If we fuppofe our country to be bounded, at fome future day, by the meridian of the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, (within which it has been Years.
before conjeftured, are 64,461 fquare miles) there will then be loo inhabitants for every fquare mile, which is nearly the ftate of population in the Britifh Iflands, Here I will beg leave to propofe a doubt. The prefent defire of America is to pro- duce rapid population by as great huporta- tions of foreigners as poffible. But is this founded in good policy? The advantage propofed is the multiphcation of numbers. Now let us fuppofe (for example only)
that, in this ftate, we could double our numbers in one year by the importation of foreigners; and this is a greater accef- fion than the moft fanguine advocate for emigration has a right to expeft. Then I fay, beginning with a double ftock, we iliall attain any given degree of population only 27 years, and 3 months fooner than if we proceed on our fingle ftock. If we propofe four millions and a half as a com- petent population for this ftate, we fhould be 544^ years attaining it, could we at once double our numbers; and 8ii years, [ 1^5 ] it we rely on natural propagation, as may be feen by the following table:
tation of foreigners? It is for the happi- nefs of thofe united in fociety to harmo- nize as much as poffible in matters which they muft of neceffity tranfad together.
Civil government being the fole objeft of forming focieties, its adminiftration muft be conduced by common confent. Every fpecies of government has its fpecific prin- ciples. Ours perhaps are more pecuHar than thofe of any other in the univerfe.
It is a compofition of the freeft principles of the Englifh conftitution, with others derived from natural right and natural reafon. To thefe nothing can be more eppofed than the maxims of abfolute mo- narchies. Yet, from fuch, we are to ex- pe(ft the greateft number of emigrants.