Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-04-02

with an abundance Of wholesome and pala-
table food-if, | say, we consider all these
things, we shall not, indeed, endeavor to
pred1ct the future, but we shall conclude
that II is not at all impossible for this earth
to contain and sustain some centuries from
this LOCO or still more inhabitants on every
So. mile. But to return from coniectures to
be realized only by discoveries as vet I'M
known, to antlcIpatons based on the actual
attalnments of science and acknowledged
facts IN the present condition and past pro-
gress OF some portions Of the world Those
facts and this condition do indeed show
that population of 400 or 500 per So. mile
is attainable throughout the habitable world;
but so deeply are most nations oppressed
by tyranny, ignorance and vice, that many
ages mnst elapse before this limit will be
reached. In some countries, however, pre-
sent circumstances justify US in anticipating
this wonderful result. In these United States
particularly, if we regard the physical cha
racter of its territory as we'll as the form Of
It's government and the spirit of its people
we may fairly expect that population will
continue TO advance more rapidly than else
where. OF the 100000 So miles of their
area, we may suppose nearly 100000
suitable Tor dense population. Our pre-
sent numbers are about 100000, or an
average of 10 for every 50. mile of our ha-
6ltable soil. The returns of six successive
censuses have shown tina. the population OF
the ch0le county has increased for so wears
with almost perfect uniformity in the ratio
OF about per cent. per annum, or from SO
to 81 per cent. for every 10 years, and con-
|sequently doubling in every quarter-century
or little less. Mr.. William Darby. JUDGE
Tucker, and other eminent statisticiaaas I'll
| may coin a term have Anticipated the
continuance of this law of increase for a
century or more. But this prophetic theory
must, | apprehend, be taken with a few
grains Of allowance. They seem to have
overlooked or undervalued some qualifying
circumstances. The natural increase has
hitherto been aided by accidental augmen-
atlons. The first reduplication between
1890 and 1914 or 1915 was accelerated not
only by considerable immigration from Eu-
rope, but by the purchase of Louisiana with
$4,000 inhabitants, and by the importation
of many thousand slaves from Africa. Dur
ing the last period of reduplication, 1914
rs TO lS3S-'4O, the ratio was greatly in
creased by immigration. In that period
more than one and a half millions of TO-
reigners are estimated to have come among
US, and these with their own natural in
crease added nearly 100000 to our num-
oers In the last census Subtract these q
100000, and it is visible that the redupL-)
cation would have occupied some 8 10 s.
years more. Now this immense tide of
immigration cannot flow always. When
ever our population shall have spread over
most of our vacant lands, the price of landI
viii of course rise, the facilities of SELF
diminish, and the poor of Eu-
ope find less inducement to immigration.
Oeductlng these extraneous numbers. the
natural increase of our population will be
ound to proceed in a ratio VARYING very
title from 2 l-3 per cent. per annum, which
would effect reduplication once in about
50 years. The foreign immigration last
'ear was more than 100000. For SO years
more, perhaps for rs, and possibly for 100,
We may expect this immigration to increase
u ratio parallel with our increasing pop
llation; because the Old World will become
more crowded, and this New
World, with settlement still comparatiuezu
parse, will present attractions but little d. /
Accordingly the number of our
'eople in 1865 may be expected to be a.
'out 35,000,00O; in 1890 about 20, OOO,O 900; (
nd perhaps in 1915 about l40,00O,O0O
Then our average population would be 70
'er so. mile all the best portions of our
errltory would be under careful CIVILIZATIONS;
he price of lands would be largely increas-
d, and only intelligent industry would COM
nand an easy subsistence. These causes,
ombined with the expense and danger of
n Atlantic voyage, would probably COM
lence, by that time at least, to detain the
lass OF the European poor at home; or it
lay be that their current would be turned
} other and more open quarters of the
yorld After the year 1915, therefore. ia
hould expect our population to fall back at
east to its present ratio of increase, which, q
part from immigration, is about 9 l-3 pera
ent. yearly. In fact, if we consider how {
ense will be the population in some of the y
der States, and how much previous emf a
ration and a crowded settlement will have
npeded its passage to the new, we shall
onclude that if the annual increase shall
ot have receded 10 2 per cent or less, it {
ill only be because intelligence, industry q
I'd virtue shall be more largely and equal
diflused than has ever yet been known. +
, therefore, we suppose the next redupli- r
'tion to occupy 50 years, and the United G
ates in 1850 to contain 2S0,0O0,OOO inha- '
tants, Or 40 per so. mile, we shall make |