Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-03-28
CAN WE SWALLOW JOHN chr
NdMAMi

1t has not been long since party lines divi-
ded in some sections of the country upon the
issue of greatly increased period requisite
for acquiring citizenship by immigrants. In
Pennsylvania, the "Know Nothing" party
ruled supreme for several years on this plat
form, and unreasonable as ii may seem, there
are still doubtless many good people who are
in favor of making the time of probation
twenty-one instead Of five years, assuming
the John Ericcsons, Carl Schurzcs, and
Thomas Francis Meaghcrs and their com
panions are upon their arrival here ignorant
as new born babes of our institutions.
The truth is that while this foreign influx
brings class of population extremely liable
to become the tools and instruments Of de-
signing men, and furnishes the basis for
many bad manifestations in civilization, such
as are witnessed in New York, we cannot,
either as a matter of justice or of policy,
abridge or diminish the present inducements
| which our Republic offers TO immigration.
but population; it wants nothing but men
and women. Labor only will develop our
magnificent resources, whose vastness we
scarcely yet dare to compare in our widest
dreams. And while this is so, we must en-
dure the disadvantages which attend the in
lux of laborers. Though the influence Of
such a population as New York's, and The
example Of such lawlessness as that OF
Schuylkill county is bad indeed, yet these
are to be treated rather as surface irrupiions
Of the body polite which healthy consttu
ton like ours will outlivc and throw off in
the gathering virility Of our growth. All
this is true of the immigrants who have hith
erto been coming from eastern countries tc
our Atlantic shores They have readily as
simulated themselves to our American char
acter, and rapidly gathered ideas of our in
stitutions and civilization. Neither the Eng
fish nor Irish, German, French, or Nor
weyians have been obstinate in fusmg int,
the mass which forms our American people
But we are having Il curious if not a danger
GUS manifestation on the western shores 0
the Republic. The few Chinese, who, fiftcei
years ago, vcntured across the Pacific, luret
by the news of the gold discoveries, hay,
been followed by thousands Of their country
men, until now these curious strangers swarm
. in every State and Territory west Of til
Rocky Mountains, and are even climbing til
, passes to come eastward into the ol,le
/ States.
Can we ever absorb such new material Il
this? Let us remember some of these Chi
nesc pecuiarities They are no denomna
: tion of Christians, but pagans. They ma
: make good law-abiding citizens, but the
: carry their idols with them and set them IL
: in every village where few congregat,
Il Fancy heather temple in Wilmington, wit
o Chinese worshipers bowling down to stol
:, idol Yet there are such in San Francisc,
: and many towns on the Pacific coast. n,
It do these strangers wish to dwell permanent
); among us. Their dead are not buried he
" but shipped TO China to sleep with their fat
C crs in the Flowery Land. They propose d
ly to use our country as the place for acqu
Of ring fortune, which is to he spent Ave tho
a. sand miles away.
&c This whole movement ofimmigration fro
Ms West to East is anomalous, and the charaet
to of the immigrants is stranger still. II max
~ lis repeat our question-Can we swallo
it John Clinamanl