Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-09-15
narbft gournal
FRIDAY MoRN1Na. Sept. Is. 1871.
THREE GREAT MA TONS.
ecu 9 ia

States, Great Britain, and Japan, csino
fail to be of interest. The population o
the Uniteds State. according to the census
of last wear. is 80, $50, 9s3, This Is exclu'
s;ve ofsAlaska. At the completion OF the
pr;,;sb census. on the Sd OF April, the
whole number of people in the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and ireland,
including the islands in the British seas,
was 31,S17, 10S. On the first day OF the
Japanese year, February LIST, 1871, the
Mikado ordered the first census OF his DO
minions. and the result, according to a
Yokohama paper, is before us. The pop
ulation is "a, 7s5, 1921. By these reports 1t
appears that the three great countries DO
not differ very widely in actual NUMBERS
but when we compare their areas the dis
crepancy in population per square mile is
almost startling.
The area of Great Britain and Ireland
is about equal to that of the six States,
Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey,
Delaware, Vermont, New Hampshire, and
yet into this small space is crowded popu-
lation more than threetimes as large as that
of these six States, and but seven millions
less than that of the whole United States.
The japanese Empire contains as many
square miles as the six aforementioned
States together with Ohio. Its people are
also crowded, since it has population
greater by nearly three millions than that
of Great Britain. In Japan there are
3SS.079 more men than women This
excess Of men SO unusual in country as
old as Japan, is probably owing in great
degree to the practice Of numbering te-
male infants. unfortunately very common
in Oriental countries.
As this is the first published census OF
Japal, it is impossible to tell, with any
certainty, whether the country has in
creased or diminished in population in the
last decade. An approximation made
about the year 1860, and based upon the
census of China. gave japan 10000. 600
inhabitants, but this is obviously inaccu-
rate. since il is very improbable that the
country should have lost in numbers dur
ing the eleven years between 1860 and
1871. Great Britain grew more rapidly
between the years 1860 and 1870 than be-
tween lSj1-61. Ireland, with its constant
ly diminishing population, naturally
proved drawback to her increase. 1t is
certainly pity that the people of the
larger island cannot so treat those of the
smaller that it shall not be constant
source of modification to national pride as
well as reproach to national justice.
In 1860 the population of the United
States was 3l,443,S2I. Comparing this
census with that of 1870, we see an in
crease of more than seven millions, and
this, too, during war which destroyed
so many thousand of our inhabitants. This
increase is due partly. of course, to i'm
mense immigration. In regard to sex, the
census gives Great Britain, like all long
settled countries, more women than men.
The United States has few more men
than women-few when compared with
the great number of both sexes. Imagi- |
nation seeks in vain to picture the condi-
ton of this country when the whole broad
expanse from the Atlantic to the Pacific is
as thickly settled as Great Britain is now.
Computation, however, tells us that there
will then be 7S8, s20,648 people living
within the limits of what is now called
the United States Enough certainly, to
make dozen great empires, and almost
too many to live contentedly under one
government. Should this latter be the
case however. what a stupendous people |
we will be! What great cities will dot the
banks of every river. and with how many
toiliDg thousands will the valleys and
plains be covered But. as French
King once said: "Atter me, the deluge"
This great population will probably not
occupy this country till SO many hundred
years after the present generation has
passed away. that political economy itself
which is concerned for the far future need
not be troubled about the matter.-Phiia-
delphfa Press.