The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-05

The Pacific mail steamer China, which
arrived at San Francisco on the Goth ult.,
brought, besides one hundred cabin passen-
gers, nine hundred and ffty-six Chinese in the
steerage. This is noteworthy sign of the
times. 1t is an earnest of the immense imm-
grafton to this country from China, which will
correspond to and probably exceed the immi
grafton from Europe. With the completion of
the Pacific Railroad and the successful opera
ton of the Pacific steamship lines the surplus
population of China and likewise of Japan
will be drained by California and other States
on the Pacific coast The number of Chinese
already domiciled in California is surprisingly
large. 1t is said that no less than twenty-five
thousand Chinese are working on the Pacific
Railroad. The Chinese who have hitherto
been imported are for the most part laborers
and small traders; but ere long swarms OF
skilled laborers will arrive and introduce into
America their improvements in agriculture and
their exquisite manufactures their silks, porce-
lains, lacquered ware carved goods in tortoise
SHE'LL ivory and horn, engravings, bell casting,
paper, ink cabinet work, and all the arts and in
dustres in which they evince so marvellous
an aptitude for imitation. Even some of their
learned men may come to lecture on the philO-
sophy of Confucius, and from their lectures as
well as in the joss houses which may yet be
erected in San Francisco and other towns of
our Pacific coast, those pious but simple minded
young men who purpose to go to Ching as
Christian missionaries may learn agreat deal
that shall enighten them more fully as to the in
tellectual advancement of the people whom they
are ambitious to teach. The Chinese laborers
of the lower grades will prove great addition
to the wealth of muscle which is to purchase
material prosperity for the Pacific SLOPE and
the unsurpassed value of Chinese servants
promises to relieve housekeepers in our Atlantic
States from the annoyances to which they are
now tyrannically subjected by Independent
Bridget in the North and by emancipated Dinah
in the South.
The Chinese Embassy, headed by Mr.. Bur-
lingame, which is at present visiting this
country, will give, directly or indirectly, an
additional impulse to Chinese immigration to
the United States. The knowledge acquired
by the Embassy will be communicated to the
Chinese, and will doubtless tend to increase
the disposition of so many Of them to come to
America.
Still another mission may exert similar in
fuence. The Hon. Charles d. Poston, Commits
sioner of the Agricultural Bureau at Washing
ton, left New York on Wednesday for China as
bearer of dispatches from the Chinese Embassy
to the Emperor of China, and as special agent
of the Lower California Company to promote
immigration by the Chinese to the extensive
land grants from the Mexican government to
that company in Lower California and Sonora.
The success of this mission will have an i'm
portant influence on the future of Chinese i'm
migration to America. Already the teeming
population of China has sent so many to our
shores that it behooves both the government
of California and the government of the United
States to determine their status and guarantee
their protection by appropriate legislation.