New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-11
THE DECLINE OF POPULATION IN
FRANCE.
BAIpeI's Weekly
From Our Own Correspondent.

One day last week there came 10 Parls d numoer
of The London Times containing an article in which
the writer claims to show that France Is in its
decline Now the French are not peculiarly
thin skinned peOple-nOt more so than their neigh
bors across the Channel-nOt 80 much so as we
Americans, Of whom it has been said, "Other
"nations have been called thin-sknned, but the
"eitizens Of the Union have apparently no skins at
call" But no people like to be told OF their de-
fects. The Timess article has raised quite an ex-
citement among the pubcists here, and there is
hardly one of the serious journals that has not pub
Eshed one or more replies What is noteworthy
among other things in these replies is, that they are
occupied mostly with attempts at explanation or
refuatOn of The Times statements and differences,
and not full of abuse of England. These " frivO-
s'lous excitable Frenchmen" treat grave theme
with a gravity, and defend their national standing
with courtesy that certain Ang0-SaXOn Journalists
we read Of would do well to initiate, whether III IN
ternational or domestic pOencs. In view OF the
chief fact which serves for text to the writer in
The Times and which IS indsputable, every patri-
otic Frenchman has cause indeed for gravity.
A census is taken IN France once every five years
The statistics Ofthe last published in the Mont
hzT of the 31st December, 1886, and from them 1t
appeared that the increase of population during the
II
quarters of one per cent, in nation Of thirtytve
million souls! In the last ten years 1t has increased
by only 539, 900. In all preceding qulnquennlal or
decennal periods since 1901 (the epoch Of the inst
tuition of the qtinquennls tensus) the growth OF
population had been much greater az, for example,
the increase from le4l to 1o46 nearly five times
greater than that of the last fve years. AT other
periods as from 1901 to 1906 the increase is vastly
superior to that last past.
Thoughtful Frenchmen, scientific or patrlouc, ala
not wait for prOvOcahOn from foreign Journalists 10
give heed to these remarkable facts. They lmme-
diately became theme of discussion and lnvestlgs'
tiop in the Academy Of Neral and Political Sciences,
at the meetings of the Society Of Political Economy,
in the periodicals. of the day, and, undoubtedly, In
the Government bureaus. The main question, u
which an answer is sought, leading to other sum
eienty serious questions, some OF which may nave
occasion TO speak of in the course OF this eter-the
main question raised is this: Is the late diminished
growth of population caused by accidental nm
ORANGES or is il normal ia the rise OF France only
transiently interrupted, or has she entered on
chronic decline ?
Nv the aide of the grand fact already mentioned
appears another equally remarkable, IN the imPas'i,
be severely eloquent figures OF the Official report Oh
the last census. The population OF htyiour out OF
the eighty-six departments of France has not only
mot increased but has diminished in the past 1--WE
wears: some of them have lost 5000; sixteen OF
them have lost 10 600 each; altogether they number
200 0O0 fewer inhabitants than IN lool. vi the re-
manning departments, sixteen show large gaiu
they are the departments within which lie the al
ready populous cities and large towns Thus the
department of the Seine, including Pans, shows an
increase of population which surpasses by more than
60 600 the growth ofthe entire population OF France
during the hast qunQuennla period. This tendency
to SgglomeratiOn, rs the French say, III the large
towns--a tendency which has revealed ltseii In
America and against which The TRIBUNE mas
wisely and urgently argued and adVlsed-is equally
remarkable and alarming Paris alone has absorbed
nearly all that ftytour departments have lost. And
the official records of births and deaths show that
the new population of Paris arises almost entirely
from domestic immigration.
Nv authorities for what follows are manly
Messrs Legoyt lie Play (the first is Chef de Bureau
in the statistical department OF the Ministry OF the
Interior, and the second Councillor Of State who
has distinguished himself by his contributions TO
politicoecOnOmieal and social science, especially by
his great work ON the condition OF European work
men, of which note was taken in my letters last year,
and two other publicists whose writings are not
before me, and whose names nave escaPeu III!
memory for the moment.
In an article published in the last number OF The
Rerue Contem por0inC of which the statistical facts
are not 10 be doubted though the opinions are open
tOaIgumeut N. LegOyt maintains that the dlmlnutOn
ofgrovth in population is owing purely to accidental
causes. He claims that the normal growth was
checked only IN the years 1904, % anu 30, Nncu
deaths increased and births diminished. lie hnds
the explanation of the exceptional mortality IN the
three following exceptional causes: LIST, The cholera
of 1854; 3D. The desrness of the necessares of HE
increasing since 1858; 81, The Crlmean war. lie
calculates the number Of deaths by cholera IN 1871
at 10000. The augmentation in the price Ol pro-
visions and rents caused d mortality which he
reckons al 1000 for 1854. The deaths IN the
army, not registered in France for the years 1851,
s. and Sc, amount To 10000; those recorded in
France for 1854 amount to ~ 900. Taken altogether
he makes the exceptional deaths in lisa amour, to
OBJ. 900 For 1855 be attributes 10 the continued
rse in prices, CO. 900 Deaths to the war, 81 600; 10
the augmented cost of living also diminuton in the
number of marriages, and diminution of iecundity
from existing marriages, which would make DIM
mutton Of births equal 10 90, 600. should perhaps,
say here, that however eXtrayagant tins reasoning
may appear to your western readers, II has no es-
sentisl mprobabilty 10 at all familiar WIN the
profoundly calculating character OF French pater'
familias NJ. Legoyt makes the losses oil Popuisuon
2Q5 Zoo for 1853 To this he adds the dePoPstattoH
from similar causes for the first slN months oil 1910,
and arrives at total Of 500 000 50 that had II not
been for the combined results Of pestenee. war ana
famine. France would have added $50, OOO instead oil
96, 600, to its population and that would have been
nearly equal TO the average increase since 1896.
Before following shy further the explanations OF
u. Legoyt 1t is well enough to observe two unpor-