COMPARATIVE CIVILISATION.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 3, 17 May 1873, Page 11

COMPARATIVE CIVILISATION.

We take the following from Pomeroy's Democrat. For the sake of the interesting figures we hope our readers will excuse the violent manner of Mr Pomeroy's expression : — New England fanatics nave for years howled at what they have termed the barbarism and ignorance of the Southern people- In the matter of schools, end churches, and good souls free from taint, New •New England has claimed to be so far in advance of any part of the country, arid particularly of the South. With this sort of lying argument Puritan preachers, orators, and newspapers have made capital, and have hanged on through the years until they got up a civil war. The last census throws some light on this subject, and may furnish some hints for the great, loyal, and good of New England. The white population and number of churches in each of the six New England and the six South Atlantic States (counting as one Virginia and West Virginia), are as fol'ows :—

The congregatione of the churches foot up a total of 2,203,677 fo New England, and 3,660,984 for the South. With an equal population the South eas twice as many churches, and two-thirds more members of congregations than New England. Massachusetts', with a population nearly double that of Georgia, has scarcely half as many churches as the latter State, and only a small excess of members of congregations. How about New England piety now ? Let us continue the comparison. The following table will show the native white population of the States mentioned, and the number of criminals and paupers in each 5—5 —

These figures show thai, with half a million mote whites, tho South has little more than half the paupers and criminals as New England.

Let New England finatics take these figures &1083 when .they go out to preach about the Ku-Kiux and the ignorahce and lawlessness of the South.

States. Maine ... ... Vermont New Hampshire Massachusetts Rhode Island... Connecticut ... Whites. ... 624,809 ... 329,613 ... 317,697 ... 1,443,156 ... 212,219 ... 526,549 Churchei 1,104 744 1,764 1,764 283 902 Total .. ... 3,455,043 5,421 Delaware Maryland Virginia West Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Georgia ... 102,221 ... 605,497 ... 712,089 ... 424,033 „. 687,470 ... 289,667 ... 681,926 252 1,389 2,405 1,018 2,497 1,208 2,698 Total ... ... 3,450,903 11,567

JSatuve white lame Vermont few Hampshire lassachusetts ... thode Island ... Connecticut population. 576,097 282,491 288,117 1,090,843 156,927 414,015 Paupers. 3,149 1,231 1,739 5,323 407 1,123 Criminals. 25$ 143 199 1,152 133 215 Total ... 2,808,491 12,972 2,097 )elaware ... laryland ... Virginia Vest Virginia ... forth Carolina louth Carolina Georgia 93,101 522,238 698,388 406,951 675,490 281,894 628,173 223 781 -1,941 839 1J149 883 1,270 13 304 331 138 132 130 126 Total „, 3,306,235 7,062 1,174