The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-06-19
The Chinese in california.

being continuously made. Orig
nally quiet and docile in their be
havior and generally obedient t.
the laws, they are now charget
by the California press with be
ginning to exhibit a disregard
not only of decency but also O
law, which has aroused a growing
feeling Of hostility and indigna
ton aginst them in the communi
ty in which they reside. Th,
proposition of granting them th,
right of suffrage is violently op
posed, and the worse consequence
are predicted from tbeir entrance
into a share of the government il
tue city. In support of this opin
ion, grave charges are made
against them, involving a disre
gard on their part of human life
which, if true, is appalling. They
are said to have introduced into
San Francisco all the barbarous
practices of the land whence they
have sprung, that they hatch con
spiracies and plot and carry out
murder, sometimes organizing
bands Of assasins to murder rivals.
In addition to all this, a China
man, they say, has no fear Of the
death penalty and hence is not
deferred by the anticipation of
punishment in carrying out his
desperate deeds of blood. A stole
when brought face to face with
the executioner, he evens goes so
far as to stipulate with his en-
plOyers for an additional fee in
case his enterprise should result
in his death-this supplemental
reward to be paid to his relatives.
These are some of the allega-
tions made by the San Francisco
papers against this case. There
is very little. doubt that a serious
trouble is brewing between the
Chinese and Californians, a troub-
lie which, it is not improbab BILE, may
result at no distant day in scenes
of domestic blood and tur-
moil without parallel in this
country. In the matter of their
emigration to the United States,
what has heretofore been a casual
thing willere long become a rule
of conduct with them. Entering
into political accord with the
Christian Powers, China will nee
essarily enter into domestic rela-
tions with them as well; and one
consequence OF these information
al relations will be a great influx
OF Chinese TO our shores. So soon
as travel over the Pacific Railroad
becomes settled, we may look IN
all our large cities for a gathering
of these Asiatics, and ii one halt
that is said of them by the San
Francisco press be true, their
coming will involve a serious
problem. The ordinary, every
day Chinaman is more or less IA
miliar to all of us. AS he is at
present, we find him TO be a tract
able, quiet and submissive GREAT
nre. But the question is, can he
be relied upon to exhibit these
qualities when by aggregation, he
shall have become of more or less
Importance in the community
The principle that should pro
pose to extend the suffrage to
these people, fresh from their
idols and national preDudices, is
too gross and pa!pa3-e an aDsuldl-
ty to need argUmsHtla opposition
to it. Unlike ,be u.st o. the
world, least III the L.usu, eas
wor!d-gAina, Il s!.ea.4 5o -
mem bered, IS q naslun ol 50 Vast
an antiquity that iiS history goes
back into the age of fable. The
great peculiarity of this strange
people Is, that for so many eentu-
ries there has been absolutely no
preceptible change in their Gus
toms, beliefs, worship and modes
of thought, The Chinaman is the
best defined link between antiqui-
ty and modern days. In the midst
of the worlds progress he has re-
manned fixed and stationary,
clinging to his old gods and ac-
cepting the DEGREES OF tradition
as his only rule in life. Thrown
in large numbers into a civilized
community, where he feels for the
first time free from the shackles
and bondage to which he has been
accustomed in his own land, what
may be expected of him? IF we
accept the San Francisco teStimo-
ny as explicit upon this head, we
should say, the worst. But as the
presentpurpose of the outside bar
barians is TO cultivate friendly re
lations with China aud 90 +ba,a