As a correct census cannot be taken in this country, the annexed table A
must contain many inaccuracies. It is to be regarded only as
approximately exact. A full census, including uncivilized Indians, say
120,000, would undoubtedly give the nation a small fraction over three
millions of inhabitants.
The accompanying report of the secretary of the treasury, marked C,
contains very interesting matter relating to that department of the
government. In paper B, I have made some general notes on the present
state of the country.
A.
Table.
| State. |
POPULATION. |
Increase per cent. |
POPULATION |
Increase
per cent. |
| 1843. |
1851. |
1864. |
| Antioquia |
178,111 |
228,637 |
28⅗ |
303,325 |
32⅓ |
| Bolivar |
158,219 |
166,685 |
5⅓ |
225,337 |
35⅛ |
| Boyaca |
|
379,682 |
|
|
|
| Cauca |
268,615 |
322,585 |
20⅘ |
386,208 |
197/10 |
| Cundinamarca |
281,189 |
321,139 |
10⅗ |
424,549 |
32⅕ |
| Magdalena |
67,411 |
72,986 |
8⅕ |
|
|
| Panama |
111,821 |
129,870 |
16¼ |
221,499 |
70½ |
| Santander |
302,511 |
359,901 |
189/10 |
378,205 |
49/10 |
| *Tolima |
|
|
|
220,645 |
|
N. B.—The above table is compiled from the census of 1843, 1851, and
1864. It is only approximately correct, as it is scarcely possible
to obtain an accurate census. Including uncivilized Indians, say
120,000, the republic contains undoubtedly a small fraction over
three millions of souls.
NOTES ON THE CENSUS OF THE UNITED STATES OF
COLOMBIA.
A considerable part of the country is low, hot, and inhabited by the
negro race; the remainder high, temperate or cold, and inhabited by
Indians, whites, and Mestizoes.*
The States of Boyaca, Cundinamarca, Santander, and Tolima are
composed mainly of the colder regions; bulk of their populations,
Mestizoes and Indians, the former predominating. There are few pure
whites or negroes. In these four States, Cundinamarca excepted, the
percentage of increase since 1843 is comparatively low.
Cundinamarca.—The increase in this state is
more apparent than real. In 1843 and 1851 revolutions were in
progress in the capital and surroundings, and the soldiery always
being conscripted from the lower order of people, a large number of
these were hidden away in the mountains, and not included in the
census for either year, but included in that of 1864. The nominal
increase from this cause is supposed to amount to many thousands.
The same cause affects favorably the census of 1864 in all the
States, Panama less than any other.
[Page 517]
Tolima.—In all respects like Cundinamarca,
from which its territory was taken and erected into a State in 1861;
the same observations are applicable to both.
Boyaca.— The population numbered 379,682 in
1851. It has probably increased but little since. The Mestizo
element is strong.
Santander.—Next after Antioquia, this State
has the most industrious and comfortable population. Its climate is
the same as that of Boyaca, a little colder than Cundinamarca. Both
are healthful. The Mestizo element is strong. Marriage is more
general than in most other States. The percentage of increase is the
lowest in the republic, except perhaps Magdalena.
Antioquia.—The territory is about equally
divided into temperate mountains or high tables and hot valleys. The
latter are inhabited by negroes; the former by pure whites, the
descendants of Jews expelled from Spain. These have lost their
language and their religion, and are the most fanatic Roman
Catholics in the nation. They are physically, mentally, and morally
a superior people. Like their forefathers, they are addicted to
commerce and its kindred pursuits; noted for their energy,
enterprise, and integrity, and are known as the “Yankees” of
Colombia. The negroes of this State are in all respects superior to
those of any other part of the republic. They are fine in person,
laborious, and moral. Marriage is nearly as general as in the United
States; the increase has not been quite so rapid as in the coast or
negro States, but is regular, and in keeping with the moral and
material progress of the State. This is truly a green spot in
Colombia.
