The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-09-11
Monday Morning, Sept. II, 1865,
oooLIE IMMIGRATION.

The following admirable article ON a sub
ject which has received considerable attention,
we copy from the New York Evening Post
Because some angry planters in Texas and
elsewhere began lately to cry out for ~Coolie
laborers," certain so-called democratic journals
IN the North, ready as ever to fawn upon
southern aristOcrats, are already giving indi-
cations OF their willingness to defend and urge
a wholesale importation of Asiatics. 1t is
surely singular and disgusting spectacle to
see the very men who but year ago most yo-
ciferously asserted that America was for the
Angio-Saxon race only, white mans country,
ana all that, now turning short corner, and
preparing to welcome a cargo of yellow idola-
ters from the most inferior race of the East
Professor Diapers bold speculation, in his
Future Policy of America,o that we should
I'LL up this continent not only with the white
workmen OF Europe, but with the yellow men
of China and Hindostan, is useful 10 the per
sons north and south who are prepared, to APP
prove this C0OIie movement. But they are
careful to cite only one half of what the learn
ed Professor says. He conjectures not only
that we shall presently be invaded by host
from China, but further, that we shall swallow
up this host--or digest it, perhaps-by intro
ducing pOlygamy amongst our own people. "A
more cold-blooded speculation we have not
heard OF late, but the Professor remarks, as
though he had foreseen the ready adaptability
OF politicians to new circumstances and new
codes of morals, that in his opinion the intro
duction Of polygany may be brought about as
political measure, and used as means to-
hoist some party or person into power. We
are inclined to think that it would probably
"hoist' party in the vulgar sense of the word
would blow it up in such style that it new
er would come down whole. Yet, five are to
have .Coolie immigration party, we may yet
see polyganic party also-as it is only the
first step which costs. a
The question Of the Introduction of Asiatics
in this country does not depend, and ought not
be made to depend, at all upon whether negro
labor can be made useful in the production of
southern staples. lfthe blacks should prove
useless as workmen, which we do not believe,
though their old masters took the best Way
by rearing them in ignorance, to make poor
workmen of them, white men will take their
places. There is a great deal of talk about
the Importance of labor in the South, but if
the men who jabber about it would turn their
hands to something useful, if they would con-
sent TO do little honest hard work them
selves, the South might do very well for la
Dor. eae8
L the blacks do not work satisfactorily, they
will not be employed; the high rate of wages
will tempt white men into the southern fields; |
and then, as soon as it is established that an !
English or German day-laborer can get five
home, and that he will be treated like man,
viii not be cheated Of his wages, may exercise
free speech, and have chance to school his
children, we shall see an immigration from
Europe to the South, exceeding in numbers Z
even that wonderful exodus to the free states
which has pushed us along so rapidly in the
way of material progress. These white men
we can afford to welcome; they are Ignorant
to be sure, but they--or their children at least
art Of ne fbo ho,4, ~ II, 10
country and disciplined through the suffer
ings Of slavery, is here; he has been faithful to
the Union, he has fought in our battles and
helped our prisoners, and has earned protect
ion at our hands, which we should be base
and wicked indeed if we refused him. But we 1
want no more negroes from Africa-Mr. La
mars enterprise is not for the public good ;and
less than all do we want Asiatics. a
California has, we believe, already passed
law prohibiting the introduction of Chinese
into that State; and we should think it bene-
hcial act ii Congress were to prohibit at once
the immigration of the colored races of Asia
or Africa into any parts of the Union. To as
simulate the foreign elements we now have, to
make part of ourselves the white foreigners
who come to us from Europe, is as much as we
can undertake. 1t is our glory, it is true. but
it is also our burden; yet how much would
that burden be increased if we sought to en-
courage a new mixture of Asiatics. Profess
sor Draper remarks SHAT it is not consistent
I" with the prosperity of nation to permit
heterogeneous mixtures of races that are
Sphysiologically far apart Their inferior pro-
"duct becomes dead weight on the body pol
,'itic. If Italy was for a thousand years after
"the extinction OF the true Roman race a scene
"of anarchy, its hybrid inhabitants being un-
table to raise it from its degradation, how in
"describable must the condition be where
"thefe has been mortal adulteratiOn with At
s'rican bloOdp Yet the African blood is bet
ter than much Of the Asiatic blood which it is
proposed to bring in. reissH Aag ~ 4 m@
We experience already good deal Of. diff
Guilty from the clasning of these different ele-
ments. The Irish, the Germans and the Afri-
cans do not readily coalesce; as laborers they
are rivals, and it requires years of friction and
education, all the grinding, polishing force of
our institutions, indeed to wear away theira an
tagonisms How much greater the difficulty
II TO these opponents we shall come to add the
sui more ntractable and unfusable integers
rom tie yellow racesl Besides, statistics prove
that large proportion of the vice the crime
the disease, the ignorance which If costsTus so
much to endure and to eradicate. snrinos from,
the alien side OF our population. :. - =
Yet what are the crimes of the most litter
ate and savage Cet, what the vices Of tho
rudest German, what the degradation of tbe
African, compared with the nameless. subtle
sly, malignant u6prdFlgl6S bnat have always
characterized the Malay and the HindooSEE
These we have called idolators, worshippers of
hideous gods, but what is worse is, that this
worshipis translated into still more hideous
practices.
For the vices and corTuptions that the Eu-'
ropean immigrant may bring, there are ample
and grand compensations. They bring us to-
gether with the incidental evils, fund OF rU-
Dust strength, of active capacity to labor, Of
wlllhg hands, and large brains and noble
neares. Not our physical wealth only, but our
htenectual movements and our social pro-
gress, reel the impulse which the strangers
Hon Europe communicate. Many Of our
Wisest' Dest most serviceable citizens have
thei tongues still mufHed by broQue. We
eounG tnem and honor them in all fine walks
OF NE. at the bar, in trade. on the railroad
ana canal, and in the domestic circle. they
mlASie with us readily; they add to 'onr onri-s
lence, our energy, our civilization-;n a ,,1rrds
to our glory beth abroad and at bnn,e D.,
what good of any kind beyond tba ,,,oH. -.
pie and serylle forms of labor are we l;Ioi,, -
derive rom tne narrow, jejune, withered and
abortive races of Asia? -oieu 'u anu
Let the southern planters, then. If tho,, ,oas1
laborers make such laws as shall secnra AZ
rights Oh worklngmen, and they viii NOT lacs
help. There is everything in the Sontt, Lach *
tempt hundreds of thousands Of indnstr;o...oo "
Europeans to remove hither-and there ;s b..s
one thing to keep them away-that is the in
justice which has been SO long practised there