The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-16
Tho Puritan Dying Out.
THE CELr TAKES HIS PLACE.
Boston Pilot ]


population in certain districts by "the
growing tendency to disparage country
life" No doubt this is one reason, but 1t
is by no means the chief or the radical
cause of the decay of the Puritan stock in
New England.
A few weeks ago, In looking over the
new Boston Directory, we found that more
than half the names in 1t were Celtic. For
ty years ago all the Catholics in Boston
the Celts are mainly Catholic-came to-
gether in one small Church. And the
same decay and growth are evident in the
rural districts. A short time ago report
of the Labor Bureau of Massachusetts re-
corded the fact that the farms of the State
were rapidly passing out of the hands of
the old New Englandsrs and into the hands
of Irishmen.
The Massachusetts, Registration Report
of 1870 says 1.-THE character of our pop
ulation is undergoing a great change.
Surely, and not very slowly, mixed stock
of Irish, Germans and Canadians, is taking
the place of the purely English stock which
has possessed Massachusetts, for more than
two centuries. The tide of immigration
flows the stronger with an increasing
wealth aid general prosperity. There is
Dor is in demand, aud Americans are not
ready or willing to supply it from their
own ranks. These are facts for the states
man, the educator and the moralist."
This decline of the New England people
is an important fact, whether taken as q
discourse before the Massachusetts Medi-
cal Society, delivered by Nathan Allen,
NJ. d. LII. D., of Lowell Mass, on juno
3, this matter was gravely and scientifiCal
y considered. DR.. Allen said =
"The remark is frequently made tnat we
live in an eventual period. Some events
or occurances make a great impression up
on the public mind, and are being con-
stantly discussed /; others, far more i'm
portant, are transpirng that attract little
attentioa, but will be noticed by the his
torian with intense interest, if not with
surprise. In this latter class of events
will be ranked the changes in our popula-
ton, especially the decrease of numbers in
our New England people, which, if con
tinued another hundred years in the same
proportion as in the past, will, in all pro-
liability, remove them from the stage.
Their record will exist only in history.
Here in this quiet, gradual decline of po
pulation is one OF the gravest problems OF
this age.
What are the facts in the case, and what
are the causes On account of the rapid
increase of q fereiru element in our midst,
this change going ON in our population has
not been so perceptible, nor created much
interest. Had no such additions ever been
made to our numbers, the change would
have excited universal attention, and some
explanation of the causes would certainly
have been demanded. There are two me-
thois of testing the character and extent
of this change; first, by ascertaining the
average number of children to each family
in a community; second, by comparing
the differences between the birth-rates and
the death-rates of q people. Without at
tempting to solve these questions with
mathematical accuracy, task of difficulty,
the facts stand very nearly as follows ::
The early parish and town records of New
England show that the first settlers had
large families, numbering on an average
from seven to nine children /: but soon after
the first generation q slow decline COM
menced. For the last two or three gener-
atoms this decrease has continued at a
more rapid rate, so that from the best es-
Inmates that can be made, it is thought
that the present average number of chill
dren to each married couple will certainly
not exceed four, and may not be much over
three. From statistics on mortality, it is
found that only about three -fifths of all in
fants born live 80 adult age. After, then,
making the necessary allowances for death,
aud the fractions who do not marry, it will
be seen at once that the original stock is
scarcely kept good at the present time in
numbers. 1t is safe, we believe, to state
that the average number of children to
each marriage has diminished Bearly- enc
half since the present century commenced"
Ut. Auen luTUner says =" 1nat there
should be, in the course of two or three
generations, SO great falling off in the
birth rate of our New England people, and
that the Irish, English, Scotch, German,
and Canadian French women living in our
midst should have, to say the least, twice
as many children, are curious facts which
must in some way have solution or ex-
PLANTATION" DR.. Allen is unwilling to be-
lieve that this wide difference arises Who'll
| " from violating the laws of nature and
he seeks for other causes in the idleness,
voluptuousness, laziness, and refinement
of the New Euglaud people.
Without entering into further consid-
Grafton of cause, the facts remain that the
Puritan is dying out, and that the Irishman
is taking his place the German element
in New England is inconsderable. And not
alone in New England is this decrease OF
the Protestant American stock observable,
if we judge from the last United States
Census, from which we take the follow
ing :-"No one can be familiar with life in
! the Eastern and Middle States generally,
and in the Western cities, and not be aware
that children are not born to American