In this large theatre, we should be the actors. On these boards the people of the East may be as they please, either the actors or the audience.
Laying aside the figure, their productions will be very dif- ferent from ours, and will not compete with us, in any market. Ours, consisting of food for the planter and his laborers, of hay and horses to eat it, of cotton bagging, and gins to clean his cotton, of boilers and steam engines, with which to manu- facture his sugar, will not compete with Maine, with her ice and tripes packed in it, of fishes, either fresh or salted, of lumber, such as boards spars and staves.
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