American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-06-14
Effects of the War on Population,

hHecJS Oh Il6 war OIL T0puidtloHi
There can be no room for doubt, that
the effects of the late dreadful conflict
will be manifest on the census of 1870.
Ii the census were to be taken this year
or the next, it would show thee effects
still more strikingly. The comiug four
or five years, previous to the geneaal emu
meration, will shade off the outlines of
the change in the ratio of our increase,
so that the abrupt check of population
occasioned by the war will not so sensibly
appear. Bnt that deaths have increased
and marriages and births decreased, be-
yond the ordinary ratio, is evident. Aud
it is equally evident, that, as a necessary
consequence, check has been given to
the growth of population.
How extensive this check has been,
cannot, for want of an accurate enumera-
ton, be determined FIVE had the ex-
act number ofbirths aud deaths, it would
only afford materials for an approximate
estimate, since large proportion of the
deaths caused by the war was made up
of young men of marriageable, and Wig
orous constitution, who, but for the war,
might and probably would have been
heads of families and fathers of children.
The only authentic figures that we
have seen on this snbject are those CT a
report to the Legislature of Massachu-
sets, embracing the registry of marria-
ges, births and deaths in that Common
wealth. Before proceeding to consider
the statements of that document, it is
proper to notice that it embraces only
the year 1863 A report of 1864, the
most destructive Of life, probably, since
the war began, would exhibit the same
general feature in more striking degree.
The decrease of births would also be com
mnntative from the deaths of the previ-
Gus years of the war
In 1868, with a population of one mil
lion and quarter in the State, the births
were less than 1860 by the number D.
737, while the deaths exceeded those OF
1860 to the number of 6,552 There
was, it is true, still an increase of popula-
ton, exclusive Of emigration, but this ma
tural increase was much less than in for
ner years, being only 1868. This is
less than the natural increase of 1862 by
the number of nearly 1000, and less
than that of 1861 by over 10000. The
whole number of births in 1863 was So
III /; in 1860 it was 36,008. The re-
duction of number is large. The effect
can be attributed to nothing but the war,
iqvolving the death of many men and the
| absence of more.
Marrying and production have not,
however. been wholly neglected in the
old State that "builds school-houses and
raises men," Ten thousand eight hund-
red and seventy three pairs of hearts
have been united in the matrimonial
bonds, silken or otherwise. But, alas
this happy and hopeful number is less,
by four hundred and FIVE, than that Of
1860. Mras frowners on matrimony. Ii
we had the figures for 1864, they would
present still more startling results We
hope by the return of our brave men the
marriage statistics of 1865 will show a
decided progress towards their old nor
NAL condition.
But the effects of war on population are
not confined TO Massachusetts. Proba-
they are not greater in that State than
in many others, especially the insurrec-
tionary States which have been the thea
tire of the contest. Applying the same
ratio to the white population of the Uni
ted States say twenty times that of Mas
sachusetts, we shall discover that the
whole number of births in 1868 was less
than in 1860, by nearly l15,000j that
the deaths we're more, by 131 600; and
the natural increase of population; that
is, by excess OF births over deaths, was
diminished, by more than 208,000. BY
the same process the marriages are shown
to have been less by over 5000.
This condition of things is far from
agreeable to contemplate. But now that
the war is over, we expect our virtuous
young men and women to place matrimo
NAL interests on a proper basis.-PiHS
Com.
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