The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1870-02-19
A Look Backward.

|
In spite OF the request made to the first great
navigator and his interesting sons to multiply
and replensh the earth, the increase OF mankind
has been very slow From the creation of Adam
down TO the time when Noah embarked in the
triple-decker, the history gives 1885 years.
Starting in the Garden of Eden-having the
whole world at their command, Is we suppose
afflicted with very few of the multitudious vices
which now destroy mankind, there should have
been very rapid increase OF the race-especlally
az the lives of men were numbered by centeniads
instead Of decades, as in later times. This great
age continued until after Noah's time, who
himself was six hundred years of age at the time
| he set sail for Mount Ararat, and after the
termination of his voyage, survived to the age
of nine hundred and fifty years. Since A. D..
1870. the population of this country has doubled
regularly every twenty-eight years, and yet very
few persons have lived to the age of one hundred
years
Had the immediate descendants of Adam
doubled their numbers once in twenty-five yeals
as they certainly should have done-and much
more for sometime, considering their longevity
the population all over the globe would have re-
ouired a flood or some other catastrophe to sweep
| them off. in order to afford room for future
generations Suppose they had doubled every
| twenty FIVE years for only 759 years, the popua-
ton of the globe would have been 1907, 483, SAB,
or three or four hundred millions more than the
whole number on the globe at the present time.
Then suppose they had continued to double only
| once in hundred years, the population at the
| time of the food would have reached the enor-
nous and inconceivable number of l,205, $685.
| 4l9, 400.
The geographers give Al, ,997, 900 square miles
as the land surface of the earth, which, reduced
to square feet, gives 1895, ll6, 2ss, 100000 as
the number of square feet of land on the globe
| The population, on the above hypothesis, at the
| time of the food would have given about 1895
square feet, or just about half an acre to each
| This would be much reduced by allowing for the
mountains, marshes, and deserts, on which men
could not subsist The highest state of society
| might permit the subsistence OF this number on
the whole globe.
The population, however, at the time OF the
food, could not have been 100, ,000 900, which is
| less than twelfth hundredth part of the figures
above given. The extent TO which man had be-
come desperately wicked, may be ooniectnred
| from the extent TO which the race is being an
nually destroyed in those early years to have
kept down the population This is also on the
supposition that man was then as prolific as in
laterages.
After NOAH landed, new start was made un-
der the injunction to multiply Eight persons
| were saved in the ark, to wit Noah and his
wife, Shem, Ham and Japthet, and their wives.
| The highest estimated number of the present
population of the globe is 1900, ,000 900, though
The geographer puts it about 1000, 900, 900.
Surprising the population since the the food to
have doubled every l56 years, there would be
now A. D., 1870, population of l,073, ,60l, 1874
on the GLOBE or very nearly the actual number
now in existence Once in l56 years is very
slow process, especially as it is known that un-
der favorable conditions to knowledge and
virtue the race should double itself at least once
in twenty-five years.
Had the race doubled once in one hundred
| years during the 4,2l5 years since the flood, the
present population should be just about 72,0OO,-
0CO 900, with less than twenty square feet of land
for each person, including the mountains,
marshes, deserts, &c.
Looking over the figures both before and since
the food, the immense destruction of the race
from Adam down 10 our own day, suggests the
question whether more happiness than misery
has been allotted TO man. 1t suggests the further
question whether the improvements which have
so largely contributed to save the people of
civilized countries from destruction, and with
the present disposition of the people to multiply,
the race could have down to the present time
found resources enough on the globe for their
subsistence The further question is raised as TO
what shall be done for the support Of the people
some centuries hence if science, morality and
Christianity shall succeed in exempting man
from many of the ills that flesh is heir to- an
object so devoutiy prayed for and worked for by
! all good men and women Will the race cease
to multiply, except to hold its own after the
earth Sball become fully peopled
Many questions are suggested to the render in
this connection.