New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-29
WASHINGTON.
The u. 9. Ceusus-Mr. Kennedy ana Mr.
Russell.

Russell.
WASHINGTON, Thursday, March "a, lo'2.
To the Editors efths N. Tr1buH<
Iobssrsed in The Tiibisss OF the 23d inst some
editorlal comments upon paper read oy ALEX.
RUSSELL Esq before the American Geographical ana
Statistical Society, which l think deserves some
confederation, as believe you have adopted thar
sentlemans views wlthou. 4 suinciem ELIMINATION
of the work under discussion. am conhdeh' you
will receive the feg remarks shall make on your
article in the spirit OF fairness thai You nave
heretofore manifested in all the articles OF The ir
b,ne ctlps the Census hope also, mat isse
impres.ion which many would receive ron your
article above referred 20, tc be rsmortd, II succeed
in sho y ing you that Mn RUssELL's views are mol
only incorrect. but In many respects absurd, ..a
Tine Association before whom Mr. RUSSELL reaa
his PAPER has ciehifed and high. sounding name "
10 tue although even the exisence OF sucn sosis
~ ia known but - few, and It's name woulo NOT "
itself in cur country give character 10 BIS views pus
Won ,eem to indolse statements calculated TO IN
ufe a work which nas already yecelVed tne nisuess
compliments in Europe, and the unquained CON.
mencauon Of person. In THIS country VINO ave osss
ne ed no imitation 10 make tlen aulhofIy IN such
M ALTERS recognized. ~.
Asyou alude to only two or three points In MR..
RUssELLs address, 1t is TO be presumed tnat II the
sssumptjons therein contained can be shown to be
ridiculous, it will 10, be difficult to estimate the
value of that which is not mentioned or alluded TO-
have never heard before that the statistical and
descY1ptIye history OF state or country us 10 De
estimated by the of that state" Great Britain
is of no great dimensions, but much more OF vol
ume would be occupied oy ITS history than would Dc
required for the history Of Australia and the history
of az ac would make but smail work compared
with that of Italy. SO that the principle OF esmas'
ing the extent OF the United States Census by the
space devoted to the State OF Maryland on tue
'sAREA" principle is simply absurd
In the preface to the Maryland work It is stated
that the whole matter contained in that volume Will
comprise about 60 pages OF me SIZE coa'empla!sa In
know that the matter can be so comprised NOV
Man land is old State, its history as ancient as
almost any other Its population amounts to l4Oth OF
that of the whole United States, the interests and
character OF its inhabitants diversified ss those
of any other State Is 1t not therefore more reasona-
Bile to argue that IT, under these circumstance the
history and statistics of Maryland occupy go pages
similar those of The American Archives, that forty
times sixty or 2.400 pages or two volumes OF l,2Oo
pages will comprise the whole Census OF the 81 in
place of"l0 600 pages or twenty good sized volumes
THE work as proposed by Mr. KENNEDY will not be
as large as the "abstract Of the British Censuses,
and but little if any larger than that Of NeHYork
for 1885, without line of reading matter. How ridi
culous then does it seem to talk about such vas!
work" for the United States-a work not as large as
the statistics OF Industry of the City OF Pans alone
Itisyery easy to "suggest," as Mr. RUSSELL doe o
which is not understood by the person who under
takes to criticse compilation like thai in question
While it is said the scope OF the proposed work is
immense and Congress Is advised not to authorize
60 extensive a publication, Mr.. RUSSELL finds fault
because elaborate tables were not ln oduced, inst-
tuting comparisons OF the ages OF the Inhabitants,
with their places OF nativity. He also would add
materially to the tables of occupation and complains
OF the want OF suitable analysis OF them, when,
he had examined the work with any attention, ne
could rot fail to perceive thst such an Analysis had
been made.
You say, "the headings also not lucid. What
does number of weliings mean !" By examining
Walker or Webster you will find " dwell Ing y TO
mean q habitation, place OF residence for man,
sbQ de " " N
term much better adapted to its purpose than that
"house," which does not always mean place oil
abode for man. To me, It seems equally lucid as tue
question which is proposed respecting its me anng,
which 10, Does it indicate the separate houses or
rooms in a common house. Now II you Will ex-
plain what you mean, or Mr. RUSSELL means, By
includes separate houses" sin a common house"
Ii is said in your article, that, " of the twenty
seen pages Of the work devoted TO Medical Stats
tics, MIR. RUSSELL speaks very siightiDgly" Mf.
RUSSELL doubtless imagines hineV a very compe-
tent man to discuss the merits of medical statistics,
but happen to know to the contrary and know
that theye have been arranged by man OF great
scientific requirements, one who was Surgeon in
the Army before Mr. RUSSELL ever saw America
But rs some reason is adduced for the estimate OF
their worthlessness, will look at 1t for moment.
You say "the unknown causes OF death are so great
rs to destroy entirely the value of the table" No~
the proportion OF unknown" in the tcnedule oil
diseases is about one fifth, Of whom the most are
INFANTS. Are the statistics of the remaining four
hhs Of no value, because oneffsh not recorded
II so, no value can be placed on any medical Stats
tics extant, for If concieniousy or faithfully pre-
pared, all must contain very many cases OF death
from unknown causes"
To destroy confidence in these tables, they are CT.
ted to make 1t appear that they record deaths BY
Insonity, sc SO they do contain such records, and
do the British returns as compiled by DR.. FAIR OF
London, who prepared the reports OF the statstics
of mortality for Great Britain, and OF whom the
Register enersl says from his medical kno wledge,
scientific requirements and intimate acquaintance
with statistical subjects, he is peculiarly well fitted
or the undertaking"
Register. General OF England, there will be found
recorded 80 deaths from Insanity"
On page 81, find 81 cases OF death by insanity,
and thus throughout the work.
After such proofs from such authority 1t 10 unne-
cessary 20 notice any further the structures on the
value of the cal statistics contained In the Mary
land work
They are evidently the work of one disappointed
in failing TO carry out certain views Of his own and
who is willing, from personal motives, TO throw OBJ
stacles In the way OF work well calculated 10 de-
velop the various interests Of Country in man
universally acknowledged to be superior TO every
plan heretofore pursued.
Admitting that there is " great simplicity in Mr.
RussKLL's statements" DO not agree with you that
his conclusions " are presented with propKiety
fairness" ana TANK you will hardly view them
in the same light.
is net hard to divine the reason of the writer for
suggesting that l. better to delay the puolica
ton of any detailed census till the plan 10 properly
naured' but appears to the much easier for man
to undermine good structure, than to build even
poor one.
am satisfied that personal feeling has actuated
Mr. RussELL's attack, and knowing, as do, the nus
state OF the case have thought 1t proper to furnish
you with the above remarks.
am, respectfully and truly, yours
FAIR PLAY.