The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-08-30

three per cent. annually. De Tocque-
VILE calculated that, on q breadth ex-
tending from the Lakes to the Gulf it
/ advanced westward seventeen miles
each year, 'and he protested to be pro-
foundly moved by the spectacle OF ihis
deluge OF men, driven ON by the hand
OF God; but the human surge moves yet
more rapidly now. It's progress was
little checked by the Revolution, and
not very greatly impeded even by. the
Civil War. ,,gses,.f ~
In 1890, the pivotal point or center
about which all the population OF the
United States would balance, was a
little east OF Baltimore. 1t has been
moving westward In the year OF Lin
coins election 1t had crossed the Ohio;
and II its position were, as IL should be,
marked by blazing star at the sum-
init of monumental shaft, carried
from time to time towards the setting
sun, that star would rest NOW a little
east of Cincinnati. 1t Is o narrow out
tinent that can sustain larger popu-
lation than the Old World shall have
100, O00, 900 people. But, at that date.
the popular Imagination stops. AT
the place where the popular foresight
pauses, / would begin. Suppose that
there are 100, 00O, 600 people in all
America in the year 1000. It would
not be at all extravaganza to suppose
that there will be that number In 1900;
but wish to make my estimate mildly
moderate. England and Prussia, the
most thickly populated parts of Europe,
now increase ut the rate Of more than
per cent. annually. But let our emil
grafton fall away |; let wars storm over
our territory from time to time; who
shall say that our rate OF increase, now
three per cent. annually, will In an
hundred or two hundred years not be
at least equal to that of suffocated Eng
land and Prussia t0-day?. Call Il less,
or only one per cent. annually, after
the year 1000. Even at this percentage
of increase we should double once each
hundred years. 1870
At the ludicrously cautious estimate
that after the year 1000 our population
will Increase only one per cent. an
nually, or less rapidly than that of
England and Prussia to-day, and that
In the year 1000 all America, now hav-
ing "a ,0O0, 900, will possess only lOO,-
600, 900 of inhabitants, we should have
In 2l0O, 200, 600, 600; in 200, 400 OOO, 900;
In $500, 500, 1000 900; In 24OO, 200, 0OO,-
900; in $500, 8, 200, 0O0, 900. The capac-
ity of the continent Is supposed to be
equal to the support of $500, OO0, 900.
Call such numbers extravagant; 1t Is
certain that these calculations fall
short Of those which average German,
Scottish and English scholarship Is
now making us to the future Of
America. +.
I am aware of but three methods Of
auft Inc f1,A f..ts 81
ton. We may take as standard of
judgment either the capacity of our
soil, or the law OF growth asoertained
by our own. experience, or the law of
Increase exhibited by ether parts of
the world. Two Of these methods 1
have already used; but take the last,
and to what astonishing results It
leads! This was the standard employ
ed by De TOcqueville. Europe, under
the bayOnet and the cannOn-wheel,
and the ho0fs of war, charging in
squadron after squadron; Europe,
which sent half the population Of Ger
many to death in the thirty years war;
Europe, staggering under thousand
impediments inherited from the Mid
die Ages, and unknown and likely to
remain unknown in America; Europe,
from Charlemagne to Napoleon, smit-
ten, scared, peeled, and sliced, has yet
attained an average population of
eighty inhabitants to the square mile.
Will America have u harder fate i'm
the next than Europe has had in the
last ten centuries? What shall hinder
all America from ultimately having as
large an average population as all Eu-
rope? But we have Is, 900 900 of square
miles and Europe only 8, OOO, 900. Look
forward, then, to population i'm
America equal to the average of that
i'm Europe, that is, to ! 200, OOO, 900.
With whatever telescope sweep the
horizon, 1 for one stand in awe. / set
no dates 1 seek to establish approxi-
mately no definite numbers. / assert
only that America can sustain q larger
population than Europe, Asia and
Africa together; that since 1t can,
probably 1t ultimately will; that we
may expect as large an average popu-
lation as Europe now possesses that
America Is therefore yet In its infancy;
that for these immense numbers OF
the human family we stand in trust:
and that the age, therefore, has not
yet ceased to be crisis. |
It would have been worth something
at Thermoyple to have foreseen Sala-
mis-; and at Austerlltz, Sedan; and at
Runnymede, America. Itwould have
been worth something to Paul, when
he went out of the Ostian gate to die to
have foreseen Constantine, Augustine
and Luther, and churches on which
the sun never sets. 1t would have
been worth something at the parting
from Delft Haven, or among the Sc
creted graves on Plymouth Hill, 10
have foreseen the savages shut up be-
hind the Mississippi, and church bells
mingling their murmurs with the Pa.
cific seas. But, undoubtedly, Gods
plans for the future are as majestic as
those for the past; and so IL ought to
be worth something now TO-. foresee
what can be In America, and, there
fore, probably will be.
SWAPPING WIvEs.-When Sir Sam
uel Baker, the African traveller, was
taking leave of Kramrasi, King of
UnyOro, that potentate asked him, as
a particular favor TO leave Lady Baker
behind. This cool request raised Sir
Samueps ire, and in high indignation
he told the king that II he ever made
such request again, he would shoot
him. Lady Baker, too, who over
heard and understood the offer, felt
that o word from her would not be out
of place, and gave the monarch piece
OF her mind in the. strOngest language