Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-04-29
The United States in 1850.

We find an article under this title in
Hunts Merchants Magazine for April, con-
tanning some interesting speculations based
on the report Of the Superintendent Of the
Census, showing the progressive increase
of population in the United States, during
decenna periods of their existence, as an
independent people, from the first census in
1890 to the seventh in 1850. The result of
the estimate is that in the year 1900 our pop
ulation will have reached "a ,2l4, 2lI and
that in 1850 it will amount to DIG, Sl3, 129
The above estimate is made, taking the
natural increase from 1910 TO 1850, or 26.
IL per cent, the ratio Of our future advance.
This result, ii is admitted, is very improb-
BILE. Various causes will conspire to pre-
vent our future increase equalllng the ra-
pidiiy of our growth hitherto. Although
the additions to our population in decennlal
periods IN coming years may greatly exceed
the increase IN similar intervals of time in
our past history, vet the per centage Of in-
crease IN such accessIons must, almost of
necessity, be reduced. In the course of
thirty or forty years, foreign immigration,
now SO powerful an auxiliary in swelling
our numbers aud raising the ratio Of our pro-
LitSoltI, llhot OtNVhiC u SRilpii dtlNtl1 uu-
important item IN our periodical advances.
The writer makes another estimate, by
which our population in 1850 is computed
at l64 $50 2i6 and this, he thinks, will
fall short of the reality. lie ventures the
assertion that there are those now living
who, If internal dissentions and fratricldal
qnarrels do not previously destroy our ex-
lstence as a nation, will see us a people of
more than 300 ,000, 900 souls. Our terrific
ry embraces 3,I36 447 square miles, and
It's present population amounts 10 but in
habltants to the square mile. Should this
vast area, presenting every variety of cll-
mate, and iuexhaustible Fertility OF SOIL be
as densely people as Great Britain which
has go within the same limits, our num-
bers would reach 600, 020, 500; and should
it ever rival Holland and Belgium in dem
sity of population (2G7 to the square mile
the result would be the enormous amount
of S37 ,434 OILS, equal to four-fiiths of the
present estimated number of the human
race.
1t would seem from the following pas
sage, that the writer differs from kossuth
ia regard to the imminence of the danger
we are in from foreign despots. "-BOston
FdHAtFfpt'
Much has been said of late about the
" manifest destiny of the American people.
Have those who have talked most aud loud
est upon this topic, looked forward into the
future to contemplate what that destiny is
to be We have sprung up like Jonah's
gourd in night, until our shadow is cast
far over the earth; it may be, that like that
gourd, we have the worm gnawlng at our
ytals, and that our downfall will be as swift
aud certain as our rise. Our ruin must
come, if it ever come, from our own
suicidal hand no foreign influence will,
if we remain united, ever be able to over
throw US. To sum up in few words, we
are destined to become power for good
or for evil, such as the world has never yet
seen, in comparison with which the storied
grandeur of the Roman Empire will dwin-
die into insignIficance."