Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-05-26
THE EIGHTH CENSUS.

Among the labors of the Summer Just at
hand, in addition to the canvas for the Presi-
dency, we are to have the canvassing of the
Census takers" throughout the nation. The
captains of the tribes of Israel were wont to
take the census whenever they were about to go
TO war with other nations and tribes we num-
Der the people and gather various statistics
concerning their occupations and condition for
purposes of peace, and not with view Of en-
rolling the fighting men for war and predatory
expeditions.
This national census taking is matter Of
considerable interest and importance. 1t hap
pens but three times in generation, and but
six or seven times in the life of long lived in
dividual To how many now living will this be
the last census? How many now living re-
member the first census? What host of men
and women now busting upon the stage OF life,
hlled with the idea that they are playing very
prominent part upon that stage, will meet him
OF the scythe aud hour glass before they are
again confronted by the officials of government
with tivi' inhhorns and rivto books?
The Importance of the work is worry great
In the returns of the census takers we see
what progress has been made in each decade of
our history. We note the effects which certain
policy of the National and State governments
has produced. We gain the means for study
ing the causes of prosperity or depression, and
obtain in the results of the past, ideas to guide
us in the future. The job is now a very great
one, and we hope it may be entrusted to faith
full and capable hands. We have a larger pop
ulation to count more extensive territories to
traverse, and new industrial interests to scan.
Some new States have come into existence and
others have loomed up into large proportions
since the census of 1850, and il will be a subject
of interest here and abroad to study the rapid
development of some portions of our country
in the light of the census. The new mechani-
cal inventions, and new industrial pursuits, Gre
atng new interests in various sections will also
be matters for study and comment.
The great fact of the contrast presented be-
tween the United States of 1860, and the same
nation in. 1890, when the first census was taken,
will be most prominent. At the first census we
had only fifteen States and two Territories
The number of the population as returned in
the census was 3,929,S27; it will now be fig
ured up to thirty-two millions. The slaves then
numbering 697,S97, have increased to about
four millions. The slave population of the
Southern States probably exceeds at this day
the entire population of the United States sew
enty years ago. BY the apportionment undi
the first census, lOj Representatives were Gre
ated, of whom Virginia had 10, Or nearly one
fifth of the whole number, and Massachusetts
Gncluding Maine) II. Pennsylvania was the
third State, with ID members; and New York
and North Carolina came next, having 10 each
Maryland had 8 members, Connecticut I, South
Carolina 6, New Jersey 5, New Hampshire
Delaware |, and Vermont, Georgia, Kentuck,
and Rhode Island, 2 each. New Jersey, South
Carolina, Rhode Island and Delaware, have each
the same number of Representatives now a.
they had 81 years ago. In 1893, North Caro-
lima was ahead of New York in population by
fifty thousand, and her equal in representation
Virginia exceeded New York four hundred
thousand, and Massachusetts two hundred sew.
enty two thousand. The twenty-nine member.
from New England formed over one-fourth o
the House of Representatives, whereas they art
now less than one-eighth. The six Southern
States then in the confederacy formed over two
fiiths of the House, while now they have les
than one fifth of it. The West had only two
representatives, and those from Kentucky.
In our agriculture, commerce, manufacturing
and all our industrial pursuits, great change
and contrasts have taken place, and the census
of 1860 will on the whole, present one of tn,
most wonderful chapters in the history of tn,
world.