The Shasta courier., 1853-12-03
ICOMMuNICATED.


Three years ago it was matter of no little Gu
riosity to the American miner, to see real live
representative of the Celestial Empire, with his
wooden shoes, his prodigious hat of fantastical
proportions, his shaven head, his long black cue
dangling at his feet, his light springy pole poised
upon his shoulder, and freighted with provisions
and mining tools, as he wended his way, half
walking, half pacing, on his road to the mines.
But the time has now arrived when the China
man begins to be regarded with other feelings
than those of mere idle curiosity. Stimulated
by the brilliant reports carried back to China by
these first adventurers and allured by the vast
fields of wealth that seemed to open before
them, as well as encouraged by the invitation
of many of our own people, thousands and tens
of thousands of these sable sons of Asia have
crossed the Pacifc-poured into our towns, and
are now swarming in quest of gold through ev-
cry part of the mines. 1t is notable fact that
already, in many of the mining districts in this
vicinity, the number of Cinnamon is more than
double that of all the other miners put together.
And yet this stream of trans-Pacific immigra-
is daily swollen by perpetual influx from all
| the dark and dingy tribes of the Chinese En-
| pire-a country which boasts population neas
| ly equal to that of all the world besides
| very necessary and natural result of this
| rapid accumulation of Chinese in our midst, is
clashing of interests, and consequent chickering's
and difficulties between them and our own cti-
zens. Nor should this be matter of surprise
After the American miner, with that spirit of
courageous enterprise so peculiarly his own, at
the cost of thousands of dollars has explored
wild, mountainous and savage regions where
Chnaman dare not set his foot-after he has
toiled, prospected and found gold-after he has
encountered and overcome numberless difficult
ties and dangers, in the shape of Indian pillage
and Indian barbarity-after his stock has been
stolen his camp robbed, and his life periled
thousand tmes-and finally, after he has settled
down to work with partial feeling of security,
in the hope of realizing at least some reward
for years of suffering and privaton-what must
be his feelings to find himself suddenly surroun-
ded and hemmed in on every side, by a motley
swarm of semi-barbarians, eager to grasp the
| spoils, though they dare not share the fighta
In view of all these facts, is it any woder that
we occasionally hear the deep toned murmur
| ing of discomfort, and threats of vio-
lence the part of our own citizens, towards
race of foreigners who, having no feelings or
| sympathies in common with us, are rapidly
overrunn1ng our country, and appropriating to
themselves those golden fields and fertile vallies
| which have been bought with American treas
ure, watered with American blood, and rendered
productive by American industry
But if California is destined to be made the
receptacle for all the surplus population of ASIA
it is high time for us to enquire what position
our Celestial brethren are destined to hold in
our body polite.
Is golden State to be peopled, through all
future time by two separate and distinct races,
having no more affinity for each other than oil
and water, and occupying the relative position
of master and servant! Or like two fountains
that spring from different sources, and converg-
ing in their onward course, finally commingle
| their waters in one common stream, are the
American and Chinese races destined ultimately
to unite, forming but one people, retaining all
the leading, original features of both?
| If the Chinese are to live amongst us as our
equals, exercising the same political rights as
American citizens, it may be well for us to pause
and consider whether we are willing that they
should enact our laws filtour judicial tribunals,
set upon our juries, testify in courts of JUS
tice, to the jeopardy of our lives, our fortunes,
and our liberties. And finally, are willing
that they should marry with our sons and, our
ley race of half breeds, resembling more the
native Digger than the Anglo Americana
| ZACK