532 The Population Question. QM AY, 



or corollary from a principle, unless it be clearly borne out by facts ; nor 

 does he ever assert a principle that is not amply so borne out. Here is a 

 stand made at once upon the manner in which the Anti-Superfecundity 

 doctrines are enunciated in contrast with the loose, half-appeal, and half-, 

 assumption management of the Malthusian Anti-Humanity theory. But 

 they could not manage otherwise. When they wanted the world to be- 

 lieve that human beings were made to inherit misery, and to live, like 

 Tantalus, on the edge of the ever-rolling stream of sexual temptation, 

 but forbidden to taste its waters, could they expect to obtain credence ? 

 They had no figures for that. But we are detaining our readers from 

 such analysis of Mr. Sadler's proofs as we can afford space to give. 



The principle being clearly stated that the prolificness of human 

 beings, otherwise similarly circumstanced, varies inversely as their num- 

 bers the proofs adduced by Mr. Sadler are thus thrown into a sum- 

 mary : 



First ; By generally acknowledged facts. 



Second ; By the comparative prolificness of marriages in different 

 countries, equally circumstanced, except in regard to population. . 

 Third ; By the comparative prolificness of marriages in different 

 districts of the same countries. 



Fourth ; By the comparative prolificness of marriages in towns, 

 in relation to the number of their inhabitants. 



Fiftli ; By the comparative prolificness of marriages in the same 

 countries and districts at different periods, as the population has 

 increased. 



Sixth ; By the comparative prolificness of marriages in the same 

 places and districts, at different periods, where the population has 

 diminished. 



Seventh; By the comparative prolificness of marriages as deter- 

 mined upon physiological principles. 



Eighth ; By the analogies of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, 

 in regard to the principle of reproduction. 



Ninth ; By the demonstration afforded by distinct classes of the 

 human species : and especially the British peerage. 

 There, Old Blue-and- Yellow, there is a display of tests to which we 

 challenge you to put Mr. Malthus's creed ! Is there a single aspect of 

 the question blinked in this ordeal of inquiries? Is there any one way 

 of examining it omitted ? On the contrary does it not subject the whole 

 doctrine to the most rigid and unparalleled sifting from first to last ? And 

 if it be found to come out proven from each and every of those searching 

 positions, are you not, in plain justice, bound to acknowledge that you 

 have been labouring to delude the understanding of your readers, and 

 to practise treachery upon them or that you have contrived, not for the 

 first time, to deceive yourself? 



We shall now endeavour to give a condensed view of the substance of 

 the proofs enumerated in the above summary. 



First. In evidence of this proof, Mr. Sadler quotes the authorities of 

 statisticians, physicians, and philosophers, deducing therefrom a sum of 

 opinion, valuable as bearing distinctly upon the great fact stated. But 

 as much of this proof is necessarily and inevitably involved in the others 

 that follow, we pass on to the next. 



Second. In the consideration of this proof some qualifying circum- 

 stances must be observed. The statistical data are unavoidably inaccur- 



