ITEMS FOR COUNTRY READERS. 623 



from, that country, Mr. Jenifer, for instance. He would tell you, if his observa- 

 tions agree with the most authentic modern writers and travelers, that the 

 Austrian Empire occupies 258,000 English square miles of the surface of Eu- 

 rope — that is, 45,000 more than France, and 138,000 more than England, Ireland 

 and Scotland. Yet, vast as that Empire is considered in Europe, it is altogether 

 not quite so large as — 



Sq. miles. 



New-York 36,000 



Pennsylvania 47,000 



Virarinia 61,300 



Ohio 40,000 



North Carolina 45,000 



Sq. miles. 



Maryland 11,00'J 



New-Jersey 6,851 



Delaware 2.120 



Total 259,271 



"While the whole United States, before the annexation of undefined Texas, con- 

 tained, according to the venerable Darby, two millions and fifty thousand square 

 miles. The surface of the Austrian Empire is said to have the advantage of 

 varied and extensive productive regions, yielding, or capable of growing what in 

 Europe they call corn, (meaning what we Yankees call " s/nall grain,'''' as com- 

 pared, we suppose, with the larger grain of Indian corn ;) also rice, wine, oil, 

 honey, wool, silk, hemp, flax, tobacco, madder, (which we would produce if Ag- 

 riculturists were half as watchful of their own affairs as manufacturers,) and all 

 the useful vegetables and delicious fruits ; also iron, coal, salt, and other min- 

 erals and products in abundance ; cattle, swine, horses and sheep. The Danube 

 and other great rivers extend inland navigation to almost every part of the Em- 

 pire. With all these advantages, and a population generally industrious and 

 orderly, Austria is naturally capable of being one of the richest and must power- 

 ful States in the world. And yet, what advantage is here quoted that our ov/n 

 country does not possess in an equally eminent degree, with that of a free Gov 

 eminent thrown into the bargain ! But shall we have the wisdom and modera- 

 tion to turn these advantages to the best account ? The greatest blessings — even 

 freedom of speech — of the press — of religion — of government — may become 

 curses if used with licentiousness. Is not this nation already agitated, from year 

 lo year, almost exclusively with struggles for poioer and patronage, rather than 

 with thoughts and plans for higher education and improved Agriculture ? Nay, 

 is not the public ear already alarmed with the rumbling sounds of political earth- 

 quakes in the South ? as if that glorious region of sun and flowers were des- 

 tined to be forever the scene of " throes and convulsions " of all sorts ! On this 

 subject of education — another word for virtue — we shall see, as we proceed from 

 one country to another, how we compare with some of the reviled Governments 

 of Europe, monarchical and despotic. But once more to ray notes : 



The population of Austria, in 1840, was 27,550,401, being throughout the em- 

 pire 3,171 to the square mile. According to an obviously safe rule of calculation, 

 discovered by that able and veteran statist, W. Darby, laid down in his Geogra- 

 phical Dictionary, in 13 years our population will rise up to 29,107,304, and so 

 exceed that of Austria at the present time. 



" There are some very remarkable phe- 

 nonieua attending the increase of population 

 in the United States. If we take 3,9-29,327, 



the amount by the census of 17D0, and di- 

 vide by three, and add the quotient to the 

 dividend, we have the subjoined results : 



By the census. 



1800 5,239,802 5,30.5,925 



1810. 6,986.402 7,280,314 



1820 9,315,902 9,638,131 



1830. 12,420,209 , 12,856,407 



" This method gives oidy .'508,307 less in 

 five operations than the actual returns of the 

 respective enumerations ; and, connnencing 

 with the amount for 1800, the final vesnXx 

 yields only a deficiency of 29(),6r)0. This 

 rule is evidently safe, applied to the whole, 

 as it differs from actual enumerations by giv- 

 ing a less aggregate. Let us, therefore, as- 

 sume the result, ISjrjGO.SoO, as deduced, by 

 dividing by 3, commencing with 3,929,82f , 

 and carry on the synthesis to 1890, 



