The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-12-22
1)olitifal.
Es it Possible for the FOREIGN
Vote to I'reponGetatc?

Let those who regard it as impossible tina,
the foreign vote should ever prcponderate over
the irltive vote i'll this country, examine the
| following facts and statistics, embodied in n
recent address by the Americans Of Missouri:
Table No. % of the census of 1850 gives
| the whole number Of males, foreign and ma
tive, over the age of twenty years, then in the
| United States, as 5.653. Sc.
| This, as matter Of course, must cover the
| total number of votcrS, embracing as it does
all males over twenty years of age.
The foreign population. as given by the
Citizen, and III the census returns, was, in
1850, 2,2lU,S2S. OF thi, number fully two
thirds are males over the age of twenty.onc
years, it being \ fact which cannot be dis
puttd. that. of those who come to this coun.
try from foreign lands, by far the greater
number are full grown males. We may
therefore safely say that of the foreign pop,l-
lation in orr midst, there were 800, 600 who
were voters in 1850 or have had sufficient
time since, under our laws, to become so.
Deduct this number from the total number
Of males in the country over 20 years Of age
and we have 1 l63.1S6 MS the total native
vote in 1880. This greatly exceeds the
actual vote, but we dort it as giving the
highest possible number that could he en-
titled TO Il vote according to the census re
turns.
The same number of the Citizen above re-
frrcd to, states that the total emigration to
the United States in 1854 was 3l7 $50.
The annual report of the State Department
to the House or Representatives gives as the
total emigration in 1854, 46O,474, or nearly
one hundred and fifty thousand more than is
stated by the Citizen, but we will assume for
pr, sent purposes, that the number as given
by the Citizen is correct.
With the foregoing facts in view, let us
look forward 20 years from 1850.
To ascertain what will be the native vote
in the year 1870, we have only to ascertain
The ratio Of the increase Of our population,
less HE increase by the emigration.
Mr.. Dc'ow, i'll his compendium of the
census, states the ratio of Increase for the
last 60 years to be three per cent. per ann,lm.
This embraces both the increase by births on
the so,l, and by emigration.
Our population in 1850 was, in round num-
bcrs, twenty millions. The increase of per
cc,it is 100000; Of this, in 1854. over
3G0,m'O was by emigration, leaving, say
300 900, equal to one and a-half per cent,
as the increase of native population.
Applying this ratio OF increase to the num-
her Of native votes in 1850 as above stated,
and We find the increase in the increase in
the number Of votes for one year to lie CT, 2O6
and for twenty years ,204 100.
Add this number to the total vote in 1850,
and we have 5 .3G1 ,0O6 as the total native
vote in 1870.
Now let us look to the foreign vote, which
in 1850 we have estimated at ! 600 900.
at hn for 1,a
whole period from 1850 to 1870 will not ex-
coed that of 1854, as stated by the Citizen,
to witt 81 ,755. that two-thirds of them
are males over twenty-cne years of age-and
we have POO 900 foreigners thrown upon cur
shores each year, all of whom may become
voters under our present laws in five years
from the time of their landing. This for
twenty years. amounts to four millions, and
added to the vote in 1850 gives total foreign
vote in 1870 (only fifteen years hcncc,) OF
$500, 600, or nearly fTo hundred thousand
majorjiy orer The natire ro'cs.
In tins estimate we have not made any
allowance for the deaths which may occur in
the foreign population, nor for the fact that
those arriving during the last five years oil
the period named could not become voters
but we have taken as the basis of our csti
| mates the given by the Citizen, which fal
one hundred and fifty thousand short of tho
actual number that arrived hele in 1854.
live were to take the number as officially
. reported our estimates of the foreign popua
ton in 1870 would be augmented three NIL.
! lions, which is more than sufficient to cover
} the contingencies of death, &C., not taker
. into consideration in our estimate.
: But grant that our estimate may be re
: ductd onc-haf-is it not an alarming idea t
: every american, that even in twice fifteen
years the foreign vote will out-numbcr the
t native, and that many of this generation ma,
| live to see this fear realized
D Another view of the case may be present
$ ed: In 1854, according to the official returns
e over four hundred and sixty thousand foreign
a ers arrived IN the United States.
y If this food of emigration had been direct
cd TO the Territories of the United States,
Y would i'll single year have given popula
ton to seven new States. equal to that q
. Missouri at the time Of her admission int
: The Union