The Shasta courier., 1865-08-05
Problems of Population.

The twenty second Annual Report made
to the Legislature by the Secretary of Massa-
chusetts in relation to births, deaths and
marriages, presents some curious figures
They relate to the year 1868. during which
l5.692 boys We're born. and l4,579 girls
The excess of male deaths over female, was
|, ,l64. which restores the balance of the sexes.
The effect Of the war is shown in the fact that,
compared with the annual average for the
five preceding years, there is decrease of
4, ,423 births, or 5.736 less than in the year
1860 /: a diminution of 40j marriages. or l.
526 less than in the year 1860; and an in
crease of {, ,552 deaths The natural increase
to the population of the State. that is, the
excess of births over deaths is, therefore,
only 1868 which is 6,73S less than in the
year 1862. and 10. $50 less than in the year
1861. The number of marriages (1O,S72)
was al less than in 1862, and 405 less than
in 1860. These are also the results Of the
war. The figures show slight fractional
increase of longevity and the whole popula-
ton is estimated at $50, 600.
But the most remarkable fact is that indi-
Gated by the parentage of children born. OF
these, Is, ,066 were of purely American pa
rentage; 44,550 of purely foreign and
?, IA were mixed. The preponderance of
foreign over native births continues to in
crease year after year What is the cause
and what the result? That it is owing to the
greater prolifeness of the foreign race is
evident from the fact that the majority of
married couples are American. In 1858 the
percentage Of strictly American marriages
was SO 81, which steadily increased some
what, till in 1857 it went down to 50 A :;
since then it has been gradually rising, till
in 1868 it was 62 10, and the preceding year
was as high as 90 o. The war. which has
drawn largely from the ranks of marriage
able foreigners, accounts for this. But de-
spite this. the fact remains that the majority
of the children born in MASSACHUSETTS, are Of
foreign parentage. The natives in greater
numbers get married, but the foreigners get
the children 1t looks as if the phianthro-
pic women of Massachusetts devoted their
attention to the interests of humanity in
every way but the simple, old-fashoned.
right way. Looking with intent eyes at
Gariogoola Cha. they forget the interests of
home. The philanthropic lady who dropped
her infant in the fire while she was pennng
a tract upon the elevation Of the negro sac
rifced the practical to the theoretic. The
women of Massachusetts give ont their ba-
bies. like their washing and ironing, to the
Irish = to be done" This is literally labor
saving, and is very convenient, doubtless.
But think ofthe consequences In twenty
wears Massachusetts will be nothing but an
Irish colony, with an infusion Of German =
There are already some hundreds of thous
ands of this class of population ofthe second
generation-bo there. but of unmixed for
nareutare. We have no doubt these are
active contributors to the population. Esti
mate in addition to these, the annual pre-
ponderance Of purely foreign births, l,500
year. and the influx of emigration. and
take into consideration the geometrical rule
Of population familiar to the readers of Mat
thine. In twenty years what General Scott
called the q rich Irish brogue" and the
sweet German accent will displace the
musical nasality of the Yankee in their very
stronghold.