Cauca.—The valleys of the Cauca and Atrato
and Pacific slope are hot and peopled by negroes. There is a slight
predominance of this race in the State, not including the wild
Indians of the southernmost province of Pasto. The colder and
temperate regions contain a few whites. The rest of the population
is Mestizo and Indian. The rational increase in this State is, in
fact, greater than the census of 1864 indicates. This inaccuracy
results from the abolition of slavery. A system of gradual
emancipation was adopted by Colombia in 1821. At the end of the
following thirty years, the number of slaves was not diminished. It
was in fact increased in the valley of the Cauca and the mining
districts of Choco. This was owing to the defectiveness of the
system and the want of inclination or ability in the government to
enforce it. On the unconditional abolition of slavery in 1851 vast
numbers of the slaves in this State were run off into Peru and other
slaveholding countries, which accounts for the comparatively low
percentage of increase.
Magdalena.—Bolivar.—Panama.—The negro element has nearly absorbed
all others in these States. There is a considerable infusion of
Indian blood. The white is barely percep tible, marriage is less
common in these than in the other States, and the increase in Panama
and Bolivar is tremendous. In Panama, this is attributable in some
degree to the opening of the railroad, but the increase is owing in
the main to the fact that the population is almost exclusively
negro. A full census would show nearly the same result in Bolivar.
The census of 1864 was taken during revolutionary disturbances in
this State, and is consequently imperfect. The climate of Magdalena
is extremely unhealthy, which accounts for its small increase. It
never can be densely populated.
The negroes from these States are different from all others, except
those in the valley of the Atrato and on the Pacific slope.
Physically and mentally, they are nearly average specimens of the
race in the tropics; but they are lazy, improvident, and degraded;
due, perhaps, to the lingering effects of slavery, the little effort
required to obtain a subsistence, absence of enterprise and industry
in these States, and the want of teaching and salutary example.
The national march of population has not affected immigration or the
outgoing of natives.
A considerable of the colder or temperate States is hot valley, and
populated chiefly by negroes. A disproportionate percentage of their
increase comes from this element.
The characteristics of the different castes, so to speak, are:
The whites are genuine representatives of Spaniards generally; grave,
proud, indolent, improvident, revengeful, cruel, temperate,
fanatically religious, averse to all kinds of labor, and resort to
any other means of living in preference: passionately addicted to
gambling, lying, and fraud. They are generally small shop-keepers,
priests, and officials, &c. They are comparatively few in
number, forming, perhaps, less than a sixth of the population. With
the mulattoes they can still lead in politics, but their influence
is gradually passing away.
The Indian is different in most respects from the North American
Indian. Is low and stout, laborious, patient, gentle, even torpid,
stupid, and submissive, more susceptible to a low degree of
civilization than the latter, but physically and mentally much
inferior; strong domestic attachments; not addicted to drunkenness;
superstitious, confiding, and fanatic.
The negro is physically the superior race, the whites of Antioquia
excepted; not so active as the mulatto, but constant and
persevering, aspires to competency, independent, good integrity,
laborious, brave; the best soldier and officer; slow to yield his
confidence, strong domestic attachments, fond of drink, fanatic,
long-lived.
The mestizo is weak, effeminate, timid, frivolous, cunning,
inconstant, insincere, fraudulent, given to lying and thieving,
without enterprise, weak domestic attachments, not intemperate,
averse to manual labor, not long-lived.
The mulatto is proud, luxurious, romantic, fond of novelty, show, and
drink, boastful, [Page 518] brave,
reckless, fond of war, improvident, suspicious, acute, less
religious than others, a remarkable aptitude for letters, not much
inclined to labor, thievish, aspires to office, and to lead in
politics and revolutions, and is tyrannical; he is short-lived.
The Zambo negro and Indian in Colombia is weaker, has less energy,
and is shorter lived than the negro or Indian. Fickle, lazy,
improvident, averse to labor, inclined to drink, intensely fanatic.
