The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-17
Editorials from the State Press.
THE PORTENT OF NUMBERS.

THE PORTENT OF NUMBERS.
In the interest Of blessed peace
and common sense and common good
feeling between the two great sec
tions of the Union, whilst the howl
ing Hendersons would continue to
wave the bloody shirt and harrow up
the Northern heart, we would reclte
a fact or so touching the numbers of
the two sections at this period.
It must be accepted, all things be-
ing considered, that the number Of
inhabitants in State or section N g
free country like this, constitutes a
tremendous, if not ruling factor, in
any nationality or section. However
glad we might be to see it depart, the
sectional division Of the country it
would seem has come to stay; and
the most that good and wise men can
do is to see to it that it is all quiet
along the Potomac, and that the heart
of a common country beats true to
the best interests of both Of the great
sections, so that the common govern
ment of the whole country is no less
pledged to the interest of one section
than Of the other.
Let US pause before the fact Of the
growing numbers Of the sections,
which should induce both sides to see
more clearly than ever the supreme
necessity of strictly constitutional
rule and the exercise Of that patriot
ism in the administration Of affairs
which will metc out to all alike under
the supreme Federal Bond that JUS
tice and fair dealing which shall pre-
clude any one section of the great
Union from using the powers OF the
general government to the building
I'D of one section at the expense OF
the other.
1t is now twenty-one years since
the eleven Southern States furled the
banner of the Lost Cause Those
States have possibly to day five mil
lion more inhabitants than all the
fifteen slave States had in 1850; and
taking the ':Solid South" from little
Delaware to big Texas, it will have,
lust three years hence, at the rate OF
growth of these States from 60 to
80, 23,219,85o people, or just mil
lion more than the North and the
Northwest and four border States
had when they went into the late war
with the South. The increase Of tie
white population Of the South from
80 to 80 was 53.S per cent, which
would give 26.9 for the decade from
80 to 80. The increase Of the col
ored population in the same States
fo- the same period, was from
4.2Ol. .2S9 in 1860 to 6,O40,557 in 1880:
showing an increase of l,s39'20o
colored people in the twenty years;
being 1873 per cent. foc the period.
and 21.9 per cent. for the decade.
This would show an increase Of
1922, $50 in the colored population in
1890, and foot up 7,363,439 colored
people in the South to 15,S02,053
whites, with a total aggregate Of
23,l65,492. But as the war and all
its terrible incidents came on in the
period from go to 80, and in view Of
the tide OF immigration which has set
-.is on Missouri and Texas. we may
increase the white growth for the de.
cade by at least 5 per cent. which
would show rate Of - per, cent,
and q white increase from so to 90 Of
3,9S6,279, and total white popula-
ton of l6,446,523, with total white
and colored aggregate Of 23,S09,962,
or nearly two million more inhabit-
ants than the whole North and the
four border States went into the late
war with.
Is not this 4 startling fact? And
we see that the industries Of the
South are keeping pace with ail
this growth. This 2+,000,0QO popu-
lation at the South in 1890 will
probably find 36,o00,OO9 confronting
it at the North. That is, tile popu-
lation Of the whole North will be
three years hence one and { half to
every one at the South. It stood in
1860 about in the same proportion.
Then the North stood at some nine.