New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-11
TUOUOHTS on TIE CENSUS.


v "
The ,cnsn, of tho state Of Nev-YOrk for tho year
year 1850 Indicates. even in is present inoompIets
state significant changes in the population. Tne
ehts add arge to-ns are increasing in the number Of
their bsbiiani., and tho rural districts are falling
hwsy. Now YORK CJ'y b supposed 10 have aided not
ess Ina 100 hundred thousand TO ts population with
IN Tie Int i've year, AID brooklyn has increa sed In
large though perhaps not equal ratio. New York,
md the cidss and around H. contain about ono
ton 81 the Sib;e Albany. Troy and the cities thence
y,st 20 Buffalo, have had far Increase, and sorneo OF
The towns on tbe Ere Railroad, EIDirs especially.
have aluost duplicated their population. Blu; the
rurbl yiagos aDd the agricultural districts show 10
.uch fac'S They Hre stationary or declining aud in
some cases the decline has been rapid bey onf any
pos,ible ancipatiops.
these changes ore the results of natural causes and
ore inevitable II il within the recollection Of resiers
bet ween forty and fifty years Of age, that in their
Younger days all mechanical trades were dinued with
The population whose wants they suponed, ana thss
home manufactures furnished the simple articles Of
rural households The increase Of the facilities OF
INSTRUMENTATION has concentrated the trades, that
they NAV take advantage Of the division OF labor and
mechanics have therefor crowded 10 the towns and
,iiifa The local blacksmith once patiently ham
mcied out the nails woich fastened his neghoTs
loufe fashioned the shoes and the nails 'or tho
feet of his neighbours horses Now he does neither.
The machinery of "a. centra ~ Adjustments presents
al this work cone 10 the blacksmith hands much
more chespy tran he can do 1t. hen the farmer
phid for The tanning of his hides at the vilsge tannery
Iprobaby by leaving with the tanner part of the pro-
Cuct and the peripatetic shoemaker maze an annual
visit TO his house, TO convert them into boots aud
shoes for hs family. Now the village tannery
is a historical recollection, and shoes and boots
are mainly purchased at the stores, the products u
ptest manufacturing establishments. Then on Sum-
mtrs afternoon, at the door on the shady SIDE OF tne
farm bouse, might be seen the wife and mother Dusty
suinring her flax while the hum in The chamber indi-
Gated tie dustry Of the daughters at work at the
wool II G ia was converted into linen, which Gu
tered into all manner OF household iarhlshngs, ana inc
wool became flannel and cloh for household wear:
The loom was sn Indispensable article IN every rura
boust old aud every amb ious daulscl was proud OF
the linen wrougi ~ be own HANDS, which became o
pert OF her bridal portion. But these too are now REQ
objections oUN narrated for the wonder or amusement
of crsnC chlur,n II. The wool IL sold from the shean o.
the fnrn.r snd never indoors TIL It Gomez back
in cloth or ready. made clothing The old falling mie
is dilspdated, and the cerdng machine mas ueesyH
and vanished away and those who worked them have
fed elsewhere for employ ment Flax has become Oh
soete and the of slaves and the looms OF Low
ell replace il with cotton. 49,
These are but illustrations showing process whch
has been long at work and which has tlae been PIE
ciptated by the multiplication OF railroads. Diudsed
mechanical labor of all kinds has In this manner been
falling steadily away, ana even no" mas NOT PfooaoJ
reached It's minimum. . -,
Nor is this the OILY cause affecting the decline OF inc
rural population. In many sections agriculture iisef
is recurring les manual labor. The horse rake COM
mtnced a change which sowing, and hoeing, and NOW
irg ard reaping, and tbrashing machines have per-
feced The farmer parts with his sons, who go to the
cities or TO the West becsus with improved impe-
uents of agriculture he has less apparent demand for
their rvces or because the lees intelligent labor OF
immigrant foreigners w answer h!s purpose AS wen:
By steady droins like these the decline Of the rural
POPULATION is inevitable OF course 1t must at some
time reach its minimum, but 1t Is as yet inp0sslDe 10
det, mine the limits of the process.
The moral suggestions arising from these tendencies
are numerous and important. The accumuauoa "a
the population in towns and cities is not favorable 10
public virtue and the general progress OF religion.
With the incre of the population OF large places,
there ia almost uniformly increase oil temptation
and vice-in all where it is not specifically coua-
teracted BY strong moral and religious causes Tha
duty of Christians to multiply the agencies OF evan
eezaton such places IL most apparent aud impera-
tive With all that Christians in this City are doing
10 promote the religious welfare OF the populati0ns
there is but most inadequate amount OF labor anu
sacrifice relatively to the demands OF the incretng
population Ii is impossible 10 reflect on this suJect
without the most serious apprehensions we believe
that CbnstaJs Of our own and Of other denominations
are committing serious and sin, that they arc
not organizing themselves for the specific wock OF
spreading churches and all means OF grace with the
growth of the City. There il the need like ~so
in other growing populations and neglect OF the OPP
portune hour will have its btttr harvest III giving us
towns and cities copying the vices OF the Old World
The destiny of The rural churches under these inev-
liable changes Of population, IL perhaps TOO eay 10
pre dict The increased value of agricultural produots,
and The growing cath Of rural districts, Will postpone
Pee uninry weakness, though rural congregations may
declie IN numbers. OF hing there can DO no
doubt The constant intercourse kept up between oity
and try and the increasing Aggregate inioIgeoc6
of the rural districts, creating demand for higher
average nelg in the ministry and rural churches
which negectful at this point, will be among tic
first 10 suffer-