The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-19
DYING OUT.

| DYING OUT.
It isa fact somewhat remarkable, but moi
} less 8 fact, that some people have got
7 1t into their heads that Americans are dying
out, and from time to time we are shown
the figures which seemingly demonstrate the
corectness Of the startling conclusion. Rev.
Mr.. Gallagher, of New York City, recently
brought into special prominence some vital
statistics showing that that city, if de-
prived of accessions OF population, except
from births, would be reduced to q Village
at no distant day. Ee said that ''in the
1 year 1880 the death RITE in New York was
26.4S TO 1000 inhabitants; that in the
year 1881 the rate was Bios per 1000, while
in London for the same period the average
death rate was 22q4, and that f0rty-eight
cities in the United States durIng the same
Ime exceeded the death rate of New York
II becomes us to ask, Why are Ameri cans
dying out2 IntSSl, in this city, there were
12s94 more deaths than births, and in the
months of January and February, 1882, the
deaths exceeded the births by 2,446 In
LONDON, during the year 1880, there were ST.
LIS deaths and 1872, 12S births, or 81, 047 more
births than deaths" Itwasweil said by Mr.
Gallagher that such facts "are worthy OF
close attention" particularly, we add in the
City of New York. But the conclusion
must not be jumped at that be-
cause the death rate is alarmingly
large in the City OF New York that
Americans are necessarily dying out
Thousands OF those who die in the City of
New York are not Americans at all, in the
sense which Mr.. Gallagher discusses the sub
ject, and the extraordinary mortality has
very little bearing upon anything properly
American. New York is the great seaport
which receives rs per cent. of all the foreign
immigrants. This fact OF itself accounts for
a large per cent of deaths. The City of
New York, if we are to believe half that is
said, stands well up in the list of the filthy
cities of the world-a fact which may or
may not be credited to Americans. The
tenament houses of New York are monu-
mental infamies, and these, if you please,
may be written against Americans. The
fact that New York il not supplied with
pure water may also be set down to the dis
credit of Americans but all combined, do |
not prove that Americans are dying out
New York is not America The great |
does not fashion nor control |
American ideas relating to anything out
side of commerce and finance, and even in |
these things that city has formidable rivals. |
1t viii not do, therefore, to assume, because |
there are more deaths than births in New |
York, that Americans are dying out
MIR. Gallagher is equally unfortunate in
his view OF the subject from other
points of observation. He assumes
that Americans should be distinct from En-
5lishmen, Irishmen, or persons of any other
and proceeds to say that sin the
United States we have had bequeathei to US
through tears and blood and death our great
civil and religious liberties. To be an
American is something more than to- be 50
N name. The American spirit is a spirit
which loves liberty. justice, truth-which
lsserts the dignity of human nature, the
of man, and which honors labor.
This noble American spirit as well as the
original population of America is dying
'ut and it is dying fast. To-day those quail
ties which made Benjamin Franklin a typi-
al American citizen, which glorifed the
lame OF Washington, which elevated Jeffer-
on to the Presidential chair and which i'm
nOrtalized the character of Abraham Lin
'oln, are scarcely mentioned The cues
ions now asked of person in public or pri-
'ate life are not. is he a man of integrity.
-bility and Patriotism but is he richY
How much is he worth? Has he lnflu-
nceY He may be fool, a libertine, and
literally covered with the green mildew of
leceit and fraud; bat if he has money the
loors of the whole city will be open to
him." 1t may be true that in the City of
Sew York the evils of which Mr.. Gallagher {
complains exist in alarming proportions
nd influence. Perhaps he is competent to
Judge, nevertheless we do not believe him.
Ne do not believe that the City of New
fork, rich as it is, is entirely given over to :
he worship of Mammon, or that the Amer ,
can spirit is dying out New York, doubt I
ess, has Its full quota Of snobs, but we are c
lot convinced that the mobile American !
Pirit' has taken its everlasting flight or
hat money in every instance triumphs over s
irtue, probity and every other ennoblIng S
haracterirtic. The New York press does !
lot evince such widespread decentralization =.
nd decay. Americans may eat and drink >
cultivate in many instances
alse notions and false ambitions which lead :,
o failure and often to crime and disgrace. q
ut such people are not in the majority, nor Z
o they shape events: and those who will n
ermit themselves to take in the whole h
0untry rather than one city, will be able to j.
srm conclusions quite different from those
Epresscd by the New York clergyman.
AExHUR's Attorney General. Brewster is C
utting on more style than dozen Beau C.
ruRmels and is succeeding admirably in y