Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-06-11
Center Of Gravity Of Population.

According TO the recent letter o.
Gen. Garfield, the center Of gravity o.
our national population is now, or was
at the time tho last census was taken
near Wilmington, Ohio. Its march
Westward has been as follows: Com
mencing in 1890, the beginning Of oui
nation, at York, in the Southwest
corner OF Pennsylvania, little above
tho Both degree of latitude, it passed
a little TO the South OF that degree
crossed the Alleghanies about 1888
moved across the Pan Handle of Vir
ginia in 1850, and is now rapidly pass
ing over the State Of Ohio, still drop
ping little South OF West as it goes
The average rate of progress for the
last eighty years has been fifty miles
per decade, but il is now going al
about eighty miles for each ten , oaro
1t is estimated, however, by good
judges, that this rate cannot be KEEP,
up long, because the main tide o.
settlement will soon reach the poorer
soil of the Eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains.
1t is also possible that the direction
Of this center may be varied in the
future by change of Influences
Thus far, emigration has been, as O
rule, Westward along the same line o.
latitude. The majority of New York,
ers leaving homo go to Michigan and
Wisconsin; Virginans betako them.
selves not only TO Kentucky and Mis-
souri,, but TO Southern Ohio, Indiana
and Illinois, although always free
States, yet in the same latitude; while
Vermont skips over several States tC
land the greater number of her emf
grants in Wisconsin, due West. o.
course there have been exceptions tc
this rule, as in the emigrations from
agricultural to manufacturing States
as from Maine and New Hampshire
to Massachusetts,, and the settlement
Of the Northwest largely by the cen
tral and Southwestern States. We
think, also, that as society gets Older
there is marked tendency Southwark
in general migrations. Whether it is
that, with the increasing re6nement'
OF life, people grow moro delicate oil
not, they certainly seem TO have
greater dislike Of cold climates. Every
year sees larger number Of invalic
residents at the South, with many
who arc not invalids, whose mean'
enable them TO enjoy more agrcoa
BILE climate than that Of the North II
Winter.
Hitherto this Southern tendency O
emigration, even if il formerly exist &C
in its present strength, was countract
cd by the existence of dissimilar anC
offensive institntion, which bore will
peculiar hardship, because infllcting
species of disgrace upon the averag,
emigrant who had to make his way il
the world with his own hands
Slavery, in fact, was an impassabl'
wall to free labor Tho statement ha
been made on good authority tina
"therc arc not probably in oil th'
Southern States 50, 900 emigrants from
the free States; that is, not so man,
as Maine alono has sent into Massa
chusctts. That state of things canno
last much longer. 1t is true, tber
has been no great change since th
war closod-not so great as was gon
orally anticipated-but the bitterness
of Southern society has not yet ha'
time to subside, and tho tremondou
revolution inaugurated BY cmancipa
ton has not fully worked itself OUT
But o great improvement. has bee
accomplished, nevertheless; and wbe
we consider tho increasing evidence
of tho profitableness of raising cottor
and the attractions Of many othc
kinds of pursuits at the South whic
had no foothold in the old days {
slavery, together with the climate il
fuencc given above, VIC have rcaso
10 believe that even the next censu
will show material increase OF Soutl
ernward emigration. This will ten
TO check aud divert the Western prt
rress of the center of gravity Of th
national population, besides contribu
ing to salutary intcrmixturc OF tn
national clements and 70 the prosper
ty and strength of tho Union. = BostC
! journal.
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