The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-11

A GLIMPSE AT TIE FUTURE OF OCEAN NAvIG ALTON
THE SHIFTING OF POPULATIONS. sf.'

The London Spectator, in some speculations on
the changes that may possibly occur In the next
half century in consequence Of new discoveries,
regards emigration as one OF the things which 10
quite as likely 10 be affected as any other. Should
a new impetus be given to this, the consequences
to Europe would be very serious. The writer
says:
suppose, If true, as so many men Of mark In
science believe, that the next great step may be
in sea going vessels, that international communi-
cation may be accelerated, as internal communi-
cation has been, that We may yet see New York
brought within two days journey of Liverpool,
the probability is that 10 ten years every social
condition now existing In Europe would have
ceased to exist; that the millions who toll for
others and on whose toll modern society is built,
would choose to toll for themselves would pre-
cipitste themselves In q rush, to which all the
movements of mankind have been trifles. upon
the New World. Suppose the population OF
Britain and Germany reduced to 10 900 ,O00--s
change less in magnitude than that which has oc-
Cured in many countries-and those 100000
only retained BY advantages as great as the New
World can offer, what would ell the changes Of
the past half century be to that
This may happen, even without any application
of Sephenson's great ides-the one idea he
never worked out-that if engineers. instead Of
trying to Increase the power applicable to driving
ships, were 10 reduce the friction which retards
ships, the world would speedily be one great
parish. This writer, who has seen many coun.
tries and lived among many races, seriously be-
lieves that, of all the danger to which Europe
and European society are exposed. none is so
formidable as the passion for emigration seri-
ousy doubts whether, If education spreads in
Europe, il will be possible to retain its popula-
ton cooped up in their narrow and hslf.exhausted
corner of the world. We think. We English. that
we know what emigration is but We know noth-
ing about IL have no idea Of the changes il would
involve If aided by the whole force OF the masses
then 10 possession Of the supreme political power.
Suppose fve-sxths of those Englishmen who nov
work for others choose to 60 elsewhere and work
TOR themselves. l..
The change between Waterloo aud Sadowa
would be very slight compared with the change
between 1868 and 1878. and there is not q sensi-
BILE man in England who will declare that altera-
tion beyond the reach of thought. Why should
not emigration in England and Germany attain
he height it has reached in Ireland, and the
masses insist on aiding it through the national
fleets. The Irish would. II they had the power.
and the Briiish have this year the power con-
ferred on them. We say nothing of discovery
which, If it Is ever made, will remoud all human
society, slowly p7lyerize all differences among
nations, fusDg the world into one people. and
Immediately destroy ell existing political arrange
ments-the discovery of q means Of maintaining
and guiding raft ten feet or so in the air. for we
cannot resist totally unreasonable impression
That the discovery will not be made, that progress
will not in our time make that astounding leap.
Apart altogether from that. there are physical
forces now Ut work strong enough to change the
whole face of the world. BY shifting It's popu-
laiioD.