New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-04
FREEDOM AND GROWTH.

Another anniversary Oh the INDEPENDENTS VI
| these United States comes with happier
thoughts than the last. A year ago bells were
muffled and cannon hushed, and even the boys
| of the Nation put aside pleasures long desired,
| in sympathy for the stricken President. The
horror of a great crime and the thick cloud OF
dread uncertainty rested over the land. Free
institutions had been assailed, and as yet we
knew not with what effect. We know now
| that great and far-reaching change was made
| by the act of an assassin, but we know also
that the Nation still lives, with full freedom to
| elect in due time another President OF Its
| choice We know that delays which exhausted
| all natience have not prevented the legal con-
viction and execution of the assassin. God
helping, the welfare of this land is still in tile
hands of its citizens, who renew their patriotic
feeling this day by recalling the deeds and the
| endurance of those who gave the Republic
| birth
| 1t has been year Of industrial and CONNER
cial trial. Loss amounting to more than the
| value of all property in the country when the
| Declaration of Independence was signed was
inflicted last fall by the partial failure OF crops,
| and yet the people have not suffered, nor nave
their usual employments been greatly dis
| turbed Part of the burden we are bearing still,
/
| in the increased cost of food, but an army OF
reaping machines, filling TIE air with their
music. is moving steadily nOrthward over the
| broad wheat-felds of the West and every day
| they add to the garnered wealth of the nation
| the harvest from a belt of territory ten miles
wide and more than a thousand miles III
length. A bountiful harvest is now with reason
expected, and our harbors will soon be crowded
| chi with
many nations.
| About SOC, 900 inhabitants have been added
| to the population during the past year by i'm
migration, and 1,470,OOO since the last census
was taken. During the. last decade the in
crease was 2,S12, 100 by immigration, leaving
| S,7S5, 222 for the increase by excess OF
births over deaths. More than half as many
| immigrants as were received during the whole
| of that decade have arrived within the two
fiscal years which ended last Friday, and the
| population of the United States must now be
about 53,SOO,O00. Recent enumerations of
population in Great Britain, France and Italy
enable us to contrast the growth of this with
| other nations. In ten years Great Britain has
gained in population about 3, 100000 III two
years the United States ,bas probably gained
| about 3, 100000. In ten years France gained
| 1,2OO, OOO having lost to Germany population
of about 100000. Germany, with that in
| crease, gained less than 100000, or about
| $500, 600 from other causes so that the JOINT
increase of both Germany and France, with
| 1900, 900 of people ten years ago, has been
| less than one-half greater in ten years
than that of the United States has been in
! the two years just ended. AUSTRIA gained from
| 1869 to 1880 only 1881 900 inhabitants,
and Italy from 1871 to 1881 only 1,651, O00
| SO that their joint increase 10 ten years was
| less than that of the United States has been
| in two years
| Europe has been disturbed by wars, it is true.
| But this country was also retarded in growth
| by a great civil war during the previous decade
| Looking back three decades, which include
| two of general peace and prosperity for each
| country, we find that the United States has
more than doubled in population, while not
| one of the European nations has increased
| as much as 80 per cent in thirty years. The
! following table gives the population of Great
| Britain in 1851, 1871 and 1881 that of the
States now composing the German Empire, as
| near as it can be ascertained in 1852, in 1871
| and $780, that of France in 1851, 1872
| and1 SS1 that of Austro Hungary In 1912
| mo enumeration between that date and 1857
| is known in 1869 and in 1880 and that of
| Italy (including States OF the Church and other
| political divisions now embraced) in 1S4S,
| 1871 and 1SSL: