10 larise amongst multitudes, as being conversant with the scenes which they describe, and which, in their glowing language, can never die. But the universal literature of the country, of every class and description, during the whole period embraced, bears testimony to the fact at issue. In every possible variety of phrase, though with the utmost unanimity of meaning, they speak of the spirit of emigration, the rage of emigration, fashion of emigration3, prodigiousness of emigration, alarming emigration, contagion of emigration, fever of emigration", epidemic fury of emigration, incessant stream of emigration, torrent of emigration 1o, vast tide of emigration flowing from all parts of Europe to the United States of America "1:expressions which, to have any truth or meaning at all, must imply a deportation to so vast an extent as must affect the greater mass of inhabitants whence it has proceeded, and most unquestionably in a still higher degree the smaller number to which it is added. Both these circumstances, however, are denied: with regard to the latter, it will be shewn, if further proof be yet necessary, how erroneously; as it regards the former, it fully comports with the theory of population that has to be developed, to believe that under ordinary circumstances the vacancy would by a law of Nature be ultimately supplied. I cannot, however, but think that the pause, not to say retrogression, which evidently occurred in the movements of the population of this country, in the earlier part of the last 1 Chalmers, Polit. Ann., p. 644, &c. 2 Sir J. Sinclair, Scotland, vol. i., p. 489; vol. x., p. 62-324, &c. 3 Simond, Switzerland, vol. i., p. 272. Monthly Magazine, vol. liii., p. 233. Grece, Facts and Observations, p. 1. Dupin, Commercial Power of Great Britain, vol. ii., p. 190. Sinclair, Scotland, vol. xiii., p. 318. century, was mainly attributable to the too great drains which the plantations, as well as other causes, had made upon the inhabitants during the preceding one. I am aware that the anti-populationists assert to the contrary, and conceive they prove their point, when, denying that the excessive deportations from Spain to her South American colonies have nearly depopulated and ruined that country, they state that the outports are still the most active and best peopled parts of that monarchy. This, I think, is a most inconclusive argument; were I draining a pool, the last part of it which would be either dry or stagnant, would be the sluice by which it was emptied. (16) But to return. Where the population of the places from whence this vast emigration has been partly supplied, was in a situation which, according to the true theory of human increase, would prevent it from recovering its numbers, there we find that it left those chasms which are still unsupplied : an instance or two of which, as a not indirect proof of the great extent to which emigration has proceeded, shall close this branch of the argument. (17) We have particularly noticed emigrations, from time to time, from the Palatinate of Germany; a territory of small extent, and therefore well calculated to exhibit the argument as Mr. Malthus sometimes wishes to present it, namely, on a confined and limited scale. Did these desertions cause any vacuums? Hear what Este says. He describes the causes which had led to them, and adds, that "they have driven away one half of the people into emigration." Some years since, the palatinate produced 500,000 people. They are now computed at 200,000 or 240,000. In Manheim the decrease has been less, viz. from 25,000 to 22,000. These emigrations have been to Pennsyl vania, where, from the influx of such strangers, every sign and shop board is underwritten in German1: a fact which Mr. Wanley confirms from personal observation. Cologne, Este observes also, was equally thinned by emigration3. Dr. Render, in his "Tour in Germany," bears witness to the same facts, when speaking of the almost incredible number of emigrants thence. For further information on the same subject, I must refer to "Furstenwarther's Deutscher in Nord Amerika,” written expressly on this subject, with whose authority I will conclude. (18) Enough, I think, has been said to render the remaining part of the argument on this point almost superfluous: it was, however, written first; and though, as now presented, it will be greatly abridged, still I was perhaps too unwilling to sacrifice it altogether. 1Este, Journey through Flanders, Germany, &c., p. 338. 2 Wanley, Journal, &c., p. 184. * Este, Journey, &c., p. 177. ́ * Dr. Render, Tour in Germany, vol. i., p. 176. 473 CHAPTER VII. OF EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA, PROVED BY ITS LANGUAGE OF THE COMMUNITY. (1) WE now proceed to prove, still more fully, the vast and continued emigration from Europe to America, by its effects on the manners, habits, and structure of society, not only in those newer States which it has created, but in those older provinces which once constituted the colonies of England. Previously to doing this, it may not be superfluous to present a description of the original construction of American population, taken from two or three of its own writers, and those not amongst the least enthusiastic eulogists of their country. (2) "New England," says Bristed, " was settled "altogether by Englishmen, excepting an Irish colony "in Massachusetts, and a few Scottish and Irish set"tlements in New Hampshire. With these limitations, "the New England population is, at this hour, "entirely of English origin. The same source also supplies a great majority of the people of the mid"dle, and a still larger proportion in the southern "States. The Germans make about a fourth of the province of Pennsylvania, and a part of the inha"bitants of New York and New Jersey. They are, "however, fast yielding their language, habits, and "customs to the predominance of the English. The same may be said of the Dutch settled in New York, 66 66 “New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. A few French Pro"testants fixed themselves at New Rochelle and Staten "Island, in the State of New York, and at Charleston, "in South Carolina. The Irish emigrants are found principally in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and many are scattered over New York, New Jersey, “Kentucky, and some other States. Those who are "Catholics, from the middle and south of Ireland, 66 compose the bulk of our day-labourers in our large "cities." (And still how few and trifling were the notices of any emigration whatever from any part of Ireland, excepting the north!) "The Protestants from "the north of Ireland generally become agriculturists "in the country; the Scotch, who are, for the most “part, intelligent, industrious, good citizens, have "settlements in New Hampshire, New York, New "Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Some “Swedes are found in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and "Maryland; and some Swiss have fixed their abode "in Indiana. Some small Welsh settlements have “been made in Pennsylvania and New York'." Coxe says, “Our population has been derived from England, "Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the United “Netherlands, Sweden, France, and a few from se"veral other countries." "The emigrants hither," he adds, "have been, generally speaking, the enter"prising and their followers, or the oppressed subjects "of unjust civil or religious rulers. Presbyterians, "Congregationalists, Quakers, Baptists, and others, "have fled from England; Seceders and Episcopalians " from Scotland; Catholics and Presbyterians from "Ireland; Hugonots from France; Protestants from "the dominions of the Catholic princes of Germany, 1 Bristed, America and her Resources. 2 Coxe, View of the United States, p. 202. |