Many of these are friars and nuns.
These observations are general, of course; there is no standard of
comparison in the United States applicable to Colombia.
All kinds of labor, and especially agriculture, are performed in the
cold and temperate regions almost entirely by Indians and those in
whom the Indian blood predominates; and in the hot regions by
negroes.
Commerce, particularly foreign, is chiefly in the hands of
foreigners; so of the arts and trades.
Many mulattoes hold office, also a few negroes and Indians. The
present supreme court is composed of two members in which white
blood is in the ascendent; one mestizo about half and half; one
three-fourths negro, and one pure Indian. The other officers of the
government are generally mixed. A late attorney general was a pure
negro. The present, as all other congresses, is an indefinite
mixture, with a few pure whites.
A pure negro is something lower in the social scale than any other
class, except the pure Indian. Politically there is no distinction,
and not much practically; only that the uneducated, laboring Indian
is virtually a peon or a slave.
Where marriage is least general the increase is greatest. The census
does not show the proportion of illegitimate births. It must be
high.
Comparing the census of 1864 with the previous ones, the result is,
the white race is decreasing, the mulatto and Zambo increase is
slow, that of the mestizo is a little in advance of the latter two.
The negro increases more rapidly than any, according to this
showing, the present march of population will virtually Africanize
the republic, even the State of Antioquia, within about ninety
years. How far immigration may interfere with this result cannot be
conjectured. That influence in this respect has not yet been
felt.
The census of 1864 completely destroys a favorite theory of
Colombians, that a mixture of these races gives a product superior
to the original elements.
The census contains no statistics on the industrial products of the
country. These are small.
An interesting account of the foreign commerce will be in the report
of the secretary of Hacienda i Fomento, pages 43 to 48, which
accompanied my number 217.
| For the last year the imports amounted to |
$8,022,250 |
| And exports to |
5,042,691 |
|
2,979,559 |
A rather heavy balance against a country where nature presents to
hand so many valuable productions for exportation and in
inexhaustible abundance. The above balance is reduced by $640,000
supposed exports through ports from which returns have not been
received.
An interesting statement of the public debt will be found commencing
on page 14 of the report of the secretary de Hacienda i Credito
Nacional, and in the last table thereunto annexed. Said document
contains much valuable information concerning the country. It is
herewith enclosed, marked C.
The principal available revenues are import duties and rents of salt
springs. The former amount to from $800,000 to $1,000,000; the
latter to about $700,000. There are some other items, but they are
too uncertain to be relied on. The reliable income of the government
in time of peace may be set down at a million and three quarters.
This is not sufficient to pay the interest on the national debt and
other national expenses. The national income is oftener a million
and a half than the sum I have fixed above. An item of revenue,
mortmain property, is pledged to redeem paper money issued during
the late civil war, say eight millions, and will probably be
sufficient. This sum has not yet been issued, but will be in winding
up the expenses of that war.
The foreign debt amounted—
| On September 1, 1864, to |
$35,587,000 |
| The home debt |
8,376,627 |
|
43,963,627 |
| The foreign debt on September 1, 1865, was |
$35,318,357 |
| The home debt |
6,996,180 |
|
42,314,537 |
| Reduction of the debt in 1864-’6 |
$1,647,090 |
[Page 519]
The reduction of the foreign debt by $268,643 during the past year
was produced by the extraordinary augmentation of the custom-house
receipts and the receipts from the salt springs, a large percentage
of which revenues the foreign creditors hold in pledge. This excess
in receipts from these sources was to a great extent accidental and
temporary.
The reduction of the home debt has been effected by the sale of
mortmain property, which will be exhausted, as has been said, in
redeeming the paper money issued to effect the revolution.
The indebtedness for forced loans made and private property taken
during the revolution does not figure in this statement. It is
estimated at from six to twelve millions. The amount has not yet
been ascertained. The present indebtedness of the nation on all
accounts is, therefore, about fifty millions.
