The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-04-01
CENSUS OFFicE.
Washington, March 81, 1852.


To The Editor of As Union:
! have received from person in this city printed
pamphlet OF eight pages entitled Remarks the Census
OF Maryland for $780, prepared by the Census Bureau
al Washington" and ''desgned sample of the man
ner in which the Secretary Of the Interior proposes to
arrange the immense OF materials connected in the
returns from all the States OF the Union"--a paper
which was laid before the American Geographical and
Statistical Society. March g. 1852" since find the ar-
Gle copied into the New York papers There is nothing
to Indicate where the publication is printed in any
portion OF the work any indication Of the place where
such society as that named exists. Inasmuch how
ever the paper bears the of Mr. Archibald Rus
sell IFS author, il perhaps proper that its statements
should be noticed. especially is published for circu
ation in Washington, and has been prepared evidently
with view TO caricature the Maryland census as pre-
pared at the Census Office and bring TO the notice OF the
enemies OF the work in Congress the of person
who evinces very willing disposition 10 make himself
useful in ferreng out the trivial errors and give to
the committee such 'report would satisfy the most
prejudiced enemy OF the work. To me il seems some.
what strange that copy of this paper while published
matter OF public interest,", and widely circulated
has been sent either TO the Department of the Interior or
to the Census Ofce-an omission certainly betrayng
want OF courtesy to those publicly censured as well
as nconsiderae judgment in restraining its rays of light
from points where they would be useful and where
they would best the objects OF the compiler if his
motives were 10 promote the cause OF truth
The first point which is made with reference TO The
Maryland censusis charge Of 'aenpt at minute clas-
sicaton"a course soften attempted blind 10 cover
mistakes, and of itself ground for suspicion" This prn-
cple slated is at variance with all experience and
will be made manifest by very simple iustrations--vz
the number of each variety OF industrial establishments
given in each square in Baltimore, will it be much
easier TO detect in such numbers, il msslaied
Than il the numbers OF each were given for the whole
State The one is "minute classification"
Suppose las in the of 54o the number OF estab
shmens OF each kind is not given at all, is it possible
to arrive al the truth with respect the return OF any
interest connected herewith, unless you relake the
census for such interest for such division or district Ger
tainly not. The minute the classification. the
greater the facility OF detecting Suppose the de-
tails OF the census were published so minuely that the
headings contained the Of each person with refer.
ence 10 whom the facts stated applied could the
be detected with certainty by each individual who could
read For example, were we, under the heading OF
persons born in the United Staes" to include the
OF Archibald RUSSELL OF New York, would Mr. Rus
sell detect the error and il TO omit his
name from the number born in Great Britain" would
he not be able, with equal facility, detect the mistake ,
Suppose we 10 include in simple expression
the whole number OF native born" citizens, foreign
born" could he, any other man, possibly detect an
error without examining every name OF the twenty
millions the original in this Officer So with
the returns Of branches OF industry if give them by
squares wards, child detect the errors; whereas
il given by States, The minniesi investigation could not
discover discrepancy.
These illustrations respecting the tendency of extended
or inmate classification deemed sufficient TO show
which course leads most TO the detection OF errors
As illustrative OF his ideas OF the "grounds for sus.
pcion" that minueness OF detail is used blind to
cover Mistakes, he says in immediate connexion Thus
the report OF the census, presented by the executive de-
O'Clock, a. M" How Mr.. Russell has seen the report
presented to Congress do not know, it is not yet
printed but do know that il does not contain any such
date December 3 haf-past o'clock, a m" or any
other o'clock" The assertion is without the shadow
OF proof sustain it. My report is dated simply Census
Office, let December, 1851" and nothing His illus.
ration, therefore, may be deemed equally unfortunate
with his premises
Mr. RUSSELL in proof Of his assertion that che census
itself is carefully prepared" the date of my re
port, states that, ION page 81 under caption free oored
he total whites included" Now, Mr.. Russell must
EEL very hypercritica 10 object TO arrangement which
mounts 10 this only-viz in sixty columns under The
general heading population" the whites occupy thirty
columns aud the "free coored" occupy the same num-
Der and, following Immediately after the classification OF
coored. the total amount OF the classes is stated
tide by side. the whites specified by heading 'total
Whites" and the others by heading "tota free colored "
ifter which follows the aggregate-ihe whole being
me continuous table with general healing "PopuLA
HON. then follows the "slave population" and on the
page the aggregate OF the free and slave classes
separate and combined-an arrangement perfectly proper
md very convenient.
The next subject alluded to is the "amount OF matter"
which the United States will contain, which Mr.
Russell estimates a twenty goodsize volume. for the
United States, il estimated with reference TO the pop
ation" 900 pages or eight volumes; and this conclu.
ion is arrived at by estimating 'the relative area OF /
Maryland, and the printed space occupied by the census
Il that State.
The principle upon which the estimate is based is too
bsurd TO merit reply but simple illustration will
ufce to exhibit the entire desttuon OF logic in the ar
ument, will suggest that the "area' Of Maryland is /
bout as one to thirly-hve compared with that OF Ore.
on therefore the history and statistics OF Oregon will
cqnre a volume OF 500 pages, while that OF Maryland
nay be included within 100, notwithstanding the fact that
1ayland has had important historical events for record
trough period OF more than two centuries, with pop
laion forty-hve times great as that OF Oregon. Il
hay venture TO assert that this il the first time pro.
tssed satst has ventured calculate the extent OF
historical and statistical work the "drea principle !,
pom which, il the magnificent statistical account of Scot
Ind. by Sir John Sinclair, fills twenty volumes what
rand library would the statistical history OF New Hol-
Ind form
That the tables in the Maryland work are not econom-
ally arranged by The printer is freely admitted and il
this account mainly that in the preface 10 the work
presented TO Congress- II IS stated that the entire mat
= Of the Maryland work will occupy sixty pages OF the
re contemplated Now, while il is denied that the or
mt Of statistical work should be calculated with