New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-30
DECLINE OF IMMIGRATION.

Abstract ideas influence but lew men positive,
tangible things, the world. Accordingly. we are
sure that only small number are drawn to this
country BY the pure love Of liberty independently
of veal and wages. The mass come hither be-
cause they believe that they can better their con-
dition increase their rewards, and diminish their
lsbors. They do not come simply to put piece of
PAPER opce a year into the balotbox or possibly be
elected to office but to get money and be better
fed. clothed and housed than they are in Europe.
Even the PuXtans did not come hither for 4" free
I" dom to worship God for that freedom they
had in perfection at Leyden, bat to improve their
material resources; and human nature has not
changed since 1920. We have not learned that
any of the American artists, dentists, common
carriers. or ribbon merchants who lived in Paris
previously to the Napoleonic coup d'ttat have
quitted because absolute despotism regnS there.
They swallow the despOtism and put money in
their purse The world may like liberty, it is
true but liberty which brings substantial benefits
hence the French revolution of lSiS failed because
it did not diminish taxes.
When Irsh emigrants began to return to Ire
land because they could not find employment in
the United States, for every one so returning were
many in Ireland dissuaded from immigrsting. Aud
that /. one cause for the reduced Irish immigration
Bat another 10 that there are not by millions
az msny Irshmen to come as there were pre-
viously to Is47. The German immigration, how
ever, has not been subjected to any sensible reduc
ton through diminished resources OF Germany for
that purpose but its reduction is due to the want
of employ and sufficient wages here which
Germans under our British Free-trade tariff have
finally experienced, the fever OF California being
over, and the fabulousDess Of its gold supplies
being limited to fact We have mines aud water
power in the State Of New York richer in value
than gold pacers; but these under our stolid policy
lie urinyitirg and idle.
We are aware that this view Of the case is NOT
universally admitted, and that the enormous de-
crease Of immigration is attributed to the influence
of Know Nothingism. This seems to us to be alto
gether erroneous. We believe that protective
tariff for the next twenty-one years-unalterably
laid DIV Ould fetch twenty 0De millions OF lmml-
grants. even though not one Of them was allowed
to vote for twenty one years or even to hold Office
People in Europe, without ever having voted
or held office, think much less Of these things
than We imagine, ana are never driven 10 rev
olution except through physical suffering
low wages, dear bread, dear or no meat,
and mean hard life altogether. When, therefore,
these people hear that emigrants want work or
good wages in this country, and actually behold
them coming home sickened and Disguised from the
United States, what wonder that immigration fals
of BY tens of thousands It is estimated that the
immigration, Of this year falls short of that of last
yesr-which was 34O,OO0-by one half, and that
the worth Of the immigrants on the money
they brought with them and their industrial
value vas Si67 ,OO0.O 900. No doubt this is fair
calculation if anything too low for it is difficult
to value the arm of freeman welded in labor and
resdy for the defense Of country. But estimat-
ing the labOIers at 81 500 each. and retaining
100000 of them among 100000 immigrants we
have this result, adding an average sum Of fifty
dollars as brought by each one
This Is no after pr ophecy Of ours regarding i'm
migration. We have for years held that reduced
immigration was inevitable under the tariff Of
l:46. immigration must not be copfounded with