The Shasta courier., 1855-11-17
The Chf.e.e Q.e.,ie..

The Chinese Quessien.
We confess to the utmost repugnance in touch
ing upon this well worn question. Like worn
out hack horse,-whose hips project and ribs
display hideously, because Of excessive using
and lack of food lit is thing that one does not
like to touch with anungioved hand. The Chi
naman, per se,-the Chinaman's food, whether
fish, fowl or rats-his dress, manners. habits
his face. his walk, his langnage-every thing
about him, and Of him, is Offensive to every white
man, whose tastes have not become viiated
from too great familiarity with the opium eating
sons Of the Orient--s thug by no means jpPos-
sble when we recollect that a Chinaman is
thing .aiases
--" OF such hideous mien,
That to be hated needs but to be seen.
But seen too of, familiar with its face.
We first endure then pity, then embrace
A few weeks ago the Trinity County papers.
and those OF Ell Dorado. with the very praise
worthy desire Of creating sensation. made the
announcement that the Foreign License Law
was working most disastronsly to the interests
of the tax -payers-tllat the law could not be ex-
ecnted--tlai the license of six dollars per month
pay the tremendous increase Of two dollars per
month upon the former iax-iha, ia c,nse-
quence OF this lamentable state of things they
were tampedsng-IcaviBg by tens, by scores.
| yea, by hundreds, for their homes away beyond
the setting of the suu. This splendid display of
| defamation followed. aud clinciied by the
most startling predictions of rnin to both Coun-
~ and State finances Speedily was this fearful
cry taken np by every paper in The State, with
some two or three exceptions. aud now The cry
ct the Chinamen are goins-r,lin. ruin!" is
ringing throue kout the land in tones thrice more
ronching than The lamentations If Rachael weep
| ing Tor her children. Indeed the universal dis
'ress of our brethren affects MS deucedly--even
unto tears. O. THAT my head were n river of
waters, and ipiDe eyes fountains of tears that
might weep,for 10! are not The Cliuaiben going.
We must say The recent conr<e pursued by
inaj"riiy OF The wspapers On this question.
fleets n" credit npnn iI,m, for ilie that il
displays TO-" ready disposition 10 ue led--too
li.le incliuaiIs1i l." think only short year
az" the press ot Caliurnia was unanimous in The
call for y law that would gradually rid US Of the
ChInamen. Then their presence was acknow-
edged 10 be grtate,il. Now however, some
new light has s,,'ldenly broke in upon their un-
drr>'aiiitss. md they discover john is a most
sgtae associate for. and competitor of, The mi
uer AMI buys goods of the merchant and large
ly contributes 10 our peace aud prosperity, by
assisting MS in the support Of government. And
The law that was passed in obedience 10 the al
most universal desire of tire miners because it
is eftciing The very result hoped for, is de-
n"pnced as unjust and oppressive.
Here tire very material question arises are
these assertions true? We think not. We think
six dollars per month is not too much we be-
liere that cinalllen pay that amount. The
reason giSen for the contrary opiniun-tllat the
collectors have to search them, aud beat the
amount ont of iheni-is SIMPLY ridiculous. as
every one knows that this was the only etfectual
mode of executing the law, when the tax was
but four dollars per mouth
Now what aie the reasons given for this snd-
den revolution of opinion Let us see. First,
the tax is so high that it is driving Cinnamon
away. Very well. This is exactly what you as
well ourselves desired, when demanded
of our Legislators the passage Of the law. But
again, the tax OF six dollars per month is SO
enormous that those who can't get away are un-
able to pay it-therefore it is oppressive, and
defeats wholly the revennc objects Of the law.
Is this true !! Ii SO, how comes it that the col
lector OF Calaveras county has sold, with no
extra difficulty, larger number OF licenses than
during any previous month ! m
Neither do we believe thai the law at present
is having the effect of driving the Chinese away,
to the extent asserted. We are quite sure that
we have observed no Indications vi such hap
py result. The papers below tell US that several
hundred have recently gone home. But that is
not at all strange. when we remember that there
are some forty thousand in the State, not one Of
all of whom but intends to return to- his native
land, SO soon as he has accumulated enough
gold to make him comfortable there. thou
sand Ameri. ans leave the Stale every week
What drives them away Why does not their
departure excite the fears OF the press adH1
We tell you, gentlemen, the miners will not
have the present law repealed. The Chinese
not desirable portion Of our population. They
cannot become citizens, nor slaves. They exist
here as nondescripts. Hence we think u sound
policy suggests gradual removal from the State
Of an element in population that is both
pugnant to our ideas aud foreign To our system Of
government.
| LIEUT. uxDERwooDs CoMPANY.-Lient. Un-
derwood with the remainder of his company OF
the 4,h Infantry-a portion having gone north
| few days previous passed through town on Tnes-
day last en- route for Fort Lane. While
would not desire to keep gallant friend
away from where laurels may be won. yet we