―179―For the Literary Magazine.
statistical view of the
united states of america.
IN the annexed table, the com-
piler has endeavoured to collect as
many geographical and political par-
ticulars as possible, into one succinct
view. The sagacious reader will
perceive, in Home of the items, a
certain deviation from the most au-
thentic documents. As this devia-
tion was voluntary, it is necessary
to explain the reasons which occa-
sioned it.
In the first place, the area of any
considerable region cannot be ascer-
tained with absolute precision. The
bounds of most countries and pro-
vinces have not been entirely, mea-
sured astronomically; and different
measurements are found to vary in
a greater or less degree. This dif-
ference is seldom of any conse-
quence; all the purposes of human
science requiring, in these respects,
not an absolute but only a relative
precision.
The bounds of the American
states, for example, and all compu-
tations of their area, are deficient in
absolute certainty, but the degree of
certainty obtained is amply sufficient
for every ordinary purpose. Round
numbers, in stating comparatively
all great sums, are necessary to their
easy comprehension and prompt re-
collection, and, if used with judg-
ment, may actually be as near the
truth as the most particularizing
minuteness. In stating the area of
a great country, like Great Britain,
it is of no importance whether the
stated sum be a few hundreds or
thousands below or above the exact
truth, for the exact truth can never
be obtained. It can only be ap-
proached; and the benefits of this
knowledge, in reasoning and com-
parison, are realized by mere proxi-
mity, while the memory is aided by
―180―
employing as simple and entire sums
as possible. Thus, some compu-
ters make the area of South Bri-
tain 57,947, and that of North Bri-
tain 27,120. This affectation of ac-
curacy, in descending to hundreds,
tens, and units, when the whole sum
is so large, is evidently absurd, even
supposing this degree of accuracy
attainable; but 60,000 in one case,
and 30,000 in, another, have as good
a chance of accuracy as the sums
above specified, because other mi-
nute computers vary from those
above-mentioned as much as 60,000
does from 57,917, or 30,000 from
27,120.
In settling the area of the Ame-
rican states, I have adopted such
round numbers as are nearer to ab-
solute precision than those common-
ly adopted, while, at the same time,
being round numbers, they are much
more suitable as objects of recollec-
tion and comparison than any broken
sums.
It is well known, that the census
of a great country can never abso-
lutely reach the truth. A certain
allowance must always be made for
unavoidable omissions. This allow-
ance has been only so far used, in
the annexed table, as to make toler-
ably round sums; but the bounds of
this allowance have never been touch-
ed; so that the sums actually stated,
though a few units higher than the
printed results of the census, are un-
doubtedly much below the truth.
Simple and concise as this table
appears, the compilation has cost
the author no small pains: but he
will be highly gratified if any of its
readers should derive instruction
from it. It is manifest that it con-
tains particulars, never before
brought together into the same view,
and that it contains almost every
thing ascertainable or useful to the
student of American geography.
No citizen should be ignorant of
these particulars in the state of his
own country; and yet it is probable
that not one among five millions of
Americans has all the particulars
of this table in his memory. To en-
able those who please to familiarize
themselves to these interesting and
important facts, with facility and
method, and to supply the place of
memory to those who want the lei-
sure, inclination, or ability, was my
purpose in forming it.
I believe a single glance at this
table will acquaint the reader with
its usefulness. By arranging the
particulars in distinct columns, and
employing figures instead of words,
we are enabled to see, at a single
glance, the state of this part of the
world, in extent, population, the de-
gree of the prevalence of Negro
slavery, and the population of its
chief towns.
This or a similar table should be
introduced into every seminary, and
gotten by rote by every scholar be-
tween twelve and fifteen years of
age. By searching in this table an-
swers to the following questions, the
reader will familiarize its contents
to his imagination.
Which is the largest or least state
in the union?
Which is the most or least popu-
lous?
Which is the most or least popu-
lous in proportion to its extent?
Which has the largest or smallest
positive number of slaves?
In which is the proportion of
slaves to free largest or smallest?
What is this extent, this popula-
tion, this population of slaves, and
this relative proportion?
What is the absolute and relative
extent, population, &c. of all the
states?
These questions can all be answer-
ed by a momentary glance at this
table; but these, however import-
ant, could not be answered, without
its assistance, but after difficult and
tedious searches, calculations, and
comparisons.