Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-12-02
"J OH NJ
Wv we Cannot Encourage his Importation
The Real Question at Issue.

oAS FRANCISCO, OctODer, 1869.
iobject to the encouragement OF Chinese i'm
migration, upon tho following reasoning, th
points in which will be thoroughly borne out b,
the facts, US believe them
l. Permanent residents in this country mus
become citizens, Or they will become slaves.
2. The Chinese cannot be permitted amopgs
us, In the condition of slaves.
y. They nro not desirable as citizens.
Every sane, law-abiding man, who comes te
America, ought, ultimately, to become citizen
II he does not, he will be, in greater or less de-
gree, slave. In this country, he who has nc
ballot has no rights These people have none,
now, in California, that they can be certain OF
having recognized. Shame-faced deceucy oblipes
the law the courts, and the public, to do to them
something less than absolute outrage, but while
they remain, as now, in the population, but not
ofMe people; residents In the community, but not
citizens with a voice In the communitys govern
ment, they will have no certain, absolute, thor
oughly-enforced rights The laws which they do
not help make, will discriminate against them
They will suffer condition that cannot be han.
py one for themselves, and the example of which.
like that of our former slave system, will corrupt
and degrade the public morals, even more than
those OF the bond people themselves. Further
more the fact OF great mass Of people, laboring
among us, but not possessing, nor eligible to ac-
quirc, citizenship, is one totally foreign to our
system, an anomaly, Observation-Disclosures
that our theories refuse to permit.
But assume that upon this there ought to
bc no question. l shall r.ssume that nv readers
comprehend tho truth Of nropositien Nnmher
One, without any de, DEMONSTRATION at all, and that
tney VIII admit, nder Numbar Two, that we
ua,e @ m no' cons mt to the introduction of new
sss y, as' fanchised people, be their degree OF
ehsiaseih' .s mt what 1t may.
~, th .reore, devote myself to the last PROPOSE
.iop md desire to quote authority and recite OBJ
. .ryntion upon the following points:
The Chinese immigrants will not mako good
citizens, because
They do not comprehend. nor desire to learn,
our governmental system. In this, they differ,
unqueslionably, from every other class Of immi-
grants to our shores. The Europeans who have
come In any considerable numbers have been ac-
tuated, without exception, by sincere admlra-
tioD, imperfect and inaccurate perhaps, and In
some cases romantic, OF the American Republic.
This is true OF the Irish, and true OF the Germans,
the Euglsh, and the Scandinavlans, our four
most numerous classes OF immigrants. ALI of
them come to America, to enjoy Freedom, and
Prosperity; TO stay; to become citizens. But
the Chnaman does not COME because he seeks
Liberty; his removal is rot pilgrimage in search
ot Human Rights he does not come to stay; he
gives little thought (apparently) to the character
Of his new homes government. Now, what sort
of citizeus will these men make who not only do
not understand, but absolutely lack the desire to
learn, the theory and principle of the Republic in
which they live?
They do not come intending to stay. This is
alone a fatal objection to them, as citizens Their
interests ut no time become identical with ours.
Their hopes and their efforts remain distinctive
and separate. They come to gather money and
carry Ii back to China.
Thcr civilization is essentially different from
our own, and they show no disposition, but on the
contrary stubbornly refuse, to modify and adopt
It, Their progress is our decay, or rather, they
know no such thing as progress. Bowes ex-
presses this fact, in his book, thus: 'Therc is no
ready assimilation OF the Chinese with our hab-
'its, and modes of thought and action. They
"er and rougher civilization, regarding us bar
'baric, IN fact, and calling us in heart, If not in
speech, the foreign deyils!"
AS voters. they would be controlled entirely by
the Chinese human importing s'companies" who
brought them over and who now sell their labor
Upon this point, think there eau be no denial
Certainly, this control would last for long TIME,
and be complete, while it continued. Mr.. Rich
nrdsOn, In his plea In behalf of "John," In the
December Atlantic Monthly, admits it might be
true 1t he "hed the franchise to-day" that s'as
the contractor or manufacturer can now hire
ten Thousand of them from one firm, and pay
for their monthly labor with one check, 30 the
'politcal candidate, or executive committee could
buy ten thousand votes, at single transaction
land In open market"
They do not desire to become citizens They
show no wish, whatever, in that direction Rich
ardson says: "As yet, he does not wish to vote
"he never seeks to be naturalized; and the ques-
"tion Is merely one of remote future!" And
Justin Mccarthy In q late article 10 the lndepen-
dent, MS the SUN of his observations, says: "The
mummy In the museum appears to me scarcely
.ess likely to come out OF his cerements, and
walk about, and chat with the living visitors,
than the average Chinaman 10 San Francisco,
.'to-day, to enter on the business of American
citizenship"
Their presence in large numbers would greatly
dilute our Christianity. The worst of those now
In California are the only ones who make any
telgent profess nothing at all. The religious are
pagans; you may see their idols In every town
and city, and Witness at almost all times, their
idolatrous worship.
But these reasons should suffice to explain
why believe the Chinese will not make good
American citizens. If they are enough, then
prove my case and claim judgment. And, mind,
l simply sny TINT because they are as they are,
their immigration ought not TO be encouraged | do
not say that individual Cinnamon, like Individual
europeans, who may, of their own individual
choice ask TO immigrate permanently hither,
should be prevented, or discouraged. Far from
l.; our door Is open to every pilgrim In search Of
Freedom.
But the issue now forced upon us, is one solely
relating to the process of general importation.
This is desired, and will now be insisted up0n by
the class OF great employers whom l referred to-
IN my previous letter. And say that since the
immigration of Chinese ought not to be encour-
aged, Tor the strongest reasons of public welfare
so ne,ther these nor other men can be permitted 10
9're AID or encouragement.
H. NJ j.