The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-03
For the National Fra
the MIDDLE OF THE NINETRENTH CENTURY,
1850.
INTWO PARTS.-PARTI

turies-by which We date the occurrence Of great
er and lesser events. At these periods the phi
losophical Historian psuses, in his record Of hui
man Transactions, to regard the teachings Of the
immediate past, aud notice the progress Of lu-
manity, aud the advancement or retrogradation
Of the Nations. Centuries arc regular periods
which are constantly before the attention, through
whose immutable procession we see the order Of
events, and trace their mutual relations They
are solemn marches of time, whose tread is sig
nifcant Of wonderful changes in the condition of
the world. With, as it were, the horoscope of the
Ages before us, presenting the countless muta-
tions that are crowded in the Zodiac Of Time we
are led to exclaim that there is nothing upon
whose stability we can depend but the Past, the
Present, and the Future But there is danger in
hasty conclusions These are not the only OBJ
jects on which we can rely Truth is as immuta-
bic as Deity, and at her commands are the move
ments and mutations Of the physical and moral
worlds She is the Sovereign of al things. or
rather, the eternal law by which the Almighty
reigns over the unreasonable universe On the
one hand, material progress, from chaos to per-
fiction is made by fixed obedience to her COM
mands and, on the other hand, human progress,
or human retrograda,ion depends upon obedi.
dience or dsobedienee TO Truth and these de-
pend upon the will of man, who il, in manner,
the sovereign Of his own destiny.
Herein is the consideration which renders the
periodical annotations of the reflective Historian
peculiarly profitable and interesting herein is
the consideration which renders frequent re-
Prospect of our individual lives Of momenous i'm
portance 10 our future welfare. We thus dis
cover the errors Of the past, and resolve to avoid
them for the future But as our own advance
ment toward the Perfect ia made in the bod y-sO.
cial, as well n the body individual, periodical
! r..io,i ,1t q ,ac.yty IS VI equal value That
there is a steady progress Of Humanity, in reali-
zuug more and more Of the True aud the Good
is Acknowledged by the best authorities of the
world This as We have minated depends upon
| the will Of man and il, in noting the advance.
ment he has made for a century or half century
! past he becomes imbucd with a spirit of improve
ment, and resolves upon more rapid progress for
the future, his noble achievements will be COM
mensuratc with the herosm of has warfare with
the Wrong, and Tie energy Of his labors for Truth
And, as We now stand in the centre of the Nine
teenth Century, it il demanded Of us TO study the
events Of the fifty years which have past, aud dc
tcrmne something concerning the progress that
may be made during the coming nifty years We
dwell in the middle age of the century and with
us rests the impulse that may be given 10 the fl-
ture period With us is the will 70 resolve and
10 perform md the question, what is our deter
mination comes home to us all individually and
collectively.
A volume would be required TO nnrol the whole
subject before me- and therefore shall confne
myself 10 "A few matters Of the gravest importance
/ shall avoid a notice of the progress Of learning
and splrndor, in high places of the wonderful
improvements in science and art, that have so
brilliantly succeeded each other and the progress
Of Population, Agriculture Manufactures, Com
mercc, and Internal Improvement, which chiefly
attract the attention Of the thinkers of the age
and confne myself TO n view Of the condition of
the masses Of our Republic. Overlooking the
revolutions Of the old world that have for several
years broken upon the attention of mankind like
the bursting Of the elements, and disregarding
the pomp Of the College the Laboratory, the
Chamber Of Invention, aud the Counting / louise
Of the mammoth company, or incorporation, ]
are found, and inquire Of their joys and sorrows
their hopes aud fears, and ask the influential of
the land what meliOritons they intend 10 make |
In their condition, TO crown the Bencyolence Of
the present century The progress Of the people |
in virtue intelligence, and happiness is vastly
more noteworthy than all other species Of pro-
gress, because in this, more heads are enighten-
ed more hearts are blessed, more homes are |
rrsde happy, ssd humanity more exalted
As the mO,0ie compasses the highest interests
Of mankind | shall conine my present observn-
tions TO those matters which indicate the moral
condition Of the people, and the means by which
moral progress can be made. Such facts m !
have shall be given, that they may speak for
themselves and not be obscured by the uncer-
tninty Of mere assertion
CRIME
! shall begin by giving many facts concerning
the commission Of crime in the United States ms
the best evidence concerning the moral character
of the people Dat Of the general immortality
String cue llsh crimes aud 4siE2 &ar Is yT@alo:
or iess - wiz 6e ihs hum&2S and Nervousness ot
the other.
I'm Hqiae for thirteen years ending with 1871.
the average number of Srute prisoners was ~ per
annmni and for two yenrs, ending with lsit.
they were 81 per annnm-presenting decrease
OF - per cent, while the population increased ~
per CfH' uhIluH INV NAhl' UNIV u Tchl ulUluh-
ton Of crime amounting 10 80 per cent in eight |
years
In Vsfmom, the annual number Of State prison |
ers for twenty five years, ending with 1887, was |
100 aud the number for two years, ending with |
1874, was GJ-presenting dscrease Of 80 per
cent while Interpolation Increased 20 per cent
or u real diminuton Of crime Of ~ per cent
In Mem Himpsb,ye, the annud hvobsr for ten |
years, ending with Is35, MAS 7Jj while for four |
years. ending with 1874 the narnbes MAS 81 !; pre-
serving the same increase ~ Of poyuD1flH.
la MaaHcLp,dtS the animal ouubss u State |
prisoners for ten years, pr with 1887, wss |
POS while f,r four years, eSaibg win 1s4syshs3
annual number was }Dl - Ircsenting n tsiniDg NJ |
crease while that Of the Pors'saion was - per
cent
In Coanedrm the annual NUM- or for nirs
wears ending with 1885. was IN While for thres
wears. ending with istt, Ms numbsr was e06
preserving ihg same inerssss ~ thst Of The popu-
latiOB
IN Nm Js,ses, tbs sumher Of eonyicts was III.
minitbej, frsm 1883 10 ist3, about per cent
while tAs poSelaklss iasreavrd about % per cent
IA. Ss~.vfy1a1Aecssrage annual number of
oogv'ets - G ding with isl2, was 3s7
VALE 1a4iag in isii, the number
ss. ~ . location Of $ per cent.
=. = > per cent n ten