356 HISTORY OF OHIO. 



creased activity to instruct them, and point out to them the 

 roads which lead to prosperity, comfort and happiness — to el- 

 evate their views, and finally to make Ohio, what it ought to 

 be, the first state in this Union, in numbers, knowledge, wealth 

 and political power. Having attained that elevated point, it 

 will then be our duty to use our power and influence so as to 

 wrong no one, to do justice, and make it the interest of all 

 our neighbors to be our friends. Our position in the nation is 

 peculiarly felicitous, as to soil, climate and productions, and 

 it will be our own fault if we are not the happiest people in 

 the Union. 



STATE LIBRARY. 



The state library was established in the year 1817. It was 

 commenced with only about five hundred volumes, but, through 

 the liberality and fostering care of the legislature of the state, 

 it now contains more than five thousand volumes of books, 

 most of which are of a choice kind, and selected with great 

 judgment and taste. It embraces nearly all of the American, 

 and some of the most approved Foreign Periodicals; and a 

 great variety of such historical and miscellaneous works as 

 are anxiously sought by a reading community. The legisla- 

 ture has usually made a small annual appropriation for the 

 purchase of books; and these appropriations have, by a judi- 

 cious application, already rendered the state library a pleasing 

 resort for all men of reading and science, from different sec^ 

 tions of the state, who make a temporary stay at Columbus. 



The law portion of the state library affords great conveni- 

 ences to gentlemen of the legal profession; and the annual 

 purchases of new works, have usually embraced many of the 

 most valuable of the reports of the different states, and the 

 most learned treatises on the science of law and Americaa 

 jurisprudence. 



