223 



were decreasing. In the State of New York in 1840, there were 

 50,000 ; in 1850, only 47,000— in New York City in 1840, there 

 were 18,000 ; in 1850, 17,000. According to the New York 

 City Inspector's Keport, for the four months ending with October, 

 1853 : — 



1. The Whites present Marriages .... 2,230 



« Colored " " .... 16 



2. The Whites " Births .... 6,780 



" Colored " » .... 70 



3. The Whites " Deaths about 6,000 



(exclusive of 2,152 among 116,000 newly 

 arrived emigrants, and others unacclimated). 

 *' Colored exhibit deaths .... 160 

 giving a ratio of deaths among acclimated whites to colored per- 

 sons of 37 to 1, while the births are 97 whites to 1 colored. The 

 ratio of whites to colored is as follows : — 



Marriages, 140 to 1 ; Births, 97 to 1 ; Deaths 37 to 1. 



According to the ratio of the population, the marriages among 

 the whites during this time, are three times greater than among 

 the colored : the number of births among whites is twice as great. 

 In deaths, the colored exceed the whites not only according to 

 ratio of population, but sKow 165 deaths to 76 births, or 7 deaths 

 to 3 births, more than two to one. 



The same is true of Boston, so far as the census returns will 

 enable us to judge. In Shattuck's Census of 1845, it appears 

 that in that year there were 146 less colored persons in Boston 

 than in 1840, the total number being 1842. From the same 

 work, the deaths are given for a period of 50 years, from 1725 

 to 1775, showing the mortality among the blacks to have been 

 twice that among the whites ; of late years Boston probably does 

 not differ from itself in former times, nor from New York at 

 present. 



In the Compendium of the United States Census for 1850, 

 p. 64, it is said that the " declining ratio of the increase of the 

 free colored in every section is notable. In New England, the 

 increase is now almost nothing" — in the Southwest and the 

 Southern States, the increase is much reduced ; it is only in the 

 Northwest that there is any increase, " indicating a large emi- 

 gration to that quarter." 



