The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-08-02
Som. R..u,,. Of the Census.


The full returns Of the Census are not yet
In from all parts of the country, but some Of
the results, AS they are announced in frag-
mentary shape throughout the country, are
! beginning to create considerable surprise and
disappointment. The State of Massachusetts,
for example, seems 10 be barely holding her
own in population, and Maine actually falling
Off Even the Young Giant of the West" as
he delIghteth TO be called, does not STAND qoi'e
as near the clouds as he expected. The State
of Ohio, which has ever cherished hop'o
pride in the Indefinite multiplication OF inc
hsman snecies seems 10 have lost its ancient
/ fecundi,y. 1t has made but little, II any az
| y,,o. sinoa the census of 1880 Even the pre-
| tensions of the big cities are pes'""'"s "
dwnale as they are brought clear 10 the oay-
tah, N.u, York and Philadelphia stu go
| ah..a M their usual rate Of increase, but CHI
| o.s,,. aSpirations TO 10000 have come down
20 ,ou ooo; Milwaukee from 1000 10 less than
so 600. and Cincinnati from 250,0o0 TO only
about 900. Ofall the New England States
Connecticut is the only one which shows
much progress" This is somewhat moru-
flying TO those who believe that dense popu-
iation is Identical with prosperity and happi-
ness. As we hold no such creed, and like
pleaty Of elbow room, We have no tears to shed
over the falling off which has taken place in
quarters where an immense increase was con-
fidently anticipated. There are more people
now in some of the States than can keep the
wolf of starvation from the door, and If pos
| terity doesn't come up TO time, ii shows more
| forecast and prudence than most of the pre-
sent generation did, when they made their ap-
| pearance in an oyercrowded world.
| Il ie bnt fuir 70 tot hat n those
| portions of the United States which look upon
a large population as The unerring indication
of greatness and felicity, the superior growth
/ over other portions, has been owing entirely
| TO emigration, and not to natural liner ease
| This was emphatcally tr" of the first seven
| years of the decade just closed. AS is justly
| observed by contemporary, those were ex-
traordiDary years in the West, for il was in
| them that the greater part of the immense
| Western railroad system was constructed,
| amounting TO eight or ten thousand miles and
costing couple of hundred millions. The
money that built these roads, and which was
borrowed from Europe and the Eastern States,
| gave employment TO multitudes and attracted
| Il lal ge amount of emigration. But, when the
! revuision of 1887 came, the whole West col
| lapsed there was universal debt; the West
| became one immense prairie Of ban kruptcy and
| mortgages; the railroads that had cos so UGH
| ceased to be profitable; the castles in the air
| came tumbling to the ground, and the astleo
on the ground, in some of the great cities, be-
came tenantless, or were rented for next to
| nothing. The emigration that had set i'll flo wed
back, and the larger emigration that was ex-
| pected, never came. This emigration. which
| Il Philadelphia journal observes, is the chief
| cause Of the rapid growth of population in the
| new States, was at once checked by the COM
| mercial aud financial paralysis. 1t is believed
| that if Il census had been taken in the early
| part of 1857 many Western cities would have
| had larger populations than will be reported
| of them by the census OF lo60
But though years must elapse before the
West receives a rapid rate of progress, By
caution, prudence and avoidance of spec ula-
ton, by giving its energies to hard work and
letting speculation alone, it may retrieve its
| past errors, and hasten the day, which must
come sooner later, when it will be the
| backbone of the Con iederacy. With ais ucces-
| sion of good crops and cautious and honest
| management il WILL after a while succeed in
| paving its indebtedness to the East. The crop
| of the present year is said TO be fine one and
is coming in rapidly. Since January list, the
| shipments of corn al Chicago have been near
| ly nine millions of bushels, and of wheat
| about four millions. On the 24th ult., 270000
| bushels of grain, of which the greater part
was corn. were shipped from Chicago in a sim
| gle day.
| Whilst the West has indefinite capacities OF
recuperation, the prospect is not so cheering
| for some of the New England States. Itmust
be consoling to them, in their own affection,
| to learn that Southern STATES are slowly but
steadily, gaining ground. There has never
| been much emigration to this section OF the
| common Republic, but its natural growth is
| healthy and permanent and it is beginning TO
| introduce that variety of industry which is
! so essential 10 the general prosperity.