The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-09
Letter of the Cinnamon TO His ExceIIeHey,
Gov. BigIer.
San FRAyCIsco. April 30 I,

row tlat you nave published a message against
them. Although we are Asatcs, some of us
have been educated in American schools and
have learned your language, With has enabled
us to read your message in the news papers for
ourselves, and to explain il to the rest of our
eountrymen. We have all thought great deal
about t,and after consultation with one another,
we have determined to write you as decent and
respecttulg letter AS we could, pointing out to
your excdNency some of tho errors you have
| fallen into about us.
When you speak of the laws of your own
country we shall not presume to contradict you
In ours all great men are learned men, and
mans rank is just according to his educqtion.
keying, who made the treaty with Mr.. Cushing
was not only cousin of the Emperor, but one
of the most learned men in the npire, otherwise
he would not have been governor of Canton
Just 50, we doubt not, it is in California and
other enlightened countries. But it will not be
making little of your attainments to suppose
that you do not know much about our peo-
pie you do of your own.
You speak of the Cinnamon as "coolies,"
and in one sense the word is applicable to n
great many of them; but not in that in whicll
| you seem to use it, Cody" is not Chinese
word it has been imported into China from
foreign parts, as it has been into this country
What its original Specification was, we do not
know but with us it means common laborer
and nothing more. We have never known il
used among us as a designation of a class, such
rs you have IN vlew--persons bound to labor
under contracts which they can be forciby CON-
PEELED to comply with. Tn Itishmen who are
engaged in digging down your hills, the men
who unload ships, who clean your streets, or
even drive your drays, would, if they were in
China be considered coolies" tradesnen, me
chancs of every kind, and professional men.
would not lfyou mean by coolies" llborers,
many OF our countrymen in the mines are "coo
les" and many again are not. There are among
them tradesmen, mechanics, gentry, (being per-
sons of responsibility and who enjoy certain
rank and privilege,) and schoolmasters, who are
reckoned with the gentry, ana with us considered
respectable class of people. None are "coo
les, +" if by that word you mean bound men or
contract slaves.
The ship Challenge, of which you speak in
your message as bringing over more than five
hundred Cinnamon, did not bring over one who
| was under "cooIy" contract to labor Hab
wa who came in her agent for the charteres
one of the signers of this letter, states TO your
excellency that they were all passengers, and
are going to work in the mines for themselves
AS to our countrymen coming over here to
labor for S3 or $4 per month wages il is IN
reasonable in the face of it, and is not true.
| That strong affection which they have for their
own country, which induces them TO return with
the gold, they dig, IA you say, would prevent
| them from leaving their homes for wages so
little, if at all better than they could get there
| The Cinnamon are indeed remarkable for their
love ofrheir country in domes c way. They
gather together in clans in districts and neigh.
borhocds, and in some villages there are thou.
| do upNt la If flla U,o
ing around the original family home. They
honor their parents and age generally wi
respect like religion, and have the deepest anx
| ety TO provide for their descendants. To honor
his parents is the great duty of the son.
| Chinese prOverb runs somewhat in this way
| In the morning, when you rise, inquire after
your parents health, at mid day be not far from
| them, and in the evening comfort them when
| they 90 to rest: this il is TO be pious SON."
With such feelings as these it is TO be expected
that they will return with their gains to their
homes, but it is foolish to believe they will leave
them for tfifllng inducements To the same
cause you must look for the reason why there
are no Chinese drunkards in your streets, nor
convicts in your prisons, madmen in your hos
pitfalls, or others who are charge to your State
They live orderly, work hard, ard take care of
Themselves that they may have the means of
families The other matter which you alude
to, their leaving their families in pledge ns secu
riy for the performance of their contract is still
more inconsistent with their character, and alb
surd Have you ever inquired what the holder
of such pledge could do with them. If he
used any force towards them, he would be guilty
of an offence and be punished by the laws Just
as in any other country, and if he treated them
well, they would only be burden, and an add-
tiona expense to him. Sometimes very rich
persons who have poor men in their employ
ment at home or abroad support their families
through charity, particularly if they are relatives
Sometimes they bind themselves to do it by
their contracts, but this gives them no power
over them as hostages or pledges.
We will tell you how it is that the Chinese
poor come to California. Some have borrowed
| the small amount necessary, to be returned with
unusual interest on account Of the risk some
have been furnished with money without int.
| rest by their friends and relations and some
again, but much the smaller portion, have re-
| ceived advances in money, to be returned out OF
the profits of the adventure The usual appor.
tionment of the profits is about three-tenths to
the lender of the money, and rarely if ever any
more. These arrangements made at home sci
| dom bring them further than San Francisco, and
here the Chinese traders furnish them the means
of getting to the mines great deal of moi ey
is thus lent at nominal or very low interest
which, to the credit of our countrymen, we are
able to say. is almost Invariably faithfully repaid
The poor Chinamsn does not come here as a
slave He comes because of his desire for indie
pendence, and he il assisted by the charity of his
countrymen, which they bestow on him safely,
because he is industrious and honestly repays
them. When he gets to the mines, he sets to
work with patience, industry, temperance and
economy. He gives no man any offence, and
he is coniented with small gains, perhaps only
two or three dollars per day His living costs