New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-12
FROM ST. LOUIS.
eonsu.ss,se Of TIE n. Y. Tribune.

~ L.
ST. LOUIS, Thursday Feb. 23 1856.
The census Of our city just taken, though any
thing but an accurate piece of work, or well e1-
ecuted Job, edifes us somewhat in relation to the
character population and resources OF 81. Louis.
BY il we learn that St. Louis is the home OF l2|'-
OCO persons There are not few who think, aud
give coed reasons for the opinion too, that these
figures should be 10000. OF these, hardly less
than 50, eco are Germans, and $4,000 Irish. Tho
remainder Americans, are from every quarter OF
the Union. The New. England and Middle States
are abundaD'y represepted-morc abupdanty, IL
is reasonable to presume than the Southern States,
for the emigration to Missouri from the Slave
States enbodies farmers principally, who seek
homes in the interior. leaving the counting-roo
the stores the mills aud the machGc-shops, to be
filed BY New. Englanders aud New Workers. Oi
course this heterogeneous character of the popula-
ton Of St. Louis gives rise to conflicting aud d.
yersifed opinions on all prominent SUBJECTS but
generally. people are so ebgroSsed IN the prosecu-
ton OF trades and professions, and so busy buying
and selling produce, az 10 be comparatively lndt-
fertnt to topics not intimately connected with their
every day interests.
rise or fall of the river, the quantity of bacon
in TIE hog raising counties, the price of wheat, as
reported by the la.t steamer frcm Europe, re-
spectacle steamboat accident. are themes which
win any time supersede brawl IN Kansas, or
Congress. Those who heretofore have imagined
St Louis 10 be enphatcally, or even consio era6ly,
Southern in its social aspects, will be surprised tn
learn that there are but l ,539 slaves here, all
tOd-n0t more than enough to stock q brace or
Alabama plantations for John Mitchell. Slaves are
of little value here, and that fact, together with
the abundance Of Irish and German laborers, ac-
counts for their scarcity. You might pass entirely
through st. Louis, along the majority of the
stTeets, without seeing negro servant. The CEN
sus report tells US that there are 601 manuiactur
lug establishments in the city, employing III, $40
aborers, and Sc, 55e 700 Of capital; but this EN-.
braces only the large furnaces, founderies, ma
chibe-shops, car factories, mills, etc, leaving
small establishments, equally entitled to be classed
in the category out of the account.
Our churches number 90, and are said to be
worth ST. 5e7 800, Jumped together. Our supply OF
sacred brick and mortar is quite liberal. The CEN
sus allows us only 45 clergymen to 90 churches
which is no doubt too small. Nearly all creed
are represented and the prominent ones ably vim
dicated by champions Of undoubted ability.
The breaking up of the ice in the river here,
though an event devoutly desired by all, has been
attended by disastrous consequences. Thirty
boats are disabed--sOme of them utterly ruined
The ediate loss OF property by the destruction
is estimated TO be not $3.50, 900; but the ultl-
mate consequences of the loss of so many boats at
time when their services are imperatively de-
manded will be serious. There was already
scarcity of boats on the Western waters, and disas
ters at Cincinnati and Louisville similar to the one
which has occurred here, advises us that the def
cheney of craft on the Mississippi and Missouri can
not be supplied by draft from the Ohio The guam
tty of grain in the West and North is enormous
quite disprOportionate to the means of transport
ing it to market. The forty steamboats, disabled on
the Ohio and Mississippi cannot be replaced by
new ones within year, or two years, so that
Western commerce will not recover readily from
the blow il has received by this sudden calamity.
Minister French, from Nicaragua has been on
Wait to st. Louis and Alton, the scenes Of his for
mer career. He used to be steamboat captain
cut here, and once built ship on the Mississippi.
He left yesterday for the South. Its said he sue
ceeded in enlisting number of adherents to follow
him to Nicaragua.