San Andreas independent., 1857-07-25
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SATURDAY, ::::: JULY 25, 1857.
The Chinese Ouestion-No. ?.

ifornia, IS well calculated to elicit from all In
telhgent citizens of the State, who have the
future prosperity of California at heart, an
opinion on the subject, as question which in
wolves the most momentous consequences, ana
requiring immediate attention. When the Tar
if question was rife in the councils OF our ma
ton, one great or principal argument III i'soi
of high protective tariff, was to prevent the
competition of the operatives OF oyer-populated
and oppressed England and Europe, with our
own free intelligent and Independent citizens !;
although reciprocity of trade, as near as rev.
epue requirement will allow of has been deemed
the best policy by most nations. But it ap-
pears that the influx Of Chinese in multitudes-
which in a few years, if not prohibited, may
prove overwhelming, and by ourpresent apathy
on the subject are allowed to come and COM
pete with our own people, ON our own soil and
even work our own mines, which are the very
foundation ofour prosperity and when exhausted
will prove ruinous to all other occupations, or
ut least nearly so-causes 20 alarm with the
community, further than few passing remarks.
1t is fact potent to all who will take the pains
TO examine the subject that the Chinese emil
grafton to California will increase, for the fol-
lowing reasons from internal wars, and threat
ened and certain invasion by two such formi-
dable powers as England and France; the panic
among the Chinese is so great that they are
perfectly reckless of consequences and VIII es-
cape to any other country they can procure
A. t. SAINT and 10 "a
been for several years system OF slavery, or
peonaqe, carried on by transporting the Chinese
TO the British West India Islands, and to the
different Guano Isionds in possession OF differ
emf Governments. Their term of slavery is linn
tied. Those serving in the British dominions
have heretofore been held only Eve years, but
the government has decided to extend their
service to ten years, as those surviving the ex-
piration of their term of service and returning to
China, report unfavorable to their countrymen,
which discourages others from coming, or those
engaged in the traffic from buying and selling
coolies 1t is reported on authority, that not
more than three e-fourths of those who serve
coolies survive their term of service. AS their
masters have only limited time to extort their
services from them, their cupidity induces them
TO drive them to the full extent of their capac-
ity, not even fareing as we'll as the negro who
is held in slavery for life, as their masters are
interested in having them last as long rs posi-
ble The Chinese being we'll apprised of these
facts under the present state OF public opinion
in California, that they can do infinitely better
in California than any other country, especially
where they have to live as slaves, they will lose
no time in sending those who are not able to
come on their own hook-and, as is the fact IN
the capacity Of coolies, having to serve term
of years for those who transport them to Cali
fornia, and even give their families in security
fer the faithful performance on their part, which,
on their inability or failure to perform, can be
sold as coolies.
In view of the subject hinted at, and the fact
that Cinnamon have the unrestricted privilege
of coming to this State and competing with the
white miner, and the privilege of working the
mines on their own account, and are even al
lowed to employ those whom they held as slaves
for term of years. Under these circumstan-
ces they can drive white men out of the mines
by being able to hire their coolies for less wa
ges than a white man will work for, and work
poorer claims than white men will work at
present; but in a few years Will work Tor the
average wages in the Atlantic States, provided
the Chinese can be kept from entirely exhaust
ing the mines. If they are not able to make
over fifty cents a day, they are better off in
their own country. The inevitable conse-
quence of the Chinese occupying our mines,
will be to drive white men from the mines to
engage in other employment either III Califor-
MIA or return to the Atlantic States IL is
fact generally admitted, that the net earnings
of American miners now in California, very
little exceeds the wages OF farmers, mechanics,
and laborers in the Atlantic States the last
few years and if they remain unprotected from
Chinese encroachmentS, they will leave the
country with contempt. And where Will be
Californias boasted prosperity, and what will
be the semi-monthly receipts of gold in the At
lantic States, if it is dug out by the Chinese
and sent to China? 1t has come to fine pass,
if American citizens have to compete with the
degraded Chinese coolies on our own soil, and
in our own mines, and no redress Awake ye
shades of our revolutionary sires, and impart
to your degenerate descendants portion OF
YOUR patriotic fire, to enable us to avert the I'M
pending fate of our fair heritage, transmitted
to our unworthy possession, which We are too
pusllanimouS to protect and defend.
We have waited in vain year after year the
tardy action of our Legislature, to enact some
laws to relieve the country OF the lntolarabie
evil. 1t seems that our politicians interests
are not identified with the future welfare of the
working portion of American citizens, no fur
ther than to coyote them out of their votes and
then neglect their interests entirely. They
evince more anxiety for the passage of some
bill, to give some favorites monopoly, proyi-
ded they get a share in it.
The only bill passed, which in any way was
calculated to discourage Chinese encroach-
ments, was the capitation tax; which, the Su-
preme Court, for reasons probably satisfactory
to themselves, saw fit to declare unconsttu-
tional-thereby throwing the door wide open
for the country to be entirely overrun by those
Asiatic hordes, who, like the locusts when rava-
ging the countries where they exist, leave not
a vestige of vegetation behind them. In fact,
their unrestricted permission to come to Cali
fornia and stay as long as they please will