The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-10 00:00:00

NDON, 'WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 10, 1169.

(From the Anglo-American. Times.)
A correspondent, signing himself "N. A. W.," writes a
long letter to the Times under the heading, "The Kansas and Louisiana have ratified the Constitu-
Haunts of Crime in London," which will mate- tional Amendment relating to the Suffrage. - The
rially strengthen the hands of Lord Kimberley in New England element rules strongly in Kansas, but
his conduct of the Habitual Criminals Bill. no of strongly enough to induce the Senate to strike
argument of "N. A. W." throughout the letter 3a ! the word " white" out of the State Constitution,
that power should be put into the hands of the police to although it is asserted that three " Female Suffrage"
arrest those who are known convicted thieves when they Senators bolted, as they were more interested in
are evidently up to mischief. Referring to the grumbling;
against the inefficiency of the police, "N. A. W." striking out the word " male." The Louisiana
says: "The police are far less to blame than it is the Legislature does not pretend to express more than
fashion to suppcse or assume. Their hands are
the feeling of a section of that State's citizens. A
tied tip
with legal difficulties in every direction. Of course there Parliament of negroes and carpet-baggers might
are culpable and negligent members in such a large body securely be counted upon to pass the Amendment,
of men, and these are exactly the ones who can plead even without discussion. The opposition will be
excuses under the present laws. It is the active and experienced in the most loyal of the States outside
New England, perhaps greatest, in the Western
States. Indeed it will be difficult to predict what
they will do ; although the result could easily be
told if each American dropped his answer " Yes" or
" No" into a ballot-box. In that case the Amend-
ment would be lost by an overwhelming majority,
but in this case it has to be decided by Republican
Legislatures pledged to the principle on which it is
grounded. The Pacific States of California and
Oregon may not only reject but most likely fiercely
oppose it. Indeed the danger to the Amendment
is in the feeling it will engender on the Pacific
slope, where, although now powerless to withstand a
measure as hateful, as in the opinion of Califor-
nians, hazardous, no small split may hereafter be
caused. There is a sympathy which runs through
from the Pacific to the Atlantic, losing force, of
course, the further it gets from the one ocean to-
wards the other, but still a power which will exert
its influence unless the Amendment be rushed
through the Legislatures without discussion. It
will be felt in the 'Western States, and will go
to make up the opinion which decides the ques-
tion, if time for argument be given. A Western
farmer will say, if this Amendment be adopted,
the Pacific slope will eventually pass into the
power of the Chinese, who by force of numbers
will outvote the American element, and whose in-
telligence is just sufficient to enable them to make
an effective use of their power and place their own
men in office. It will only be a question of time,
for China can beat Europe and America combined
in peopling California, if it becomes to them not
only the land of wealth, but the land of liberty—a
liberty beyond their wildest dreams. In endea-
;oes vouring to secure the equal rights of the African in
the the Southern States this Amendment may give to
441° China the most promising portion of American ter-
'hls ritory, a result never contemplated by the Legisla-
:on- ture. Nor can such action be controlled, once set
in motion, for the tide of Chinese emigration may
6intlz
flow over towards the Atlantic, and exert a stu-
:on. pendous influence on a nation exercising a great
re- , control over the affairs of mankind. Regarded
Lder from this point the subject assumes a magnitude
weir simply world-wide, and it behoves those on whom
is a rests the responsibility to know the full import of
Lich what they do. The Western Lamer may conclude
tie
that Congress with its eyes fixed on one view only
TICII
Ten• of this question is blind to another of infinitely
,out greater extent, and in sympathy with the Cali-
ary fornian he may vote for the rejection of the Amend-
yet ment. Nor earnestly, asis to be desired the success of
ant the principle on which this Amendment is grounded,
the
can we arrive at any other conclusion. Are the
her
Chinese fitted by nature for the future this Amend-
ust ment would open to them ? If not, the farmer
mixwould as soon think of crossing his breed of fine
I
17, pigs with some lean, hungry, unprofitable kind, as
ire voluntarily to introduce such an emigration. The
ew essence of the question lies in the fitness of the
.a Chinese for such a part, and as no half-bred races
me have thriven, it becomes narrowed to the American
one versus the Chinaman. It is almost impossible to
ng present nations in greater contrast. America is the
Id newest and most advanced in civilization, China the
ho oldest and most decayed; America is the most rapid,
in
changing, inventive, speculative, and energetic—
ed
China the most passive, unchangeable, and least
iw inventive, remaining in a lethargy, for a thousand
sn years befcre America was discovered. China is the
a country of tradition, veneration, irreligion, and moral
:e, pedantry ; America has no veneration, no tradition,
ie but religion. Nor is the difference in appearance
'g less marked, while the habits and customs are
af wholly dissimilar. To say that the'superior race is
it deliberately to make way for the inferior, or rather
to put its neck under the latter's yoke, with whom
,ir it has no sympathy whatever,• is something too
' extravagant to be entertained if the result be under-
:k stood. The question then is—Are we justified in
do believing in a probability so dangerous ? The best
is. answer is to be found in the right place to seek for
it—California. A Chinaman there, is scarcely re-
cognizedas a humanis
nbeing,ot a indeedpers
"person"
'ge
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ae sntdi m
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an
within the meaning of the Fourteenth Amend-
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oo
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ig oath,derision.
k perty, who have no status before the law, to whom
g the superior race scornfully throw their dirty linen
r• to wash, still pouring by every av4ilable means
n into the country, notwithstanding the repression
attempted. From this, two facts are eliminated_.
the earnest desire of the citizens of the Pacific States
to fend off Chinese immigration, and their inabi-
s lity to do so notwithstanding measures wholly op-
] posed to the spirit of Republican government. It
5 is then clear that the Californians, who are best
s placed to appreciate it, entertain so strong a sense
of the danger, that they endeavour to turn back the
I men most useful to them, who cheapen labour, and
give to the State so much of its prosperity ; yet
' tbat their measures are inavailing to avert the in-
vasion they dread. The Federal Congress passes
the proposed Amendment, and States wholly over-
looking the position on the Pacific slope, sanction it
in the teeth of the Californian remonstrance, and
what then becomes of the situation there? The
repression being removed, the immigration is in-
' creased, and Chinamen become a voting, office-
holding power with which it is difficult to deal ; or
• California and her sister States refuse theAmeniment
when carried, maintaining, in violation of it, the
1 discrimination on account of race and colour, which
is tantamount to secession! We have always re-
garded this question with anxiety, and we only
hope that means may be found, if the Amendment
be passed, to provide for the difficulty. We believe
that the American press has seriously taken up the
discussion of this subject, as we did on receiving the
Cable messages, and let us hope not too late. But, as
is natural, on what affects two score millions, while
the Pacific slope numbers little over half a million,
the discussion must turn on the interests of the vast
majority. Hence the cancelling of educational
qualifications, even for holding office, is the provi-
sion most forcibly exposed. On this subject the
Neu, York Sun says :—" Are we to be denied the
privilege of insisting that our candidates for judges
shall know the law ? Must that excellent Act of
Congress be annulled which provides that persons
who apply for clerkships in the Executive Depart-
ments at Washington shall be examined to ascer-
tain how far education has qualified them for the
places they desire? If a State wishes to institute a
geological survey, may it not require that the gen-
tlemen who apply to do the work shall know the
difference between limestone and hornblende ?"
The Chinaman sitting as judge iu the court wherein
his testimony had lately been refused on oath would
present a startling picture to a San Franciscan ; but
if this Amendment be passed, what is to prevent
the tables being turned in California, and the Celes-
tial Judge refusing to receive the evidence of au
American against the naturalized Chinese citizen.
The intelligence received yesterday adds Missouri,
West Virginia, and even Nevad t to the States
which had ratified the Amendment.

