50 



AGE VARIOUS NATIVITIES. 



the other half to l)e distributed among the remaining 21 year.s. At the fourteenth year, 

 three-fourths of tlie entire number of men have been exhausted, leaving one-fourth, for 

 the remaining moiety of 14 years. 



The next taljle shows the proportion of men at each quinquennial mean nge in, 

 six of tlie chief nativities represented. 



From this it would seem that the negro race contributed the largest number of 

 men of the lowest age; but it must be, in fairness, admitted tliat no strict dependence 

 is to l)e placed upon this part of the table. Before- their emancipation, the colored 

 people were notoriously uninformed as to their age, often giving replies of manifest 

 absui'dity to inquiries upon the subject. 



A noticeable peculiarity, however, not open to any suspicion of inaccuracy, is 

 the fact that the natives of British America, as will be presently shown, present the 

 lowest mean age of all. 



The different results produced by compulsory and voluntary enlistment, as regards 

 the nuniber at certain ages, is illustrated in the following comparison: 



Efforts have been made, from time to time, to ascertain the mean age of the armed 

 forces of a country, but the result has generally been of inconsiderable value for com- 

 parison. Ill the states of Europe, where military service is compulsory, the addition 

 to an army of the amuial ^' class" of young conscripts of nearly like age, and the dis- 

 charge of soldiers who have served their prescribed term, together produce a not very 

 varying average of age.' But our enrollment-law, applied suddenly, and for the first 

 lime, (to any general (extent,) in American history, coercing men of all capable ages into 

 the Army, Itroiiglit iihoiit so different a condition that the inquiry becomes both useful 

 and interesting. 



It is necessary to discard from the computation all classes of recruits excejiting 



I The mean aije of all llii; ri'crnits obtained for tlio English army, in the years 1880 ,ind 1870, was 19.10 years and 

 19.9 years, respectively. (/■;»;//;»// (iniii/ iiud. n-porls: fur 18i)9, ii. 51 ; for 1870, p. 44.) 



