Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-01
AMERICAN MISUNDERSTANDING.


AMERICAN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
We find upon our table a pamphlet entitled
n Statistical View Of American Agriculture,
its Home Resources and Foreign Markets, with
suggestions for the schedules Of the Federal
Census in 1880" This is the subject Of IAN
Address delivered at New York. before the
American Geographical and Statistical Society,"
on the orgaization of the Agricultural Section.
By John jay. Esq, Chairman of the Section
and Foreign Corresponding Secretary OF the
Society. New York. D. Appleton & Co.,
346 and S4s Broadway, 1889"
This pamphlet is a glance over the field OF
agricultural statistics Of our country. and Is
very instructive and suggestive. The facts de-
veloped by Mr.. Jay concern alike producer and
consumer, farmer and planter, manufacturers
and commercial men, and will be found Of the
highest Importance to the legislator and states
man.
It is only from such collections of statistical
facts hat correct lessons Of political economy
can be drawn, and ignorance of these tunda-
mentals may work the greatest injury to the
entire country.
Statistic Il information Of every kind, in the
United States, is far behind the point of into
rest they command. and very far inferior to the
statistical ~inforn,tion Of European govern
meats. Englind, France, Belgium and Aus
tri. h I've for years made the careful Collection
of statistical facts an important part of the
duty Of government officers, while but few OF
IN. St ties Of the 4. n.ric,n Coafeleracy have
any statistical b r.au; AMI those collections
tn, It have been nude are very far fir I'm reliable,
In statistical facts will b; found the must
solid foundation Of the science of politics; and,
in this C mntry, where every man is more or
less a politician, where every mn has anu
feels an interest in the governmental affairs OF
his c ,untry, stati steal knowledge is very far
behind even the dcspotisnS Of Europe.
Statistics" remarks NJ. lie RAJ, quoted by
Mr.. jaw, .are to politics and the art of gov
crnment. what anatomy is to physiology in the
study Of the h rman body; the observation Of
the stars to astronomy; the study of the spe-
cics Of animals, plants and minerals to the
natural history of the globe; the analysis OF
the holy to chemistry; experimental physics
to natural physics. The statesman who pre-
tenls to govern, without knowing the isnpor-
tant facts which interest society, makes i more
~frui,less attempt than the philosopher who
would propose to make a general classification
Of the beings which compose the three king
doms of nature, without knowing the essential
characteristics Of them"
In France, where the philosophy Of statisti-
cal sc:sace has made greater advance than in
anv other country. We find the French minis
ter. in 1855, saying:
";Thether statistics prove the development
of population, its increase or its decrease. Its
riches or its misery, or whether it registers the
elements of production and of consumption
anon. nations, 1t tends always-and that Is its
chief mcrit-to discover and develope all the
general laws which may assist to render men
better and happier"
To the editor, statistical information is Of the
highest Importance; and yet we often find our
selves unable to develope ideas and illustrate
PROPOSITIONS from the want of correct ~statisti'
cal information. The census by the General
Government, inferior and often incorrect, is the
only source to which We can apply.
The trainers of the Constitution Of Virginia
held statistical information Of so much impor-
tancc, as to make it constitutionally obligatory
upon the Legislature to provide for a census
every FIVE years after the census by the Gene
raj Government.
The Constitution Of Virginia provides that
'the General Assembly, at intervals of five
years from the dates of the returns Of the cen
sus Of the United States, shall cause to be taken
. census and such statistics Of this State as
may be prescribed by law; which census and
statistics shall be returned to the Secretary OF
the Commonwealth. who shall compare and
correct the returns and report the same to the
General Assembly"
This constitutional provision has been entirely
neglected and lost sight of BY the Legislature.
We believed bill was introduced at the last scs'
sion, but never became o law; for what reason
is best known to the members. This pr"vi.
sion is as much binding upon the General As
se.nbly as any other Of the Constitution; and
to disreg .rd its requirements is a dereliction o
duty, Us fragrant as the violation of any Of the
provisions Of the Constitution.
1, is to be hoped that the next Genera!
Assembly will make provision for carrying in
10 effect this clause Of the Constitution.
Mr.. jays address will be found to contain
much valuable statistical information collated
from the census and other sources, and convc-
nien,ly arranged in tables for reference.
mnGr RICHARD r