Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-06-12
COMMUNICATED
War OrdaIuea OF God.

W
To The Editors Of he Daily Press;
Many persons seem 10 consider the loss of
human life as the greatest evil likely to re-
suit from the prosecution of the present war
between the Government of the United
States and the rebels of the South, without
rejecting that war is a part of the economy
of Nature, or law of Deity, to prevent the
too great increase of the human race upon
the Globe.
Had war never existed on the earth since
the commencement of the Christian era, IL is
perfectly obvious that the increase of the
race must long since have ceased, for want
of room on which to stand, or to produce
food for the support of human life, A few
figures will make the truth of this PROPOSE
ton perfectly manifest. Since the first emu
meration of the people of the United States,
in 1890, the increase has varied but slightly
from thirty-hve per cent. in each decade Of
ten years, producing a duplication of popu-
latIon in something less than each twenty
four years. 1t is true that a part of this
increase has been from foreign emigration,
but a far less proportion than is generally
supposed. 1t is sufficient, therefore, for our
purpose to assume that a people favorably
situated, as to health, of location and produc-
ton OF food, unrestricted in room, will
double its numbers every twenty-five years.
Even England, Notwithstanding her exhaust
ing wars, her large proportion of unmarried
females, and her constant migration to other
lands, doubled her population in forty FIVE
years previous to her last census,
On the hypothesis, then, that a people
fayorably situated, as our people are, will
double it numbers every twenty five years,
let us see what would be the population of
the United States in one thousand wears.
provided they had room to expand in that
ratio.
For convenience of even numbers, let US
suppose our present population to be thirty
millions Thirty. millions, doubled FORTY
times four times in each hundred years,
would produce 32,9s5, 353, 953, $50, 900, 900, or a
little less than thirty-three t%rillions. Now,
In order that we may comprehend, imper-
tectly though it be, the vastness of the num-
beers represented by these figures. let us
suppose that all the dry land on the globe,
estimated at fifty two million square miles.
was occupied by human bodies, each cover.
ing one square foot of ground; only one in
every twenty-five thousand seven hundred
and tifty.thIee of this vast throng could find
standing. room on the earth. Or suppose.
further, that each individual, on an average,
required one foot square by three feet high Of
room, and was placed in column, one above
tue other, we should nave a solid mass of
human bodies sixty-eight thousand two
hundred and ffty-nine feet, or a triAe less
than thirteen miles high, over the whole dry
land on the globe.
1t is true that famine and pestilence, by
diminishing the vigor of the race, would
check increase without the aid of war. But
this would involve a universal degeneration
oftbe species more deplorable and horrible
to contemplate than war itself, with all It's
wrongs and cruelties.
In this respect, as in all others, God has
exhibited his infinite wisdom in creating
man with a pugnacious, belligerent nature
and disposition, which serve as a counter
poise or escape valve to his. great prolific
powers and irrepressible reproductive inn
pulses. 1t may be said that on this cont.
pent population has not arrived at that
point of density where it is either necessary
or desirable that it should be diminished or
restricted in It's expansion.
This may be true, but we should remem-
Der that nature is governed 'by general, not
by partial laws" and that enmities and wars
will exist between sparsely as well as
densely inhabited countries.
DILWORTH.