The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-25
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 95, 1870.
FOREIGN IMN1GRATTON.

passengers (or lmmlgrantS VINO arrived IN
the United States during the fifty-one years
ending on September 30, 1870 In 1920, the
number of immigrants was only 1886, and it
was not until 1928 that they exceeded 90, 900.
In 1884, more than 65, 900 immigrants arrived
on our shores, and it was not until 1916 that
they exceeded one hundred thousand. In
1847 the immigration suddenly increased to
more than two hundred th ousand per annum,
the famine in Ireland driving an immense
number of her citizens to our shores at time
when the German immigration was unusually
large. In 1850 the immigration ex-
ceeded 800, 900 for the first time, and
these numbers rapidly swelled to more than
4OO,OO in 1854. 1t is noticeable fact that
this is the eliminating point in the history of
foreign immigration, the number of arrivals
falling from 427, 1873 in 1854 to ,S77 in
1855, and there being another slight decrease
in the subsequent year of 1856. The Know
Nothing agitation was probably the main
cause of this sudden check as the newly
arrived immigrants naturally sent home dole
full accounts of the denunciations hurled
against them, but the sudden diminution of
the American demand for labor in construct
ing railways may have also exerted a conside-
rable influence in arresting the tide that had
been flowing in upon us so rapidly. In no
one year since 1854 has immigration reached
100000. During the first year of the war,
1861, it fell below 100, 900 for the first time
since 1914, and from this depression it did
not again rally until 1868, when it reached
49, ,2S2, this number increasing to 31S, ,554 in
1866, and reaching in 1869 the enormous
aggregate of 385,2S or a higher
number than had ever before been attained
in any one year except 1854. During the
three quarters of 1870 which ended Septem-
ber so, the totals reached 285, 422, which
figures indicate that the number of immi-
grants this year from every important quarter
except Germany will be as great as in 1869.
The aggregate of this entire immigration
during the period named is 7,448,922, Of
whom 2,250,S S22 came from Germany and
1896, 040 from the British isles Of the lat
ter sol, 1916 are from England /. .4O6, O3O from,
ireland, so, ,4O3 from Scotland, 1928 from
Wales, and 1,S24,078 from ''Great Britain,
not specified" large portion of whom are
'Irishmen, so that the immigration from the
Emerald Isle has probably exceeded that from
the Fatherland, although in late years they
have closely kept pace, especially if we add
10O,983 reported as Prussians and 81, 269
Swiss. The immigration from other
quarters is comparatively unimportant,
the largest aggregate being 271, 1876 from
British America, which has already sent us in
1870 more immigrants than in any former
year (4O,034), and which paves the way for
manifest destiny by sending her population
into the United States with extraordinary
rapidity.
The Chinese immigration, which is the
great modern bugbear, has amounted in the
aggregate to 108,610, and it is remarkable
that while it suddenly started, in 1854, with
13,1O0, it fell off in 1855 to 1926, and never
again exceeded 10, 900 per annum until 1868.
In 1869, however, it swelled to 14,9O2, and
during the first three quarters of 1870 it was
1l,05l.
1t appears from these statistics that public
opinion in the United States, even when it is
not embodied in our laws, exercises power
full influence on immigration, as well as on
purely domestic subjects. The stump
speeches of our demagogues, the riotous
demonstrations of our rowdies, and the
various other manifestations of a spirit of
hostility to men of foreign birth check immi-
grafton even when they fail to influence the
action of Congress. If we want immigrants
we must give them hospitable reception,
and although they cannot all be frightened
of by scare-crow agitators, their numbers
can be very materially diminished by i'm
posing ebullitions of hostility.
In this connection, we give the following
extract from a letter addressed to the recent
convention at Indianapolis, by Jay Cooke,
Esq, the eminent banker of this city,
although for years we have, as a nation, de-
rived large share OF marvellous increase in
numbers, wealth. and power from Immigration, this
vast interest mas oeen s neglected by our
private corporations have accomplished much eX-
perience has shown that the General Government is
the only power competent 10 DO the really national
work OF fostering immigration on an adequate SCALE
and protecting each immigrant, while In transit
between the old home and the new. In addition
to the Cover, Governments SasmI neglect q OF the i%@i
a business-like method OF promoting the rapid set
tement OF public lands by our landless citizens
native and foreign born our liberal homestead and
failure to disseminate among the classes they are
specially designed to benefit that minute and full
information without which the profered gift OF free
land mas little valqe. For example, what farmer 8
son, what day laborer in an Eastern city, much
less what newly arrived emigrant knows
where 1nd desirable public lands or how to secure
them when found. simple and inexpensive sys-
TEN OF furnishing this information to the landless
masses by means OF maps plates, and printed docu-
ments would auadrnple the present rate OF settle
taent Of our public domain, give prosperous homes
to thousands who are now poor and homeless, and
add proportonately 70 our national growth and
weaa AS some intimation OF our Views on certain
marx that in organizing the Immigration depart.
ment OF the Northern Pacinc Rail-