Year: 1869




the population of the United States with
reference to the increase of children of
foreign descent, as compared with the rela-
tive decrease of those of American origin


In 1865, the census of the State of New


York was taken by families In one fourth
of the families not single child was found,
while in the remaining three-fourths there
was upon an average only fraction over
one child to each family This included
both the foreign and native population, and
the races are so greatly mixed in New York
that it is difficult to draw the line, but the
compiler of the census, Doctor Hough, be-
came convinced that there is no natural in
crease in population among families de-
scended from the early settlers of that State.
In Massachusetts,, while in 1865 one-half
of the population was under sixteen wears
of age, at the present time scarcely one
fourth of the purely American class is un-
der sixteen. Indeed, the birthrate of the
American portion of Massachusetts is but
one in fifty per annum, while in France,
where population is said to be stationary,
the native birthrate amounts to one in
thirty seven. In Connecticut, the School
Report for 1866 states that "the relative
number Of children had been steadily de-
creasing for the last forty years" And
In Vermont the birthrate, when separated
from the foreign element, was only one-half
as large as that of England.


Not only in New England and New York.
but in all communities where foreigners
and Americans are living side by side, the
most surprising difference in the size of
their families exists-the former often
averaging two or three times as many chill
dren as the latter. OF the various causes
which may contribute to this result, two or
three may be regarded as most potent
The rapid increase of commerce and trade
drawing vast numbers into cities, and pro.
ducing the desire and struggle for rapid
accumulation, renders wealth and fashion
the great standards to be aimed at in life.
Thus extravaganza, luxury, and stimulation
take the place of the frugal and simple
habits that accompanied slow accumulation.
and children come to be considered a bur
den and expense, where formerly thew
were cause of rejoicing. Marriages are
also found to be made now at a later aoe
than formerly, owing greatly to prudential
while the period Of life from
twenty to thirty years is always more pro-
life than after that age


The condition of health has been proved
one of the most fruitful sources of the
natural increase ofa people, and within the
last fifty years there has been a great de-
cline in the health of American women
Neglect of physical exercise and iniurious
fashions of dress and living will account
for this sorrowful but actual fact. Our
girls, sent to school the greater portion of
their time, for ten or twelve of the years of
growth, have soft and weak muscles from
their lack of action, their brains are over
taxed and their nerves become too sensitive.
When to this they add the compression of
the chest and lungs, and the fast life of
fashion, which will tax even the STRONGEST
frame, it cannot be wonderful that deficient
vital action should ensue. Where the
brain Is strained and physical exercise
neglected, the whole frame becomes grad
ually enfeebled Such persons, when they
have had one or two children, find their
strength prematurely exhausted and their
constitutions prematurely impaired. The
life of the great bulk of the foreigners
among us isone ofphysical exercise, and less
brain stimulation, which goes far to ac.
count for their more rapid increase.


We need, above all things, for our true
national prosperity, as well as our individual
welfare, a more complete development of
the physical system, and such changes in
the lives and education of our children.
more especially our daughters, as shall give
a more perfect balance to every part of the
body. There is theory that as you "per-
feet people the race inclines to run out"
but this can only be based on the one-sided
idea of perfecting the brain alone. True
principles of progress must be based on the
laws of the whole system, body as we'll as
mind, and by these alone can the law of
increase be favorably developed-Phila-
delphia Ledger