The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1860-08-23
What the Census will Show.

years old, and, without the least risk of
exaggeration, 1t may be affirmed that no
public document exists, or ever has exis-
ted in its archives, of such vast signifi-
ance in regard TO its future destinies, as
this Census Of the United States Of Amer
lea, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and Soty. Never before
has such record been made of things
that are and are to be. This nation, won
derful as has been its past progress, has
never exhibited such a decennial increase
of population, either absolutely or proper
tionately, as will here appear No other
nation, either modern or ancient. ever had
to show anything approaching it. The
Roman pire was the most extensive and
poPulous in the third century, after the
christian era. Its subjects at that time,
as estimated by Gibbon (the computation
is probably far too high, was one hundred
and twenty millions. Yet, for two CEN
turies preceding, the increase of the pop.
ulation, of that party of the empire embra-
cling what are now Italy, Spain, and Por-
tugal. was, according to the most reliable
data, only about twenty-five or thirty II
cent. each handred years, our increase has
exceeded thirty per cent. the last ten
years. Our decennial increase is three
times as great as was the centennial increase
of the empire in population at any time
prior to the crusades of the twelfth century,
and twice as grea: as was the centennialin-
crease of the population from ,he twelfth
to the middle of The eighteenth century,
Italy has not much larger population
now than it had in the days of the elder
Pliny. Spain has positively less than it
had fifteen hundred years ago, and scarcely
moro than it had three hundred years ago.
France has not five times as many as it
had in the days of julius Caesar or times
as many as it had in the reign OF Francis
|. England herself. notwithstanding her
wonderful development since the Reform
alton. is not four Zines more populous than
it was in the reign of Henry the VIII
What nations are there to compare with
our growth during the last ten yeare. or
any ten years since our own existence. as
a ration?
Our vast increase is not, as many ina
CINE, to be mainly attributed to the increase
of foreign population. The extent of the
foreign element is greatly overrated. Of
our entire population III l850--reaching
23, ,347, 884--only 2,3l0,O28 were returned
as born in foreign countries. Unless of
fetal figures lie, il cannot be denied that
our incieese is to be ascribed chiefly to
the productive and expansive energies of
the Anglo-Saxon stock of this continent
precisely the same agency that impelled us
So rapidly forward in our earlier history,
when immigat'on was comparatively um-
known. FROM 1912 to 1921, according
to official documents. printed by the House
the United Kingdom to this country
was only 68,988, and from other paris
of Europe it was comparatively inslgni-
fcant: and yet our population in that per-
iod augmented two millions, or thirty three
and third per cent 1t is not without
good grounds that Bancroft estimates in
his history, that, at least one-third of the
population of the whole United State- is
from the descendants Of the New England
Puritans, who were all ofpure Anglo-Saxo
origin. The natural increase of our white
population from births alone, indepe ndent
Of immigration, has averaged thirty per
cent. every ten years during the past CEN
tury. Without foreign immigration. the
nation would have doubled once liz twenty
seven years, though with it it | as doubled
once in twenty three. Spaniards began 10
colenize this continent, concurrentiy with
the English. and for two hundred years
they occupied a large extent of it; and
yet there are now in America not more
than four millions of actual Spanish
descent, while there are at least fifteen
millions of English and Scotch descent.
Wa know that il has become rather un-
popular, oD this side of the water. to as
sert any superiority to that of British
stock that is styled the Anglo-Saxon race.
Demagogues would have our adopted
citizens of other descents believe that the
praise of their race, implies the dispraise
of others. But so much the worse for
the demagogues. We do not believe there
is in this country an intellectual member
of the Celtic, or the Teutonic, or the
French family. that does not respect the
stock that calls itself Anglo-S Saxon. Three
hundred years ago, tins race numbered
less than three millions; it is now the
most numerous in the world, Slave excep-
ted 1t is not only the most numerous,
but it is undoubtedly the most energetic
and influential. 1t is gradually taking
possession Of ali the ports and coasts ofthe
world. 1t is supercediug every other
language and treading down every other
idiosyncrosy. 1t is expansive. if not
aggressive everywhere. The Frenchman
feels it in Canada; the Roman in the North
ern Archipelago; the Italian in Malta; the
Greeks in the Indian Islands ;the Span
lard in Cuba and other portions of Mexico;
the Dutch at the Cape. and at Natal; the
Indian in the Rocky Mountains and at the
Isthmus; the African at Liberia and at
Sierra Leone; the Arab at Suez, and the
Nile; the Australian at Sydney and
Adelaide; the Malay at Bombay. and in
Burmah; the Chinese at Hong Kong, and
Canton, and. finally. tie sliflest Of ALL had
to bend before 1.-THE Japanese at Jeddo.
But The world will, in due time, see a
Il -