The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-09

oO5S,b5o
Of this, not over a half million went South,
nor more than half million to New England
leaving an emigration of four millions to the
Middle and Western States. Death seems to
have reduced them materially. What a waste
of life is created by migration for VIC find that,
according to the last census, of which 80 little
has az yet been published that there remain
Of foreign born, only 2,2lO,s27 of which, full
two millions are no doubt in the Middle and
| Western States. | have no doubt however,
that the estimate Of the census is wrong-cen-
suses are ever but approximations to truth
The ceu:us shows, however, that per cent
of our whote population is foreign born. If we
take those States, however only into consid-
Grafton which have received the principal in
fiux of this population, and the ratio rises to 25
per cent This is principally in the Middle
and Western free States The dates of the
census are, however, apt to lead us astray as to
the real amount Of immigration. They include
only those actually born abroad The children
OF these immigrants amount surely to as many
more as themselves, and taking them into con-
sderation, and the ratio will, in almost all the
Middle and Western free States, rise to 33 per
cent, and in many localities to more than half
To Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, Mil
waukie Cleveland, Chicago, and even Boston,
at least the one.half if not taoo-thirds, of our
adult iaboring population are foreign born.
There is not particle Of doubt in my mind,
that nearly one-half of all the values of our
Middle and Western free State products arises
from foreign born labor To prove this, we
will take the AGO. 1927 Irish, English, German,
and French, which the census shows are now
in the United States They consist principally
of grown persons; and 500, 900 is not stating
the number too large which is now actually en-
ployed in the Middle and Western free States
IN various productive occupations. | do not
think that there are more than 500, 900 native
born adult Americans in the same States who
belong to the productive classes. The number
Of voters in any of these States will exhibit this
fully. There were cast in New York, at the late
Presidential election, 52S, 900 votes. The CEN
Sus shows that there are in New York foreign
born, to the number of 65l sol of these, about
onc-half are adult males, amounting at least to
275,O0O able-boded men, of whom no less than
two thirds are voters amounting to 100000
| Deduct these $50 900 from the 528 900 and
and there remain of native voters 34S, 900. How
many of them are laboring men know not
but they will hardly exceed 10000, which
about equals the 275,000 able bodied foreign
born males which, according to my calcula
ton from the census returns are in New York
will not multiply calculations, since enough
has been stated to show that much Of on
growth arises from immigration.
Had all this migration gone South, as it ha
North, and the Southern States would not b
in minority in Congress; it would not appea
to fall behind us; on the contrary, its progress
would have been az unparalleled as ours il
fact, more 30. Would it, in that case, be right {
claim ali such results az result of the benefit
Of slave labor? No! And no more is it RICH
to claim for ourselves, our color, our race O
our institutions, all those great results in on
progress, a good deal of which have sprun,
: from immigration. Slavery, no doubt, impede
the growth of the South, and freedom is n grea
element in our success; but the main impedi
{ ment of the South consists in keeping from tn,
J immigration of free laborcrs
Before the adoption of the United States
Constitution, and for twenty years afterwards
=, the South outgrew the North. Whvl Because
It outgrcw the North in aboring population
Is this true you ask Read the following
d from Ellwood Fishers North and South y
i which have never seen controvertcd, and you
= will be satisfied
c When tho Constitution was adopted. the
q population of tho two sections of the United
I States was nearly equal-each being not quit,
d two millions Of inhabitants-the South inclu
ding more than half 4 million of slaves Tht
territory then occupied by the two was per
I haps also nearly equal in extent and fertility
: Their commerce was also about the same, tn,
North in 1890, exporting about $4,000, $40
the South about SO, 200 500.
. Even the property held by the two sections
was almost exactly the same in amount, beinl
. about 100000 600 in value each, according
to an assessment for direct taxes in 1898
, For the first quarter Of century Of tn
present Government up to 1916, the South tool
$ the lead Of the North, in commerce as at tn
d end Of that period the exports Of the Southern
e States amounted to about thirty millions c
nj dollars, which was five millions more than til