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NEWS.

to the Continent. A. plan has been started for
reaching Europe under the sea. Among the pro-
moters are Lord Richard Grosvenor Mr. Bazley, Mr.
'Thomas Brassey, Mr. Hawkshaw, M. Michel Cheva-
lier, M. Arles Dufour, and other influential English-
men and Frenchmen. The idea favoured by these
gentlemen is that of tunneling through the submarine
chalk. In order to prepare the way, borings have
been made on both sides of the Straits. On
the English side the chalk was bored
through, and the green sand reached at 540
feet below high water. It is assumed that no " fault "
occurs in the chalk formation underneath the
Channel, and in that case the tunnel could be carried
through the lower or grey chalk, where there would
be little percolation of sea water. Of course it is
possible that sea water may find its way through
some unexpected fissure, in quantities too large to be
overcome. To ascertain this it would be necessary
to drive preliminary driftways under the sea. It is
anticipated that the work would cost ten millions
sterling, and take ten years to execute.
THE JUNCTION OF THE OPERAS.
Mr. Williams, of Tree flow, Cornwall, has written
to the Morning Post on the proposed combination of
the Opera-houses for this season. Ho regrets the
attempt being made to establish a monopoly, and
thinks it is likely to prove injurious to the future
fortune of the Italian Operain London. The arguments
in favour of the scheme are plausible, but wrong, and
it is quite evident that London can support two
Operas. Mr. Williams complains of the ill-judged
system that has lately prevailed of extending
the performances to four, five, or even six nights a
week, which left no time for rest, or for the
due preparation of the works produced. The strain
thus put upon the orchestral and choral forces by the
amount of additional work, has caused deterioration
in many respects. The virtual dismissal of Mr. Costa
augurs ill for the success of the new under-
taking; and the repertoires of the chief singen
will be brought into direct antagonism. It
is suggested that the lessees would feel
it more to their own interests if they agreed to open
their houses on alternate nights, and by this means a
healthy competition would be secured, without
ruinous drawbacks to success. It is reported that
the proposed scheme to effect the amalgamation of
the two Opera-houses has failed.
ELECTION TRIALS.
The praises bestowed on Mr. Disraeli's measure for
the trial of election petitions have become more
moderate of late, and, instead of unqualified praise,
we have a considerable amount of grumbling. It is,
perhaps but natural that the party in each district
which suffers from the new measare should attribute
the loss. rather to bad legislation than evil
actions. But to those not concerned in such
a way it must bs clear that we have
not yet got a measure for ensuring purity of election.
Mr. Disraeli's measure may be very well so far as it
goes ; but it does not go far enough. Take the case
cited 1 y gr. Vernon Harcourt in the House the other
night of the Irish borough, where it was admitted
that " the sitting member had spent upwards
of £5,000, and had obtained only 127 votes, and the
question was reserved for the Court of Common
Pleas, to determine whether that had any relation to
corruption." Without drawing attention to parti-
cular cases, within the last few weeks there has been
enough to make even enthusiastic supporters of the
Leader of the Opposition doubt whether, after
so much has been gained by giving the work to the
judges. Perhaps there is an improvement, but the
heart of the evil is still left untouched.