The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-12
The peopline of a Continent.

The peopling of Continent.
The recent census figures furnish a
startling evidence of the migration OF
the human race, and the change OF the
activities OF the world from one point
to another.
Since the day when Tubalcain began
the beating of metal in Asia there have
been many such changes-the mart or
the one century becoming the desert
of the next. When steel was tempered
in Damascus there was little idea that
unknown worlds would yet rule affairs.
As Europe displaced Asia, America is
displacing Europe. and before even
that Is completed. American is push
ing her way into the orient, and
new nations are emerging from the
islands OF the southern seas. In l492
there was not a single Caucasian on
the two American continents. Today
over 150,000.000 have converted them
into hives of human industry. Within
one hundred and seventy years a ma
tion Of 2,000.000 people has been estab-
lished upon the ground given to Ogle-
thorpe. New York has become a ma
~
go through the census returns. The
stream of human beings. first settling
The Atlantic coast, having pushed
across the continent to the Pacific, has
once more turned its head into the
south. and Texas and Georgia have
become the objective points.
It is not in America alone that this
wonderful appropriation of the earth's
surface has been made. a recent arti-
Gle in Ainslee's Magazine tells of what
is going on in Siberia, which is no
longer regarded with terror, but which
is developing into a new nation under
Russian care. There are no bad" lands
in the whole Of southern Siberia and
the rich. arabic land extends hundreds
of miles. The writer says:
We passed through on the river steam
crs and the railroad in June and July ana
found the climate at that time altogether
delightful The vegetation, the trees ana
shrubs were like those OF New EnSiahu'
The crops were well along, the people
looked prosperous and contcuted. II IS
now several years since the Russian gov
ernmcnt adopted q system OF colonization
for Siberia. she makes careful eNami-
nation of all candidates for emigration
and those who have the requisite qualit-
cations receive, with their families, free
transportation TO the new country.
These lands are allotted to emigrants
exempt from taxes for twenty years;
at the end of that time they may be
rented or purchased at a moderate
sum. They are almost entirely free
from the obligation of military service
for ten years. Money is lent to emf
grants who already have a certain
amount-otherwise they are not al
lowed to emigrate which need not be
paid for thirty years. Agricultural i'm
plements are given them outright. NO
wonder that some of the cream OF Rus
sian peasantry has been induced TO
emigrate. Whole communities have
found in their new home lot which
is better than anything they have ever
known in the mother country. Con
tinuing. the article says:
Hardly day passed as we steamed VI
the great rivers that We dld not meet one
or more steamers. sometimes toWlhH
bargcs in addition. filled with emlsfahls.
They seemed TO ne 70 be the turH est
peo..e in the world. capable or enduring
the strain and the hafdsnipS Whlch at
tend the carving out OF a living IN a
strange land Among the third-ciass pas
seugers on our own steamer were several
peasant laNlltlcS tidl ttb iidtt hibAti tAN~
fortunes in the new country and were go
lng back TO their own homes to set up a
business with their capital
This steady movement of the vigor-
Gus of the white race is wiping out the
last retreats of the coored races. The
Indian only survives as an amalgama-
ton in some parts of America. The
Bushmen in Australia and the Maories
in New Zealand have melted like ice
beneath the sun. Already the yeiio"
races of Asia are bcseiged in Asia-the
English and French in the south; the
English on the west, the Russian ON
the north: all the nations OF the earth
pushing in from the Pacific coast. The
mastery has departed from even the
most warlike of these races, and they
hasten to make terms with the white
man wherever ne appears. Even in
Africa the work has started vigorously
and the black man has not single
spot Of earth where he is even an ac-
ceptable tenant.
The next century VIII present to the
historian a new confederacy OF nations
built upon the annihilation of weaker
peoples. and the decadence OF old en-
D.res. When 100000 600 white men
with all their appliances OF civilization
can transplant themselves within q
century, we are surely living in an age
OF wonderful changes.