Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1846-04-02
co III vi u MIC ALTON.
PROGRESS OF POPULATION-No. III.

me American than that OF the long, quick
strides which our country has made, is max
ing, and, by Gods blessing, will still make
in her march to unprecedented power. And
what most animates the breast of every
right-minded spectator of this inspiring
scene, is less the hope that the wings Of her
eagle will overshadow all nations either by
the terror of her arms or by the more insi-
dious policy of 'annexation," than that all
mankind will be illumined by the light of
her example, and follow in her peaceful foot
steps till they are as happy and as free as
she. There is desire in all men, and more
than ever during this period of unequaled
progress, to rend the veil of futurtv, and
peruse the glories reserved by fate for the
vision Of eyes as yet unborn. But although
we are not permitted to enter among the
secrets yet hidden in the womb of time, and
those secrets may come forth amidst the
throes Of anarchy and the shadows of re-
turning barbarism, yet it is neither unpIeas-
ing nor unuseful to suppose happy pro-
gress from the present, and by the aid of ra-
tional conjecture to infer the ripened future
from the ripening past Then, laying aside
all gloomy thoughts of possible disunion or
possible decay, what may we suppose from
the history of the past and the condition of
lhe present, will be the probable future of
this land in power and population The
first thought that checks the fervor Of hope
and the wildness of conjecture, is that
there is limit to all things earthly. Our
globe itself can at last sustain but limited
number of inhabitants. What the limit is.
of course we cannot ascertain. 1t contains
less than 100000 square miles, and who
ever admits 100000 of these as fit, at
present, from climate and soil for the crowd
ed residence of men, makes very liberal
allowance. Science may hereafter reclaim
for man large regions long given up to hope
less desolation. It's present population is
most correctly estimated at about 100000
900, or 80 per square mile. Were the bless
ings of virtue, knowledge and freedom uni
versally dihused, there can be no doubt that
the present state of science is such as to en-
able the earth to sustain with ease 800 per
square mile. England has already passed
that limit, and as yet has met no visible
check. In some instances her skill has al |
ready drawn nearly 100 bushels of wheat
from one acre of land. Past improvements
may permit US to believe that this is not the !
utmost attainable limit: but were even this
Of N
crops throughout the habitable world, and
any tolerable division of society into the
various classes of producers, manufacturers,
carriers and vendors, were as universallvI
prevalent, the 100000 So m. above men
toned could certainly sustain 500 human
beings per SO. mile or 15,0OO,OOO,OOO. The
possibility of the easy support of so vast
population is not overthrow by the fact
that even in the present condition of Eng
land multitudes lie whitening in abject want
for this results less from her density of set i
Element than from wide prevalence of ig-
norance and vice, and from system of un- {
holy legslation-a legislation which forces
the hard earnings of those who are already )
miserably poor into the pockets of those |
who are already UNNECESSARILY rich. Could 7
the proceeds of her yearly industry BE fair
ly divided among the masses, every indivi- g
dual in her cities and her fields MIGHT be =
maintained in Overlooking comfort. And I
whatever may be said by the grumblers and
alarmiss of the age, the undminished in t
crease OF her numbers and the increased c
longevity of her people is full proof that
The English masses are experiencing con- c
slant Moderation, both physical and moral a
When, then, we consider that that one coun- 4
try, which is one-fourth smaller than Vir h
gInla and far less fortunate both in soil andIn
climate, has increased in so years from less t.
than 100000 to. more than 100000. y
adding l l-2 per cent. per annum TO ills al S
ready crowded population, till it has reach Ii
ed the enormous density of 800 per SO. mile. a
md that without any visible augmentation c
Of dlstress-that this rapid increase still con- d
inues undated, and that with the advanc- O
ng millions, who cry for food, the steps of o
agricultural improvement have still keptir
'ace, imparting fresh fertility to the earth c.
md drawing fresh sustenace from her bosom In
that the flight of science, which for years "
las outstrlpped the fastest vision, is still a,
ushlng onward with accelerated speed /,
hat the discoveries of her feeble infancy II
lave so largely overleaped all previous be- c;
Jet, that 1t would be far less astonishing ifI :
Ter strengthened age should by new apo)j-Ib
cations Of chemistry extract nutrimenl FOR Ii
nan from vegetable and animal substances h
low totally discarded, and even transnIan, e,
o colder regions the tropical banana. Of 10
which q field of one acre will snn,J = /.