Daily national Democrat., 1860-04-06
1aiIu Natioual 9emuerat.
The Chinese Question.

Al
,;5iog for gradual increase of the Chinese
,roor's license so as to drive out finally, all
,bo Chinese from the mines, by taxing them
-, bgh as to render the privilege of working
! the mines worthless, has been very highly
.,okep of; and, as we hear desire express
:, "a see the speech, we lay it before our
.,,aars Mr.. Johnson's Bill was defeated,
nmt i,s main points retained, we believe, in
.ow hill now pending in the Legislature.
Mr. Hugg spoke as follows:
Mr. Speaker AS the representative of a
,,;ninr constituency which has suffered as
,ah If not more than any other from the
.;Is so,Icbt to be remedied by the bill now
i,r consideration, deem it lay duty to
oross the sentiments which am satisfied
ora universally entertained by those whom l
Iaye The honor in part to represent. That
,La mining interest lies at the very founda-
'ior of our existence as Il State, that to the
mines is attributable the present mechanical,
ogricultural and commercial prosperity OF
California. no one will deny. 1t becomes,
therefore. an imperative duty to guard with
4 loalous care TIE interests OF the miner, and to
afford him such legal protection oil his rights
as may be Just and proper. In oIher couh-
tries the mines of precious metals are regard
ed as being the exclusive property OF the
Sovereirntv, by virtue of its prerogatlve OF
coinage, hence even the citizen IS only per
mitted to work them as an especial privilege,
or upon payment of certain tax In the
spirit of lberality, however that Is charac-
teristic of our government our mines o. golu
and silver have been thrown open TO all.
And California has become indeed not only
nm asylum for the oppressed of all nations,
Int an Ell Dorado to all mankind 1t is an
+ old and true maxim, however, Mr.. Speaker,
and one which applies to States as well as to
individuals, that CHARITY begins at home;
and although | would not be guilty of any
Niberaliv, or do ought that might reflect
unon the character of our State for her gen
ero,itv or hospitality, yet | believe that we
should be Just before we attempt to be gen
erous believe our own citizens at the cost
of whose blood and treasure this land was
bouqht have greater claims upon us than
tbe Rordes of half civilized barbarians who,
like the locusts of Egypt, are swarming over
the nnd-monOpolizing our mines, degrading
our labor and demoralizing our society. The
history of this, as well as that Of other na-
tions demonstrates the fact that nothing but
evil can arise from the immigration of those
who. from their natural status in the scale of
s being, their habits customs and education,
are wholly untitled to become citizens of the
country into which they come. The ruins of
ancient Rome are monuments to the truth of
this proposition; and if such thing should
come to pass-which God forbid-that the
American Union should be dissolved, her
fallen pillars would but add another sad me-
mortal to the same great truth. Two distinct
races Of people, different in color, character
and education, can never exist together with
oVt giving rise to that irrepressible conflict
which can alone terminate in the affect
seryilily Of the one and the overbearing ty-
raDny of the other-and, although am not
prophet. yet | venture to predict that the
day is not far distant when in this State, if
the immigration of Chinese to our shores is
not speedily checked, it will become necessa-
ry either to make them slaves or for the peo
pie to rise en- masse and drive them from our
State. 1t has been urged by those who are
opposed to legislation on this subject, that it
u unfair and unjust to make distinction be-
tween the Chinese and other foreigners; it is
agreed that we should either leave the coun
try and sthe mines free to the Chinaman and
Mongofan, or that we should also exclude |
the European from those privileges. With |
that distinguished class of individuals, whose |
charity and philanthropy is so great that
they regard the negro as being better than
the white man, this argument might have |
some weight, but with those who take |
a common sense view of men and things, it |
can have none. The European comes here |
as the representative of nation, which, in |
point of civilization, refinement and Chris
t,t,ifv ns,I~s nj 1, L.. =
prepared by birth and education to become
a citizen, and our laws afford him an oppor-
tunity of doing so. He becomes part and |
parcel of the people; his labor develops our
resources; his homestead beauties our vii
lagos he is prepared to become the citizen, |
the soldier, and the statesman he brings !
with him the virtues and the knowledge of
his own country to add them to the common
stock Of virtue and wisdom in this. As a
general thing he does not come here to rob
the State of its wealth, that he may return to
bis native land and there enjoy it. But he
comes here to make home, and to enrich it
with his gainings. With the Chinaman and
Mongolian it is far different He comes here
with his filthy habits and disgusting customs,
stepped in vice and crime which are always
the companions of ignorance and idoatry.
lie Is not only untitled to become citizen
and an equal, but even to become a witness
IN our Courts of justice. He does not come
as freeman to make himself a home, swell
our revenue and increase our prosperity, but
ne comes as cody and slave to Chinese
capitalist, robbing the State of her wealth
mat 1t may benefit his own country and guild
Inc coHers OF some rIt-eating naboh of the
fIoraI Empire. But, sir, this is not all. So
numerous has this race become in some of
our mining localities, that they are now in
in"ny instances holding mining claims to the
exclusion OF our own citizens. There are to-
gay, SIR whole bars and mining districts in
NY own county that are almost exclusively
owned by Chinamen. But, sir, this is not
al the slave labor of the cody is daily bro't
III contact with the free labor of the white,
ana While the honest aud Industrious citizen
Is unable to hnd employment even at mod
erHte compensation, the Chinese Mandarin is
hirlng out his slaves by fifties and hundreds
TO work our mines, dig our bitches, and carry
on our public works, and that too, at to low
. rate that 1t is impossible for the white la
voofer to compete with them. In allowing
'he Immigration of the Chinese TO our State
we nave all to lose and nothing to gain. The
p'tiul revenue that is at present derived
"olh Ihe mining tax sinks into insignifcance,
compared with the evil result which is
pound to follow if their immigration to our
Snores is not speedily checked; and, sir,
a'A OF the opinion that upon close calcua-
uoh the tax which is now derived from that
,o1.S source would not even pay the expenses en-
,hio %He! upon us hy the crimes perpetrated by
ells ignorant and idolatrous people. They
eto"d our prisons and occupy the time of
our Courts; they render necessary a vast
NUMBER OF Tax Collectors and other officers,
T"o must be supported at the expense of
government; their abandoned women crowd