The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1869-12-01
THE ELKO INDEPENDENT.
WEDNESDAY,. DEcEMBER 1. Isss.
WIN rAeir E17se,an,.s ;. Re.n-.d-

pose 10 Chlne<e immigration and Chinese Ia
Dor, are looking to the action of the California
Legislature. which meets early in December,
with mora than ordinary interest. II is hoped
and believed that some action Will be taken by
that body which viii result IN putting stop
TO further increase Of that very undesirable
class Of immigration In the result of the late
election IN that State. those who are opposed
TO Chinese labor ~oI $ substantial and bill
liant triumph, which in itself has done much
to discourage and diminish the tide OF Chi
nese immigration pouring in upon Us; but with
out bold and vigorous measures. inauguratins
policy Of open and determined hostility. all
that has been gained will be thrown away and
lost II the present Legislature in that State,
which VAS elected by such sweeping MAORI
ties, mainly upon the issue of free white Ia
Dor In preference 70 cheap eootie labor, will
bat do its duty and take speedy and vigorous
action, by the enActmen. Of laws imposing
heavy penalties pPOn all masters and owners
of vessels engaged in furthering the contract
system OF koopmAnschap and others in the
vile trahc in human chastles, good results Will
speedily be attained. 1t may be urged by the
friends and advocates Of cheap Asiatic labor.
that such laws enacted by State Legislature
would be q nullity and could no: be enforced
in the face of the Federal laws and national
treaties which guarantee to the subjects of the
Emperor Of China all the rights and privileges
accorded TO the subjects Of the most favored
nation, while within the national jurisdiction.
Whether such doctrine Be true or false, il is
not now necessary to inquire, as the treaty al
luded TO hSs not yet become a Law, as il has
so far failed to receive the approval of his
majesty, the Emperor of all the Chinese. and
until it does could have no binding effect upon
the State Of California. 1t is therefore the
duty and privilege of California, al this time.
to put on record by solemn legislative enact
ment the deliberate voice Of her people upon
this grave and important problem; and when
once she has registered her determined and
deliberate purpose, each and al the States
and Territories Of the Pacific coast and the
Great Interior Basin will rally around her
standard and present front that even the Ma
tonal Government will no, care TO set 81 def
ance. II the deadly blight Of coolieis1n is to
be fastened upon the Pacific States by the
Federal Government, let il be done against
our earnest, united and solemn protest, and az
ter we have exhausted every means 20 avert II
that God and nature has placed at our com
mand- For the present, however, there is no
danger Of conflict between State and Pede-
rAl authority, as the States are yet at liberty
to pursue whatever policy in their Judgment
may be the most beneficial 10 themselves upon
this subject. At present, then. the Pacific
States are masters of the situation. and If they
fail 10 act promptly and etfectually, the fault
viii lie at their own doors, as there is now no
national law in existence which can in any
manner interfere with policy of exclusion:
and no time should be lost in molding pub
lie sentiment into a solid, cohesive, impregna-
Die barrier against all attempts, whether from
pretended friends within, or enemies without,
TO move Us from our fixed and solemn Dur
pose. It is not yet absolutely certain that the
National Government, when it comes to M
derstAnd fully the hostility which exists in
these States against Chinese importation. will
seek to fasten it upon US by force: but should
it 50 resolve, it becomes us then as a people
who claim yet to be free, to remember that
self-preservation is the first law Of nature.
AHH 'iiAh ne sno mas DOT the moral courage to
defend his natural rights, deserves to be made
slave. This country, in all its length and
breadth, with its aforementioned institutions
OF government learning and religion, belongs
absolutely in all things TO the Caucasian race
and to their descendants forever; and for the
present generation to surrender it, or any part
Of the glorious inheritance TO the pagan serfs
OF an oriental despotism, would be TO surren-
der and barter away that which is not ours to
give. The people of the present generation
are merely tenants for life Of the munificent
estate handed down to US by our noble ances-
tors, and we should see to it that we transmit
it unimpaired TO those who come after us. to
whom in the due course Of descent il belongs
Had we of the present generation won this
fair estate by the valor of our own achieve
ments, and the sacrifice Of our own blood. still
1t would be our natural obligation and duty TO
bestow 1t upon our own descendants and race
rather than on strangers Of nm alien race and
blood. In that case We might have the legal
but not the moral right TO dispose Of the in
heritance as we saw fit; but as the inheritance
is not our own in the present instance, we have
neither the legal nor the moral right TO permit
1t to pass into the hands Of strangers while
we have the power to defend il from those
whose baleful philanthropy on the one side and
eager clutch for ill-gotten gold on the other