Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-22
Immigration T'ipures.


The number Of immigrants which ar
rived in this country from abroad during
the last fiscal year having been mUch
smaller than that which annually arrived
during the three or four years waich pre-
ceded il, the question has been raised
whether in the future we may not expect
a very considerable decrease in European
immigration. The New York CONNER
cal Batietin, IN discussing this matter,
endeavors to show that there may be
causes which operated g. retard immi-
grafton last year which may not eXis,
soon again, Ths. Journal also presents
some very interesting figures showing toe
extent TO which this country is indebted
TO immigration for its population.
During the last fiscal year, which ended
June 30, about 39j con immigrants reached
our shores. This was very great decline
from the previous year, but 1t il about
double the number that annually reached
our shores ten years ago. For the i've
years ending June 30last. the whole num-
Der OF immi grants that arrived was
2.96S,l5S. The average, it will be seen,
was close TO $1,000 year. The number
for the five years ending June 30, 1880,
was 100000; for the five years ending
June 80, 1915, LOO, 900; and for the five
years ending June 30. 1870, 100000.
1t will be seen from these figures that
immigration varies greatly from year to
year, and that since the close of the civil
war very nearly 100000 foreigners have
been added to our population. While it
is fact that immigrants are, as rule,
persons of maturity, and that they in
crease by reproduction very rapidly, if it
is assumed that their increase from births
is the same as that Of the native pOpula-
ton it appears that our population in
the last twenty years, through immigra-
tion and the natural increase of lmmi-
grants, has grown to the extent of about
S,500,000. To understand how greatly we
are indebted to immigration, it is only
necessary to state that in fifth of cen
fury from this source has come more than
seventh Of our population.
1t would be interesting to know how
many OF these immigrants, since the close
OF the war, have found homes in the
Southern States. There is no way, prob l.
bly,, to get at the number, but it is not
large. The South does not attract the
European immigrant, and Will not, per-
haps, as long as the West has cheap lands
and the negro maintains his supremacy
as a labOrer in the Southern States. The
South must look for immigrants to the
States where population is becoming
crowded, and where land commands a
higher and constantly increasing price.
1t is probable that immigrants from that
source would prosper much better in the
South than European immigrants.
IN view of the wonderful Increase in
our foreign population during the last
twenty years and the probability tnat the
next twenty viii show an increase fully
as great, Is there any foundation for the
prediction lately Of two or three writers
that the negro will be in the majority in
this country within a century? The
whole number Of negroes in the country
does not exceed 100000. In 1850, twen-
tY-dve years ago, the number was over
100000. In twenty years. from foreign
source, the country has received white
population greater than the present negro
population by fully a million, and more
than twice as great as the Increase Of the
negro population in that time. There is
no danger that the negroes will be in the
majority in this country in a century, or
in any number OF centuries.