THE POPULATION. OF THE UNITED STATES.
[To THE EDITOR 01, THE " SPECTATOR."1 SIE,—In the Spectator's courteous notice of my article in the Nineteenth Century on "The Roman Catholic Church in America," the reviewer expresses a doubt as to the correctness of some of my figures. I felt that they needed amplifying and explaining; but the article was so lengthy, that it was im- possible to add another line.
My estimate of ten millions as the number of Roman Catholics in the Union is the official estimate, made under the direction of the Bishops at the end of last year, 1888; but I did not adopt it without consulting Cardinal Gibbons and other cautious and trustworthy authorities. In order to avoid exaggeration in my forecast of the number of English-speaking Catholics in America in the next century, I calculated that their proportion to the rest of the population would remain in its pre- sent position, though considering the relative increase of Roman Catholics in the United States during the last fifty years, and considering, too, that they chiefly consist of the two most prolific races in America, the Irish and the German, it seems probable that if they now number one-sixth of the population, they will by the middle of the next century include at least one-fourth of the American nation. In the last years of the decade for which a -United States census is made, all esti-4 abates of population statistics must be mere guess-work, such is the amazing increase of the people ; and the next American. census will be a revelation of surpassing interest and im- portance.—I am, Sir, &e., Poitiers (Vienne), November 12th. J. E. C. BODLEY. iCardinal Gibbons, in his • speech, says 9,000,000.—En. Spectator.]
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