The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-10-07
Returniug Chlnamcn.

Tho steamer China, which left San Fran
cisco on Monday. the 4th inst, carried away
besides an American Minister to Japan and
several Consuls to Japan and China from the
United States, Great Britain and Belgium, and
| large batch of missionaries 10 China-no
less than eight hundred and five returning
Cinnamon and three hundred and thirty-seven
thousand dollars In treasure, most of it des-
tined for Hong Kong. Thus the relations of
San Francisco with the extreme Orient are
steadily increasing 1t has been said that
the majority of these returning Cinnamon have
gained money in America, but that many of
them, perhaps almost all, go back to their
native country in consequence Of the hostility
manifested towards them by the Californian
population. The cruel treatment and unjust
legislation to which Chinese immigrants to
California have been subjected seem to en-
lightened minds at once selfish, silly and
short-sighted; although popular instincts
are rarely altogether unjustifiable, and
the prejudice against Chinese immigration
may be partly accounted for by the fact that,
Notwithstanding its demonstrable material
advantages in the future development
of the wealth of the Pacific slope and of the
semi-tropical Southern States, not only the
vices of the Chinaman, but his apparent inca
pacity for moral Improvement, his stereotyped
habits as sort of moral fossil and the mani
fest nferiority of his political to his industrial
capabilities, make it still an open question
WI thar oh ha liz
couraged. Meanwhile, it has actually begun
and is rapidly increasing at an almost incredi-
BILE rate. And each of these returning China
mea will be living epistle to widening
circle of acquaintances at home, who will be
eager to seek in America the marvellously
high wages and the plentiful food of which he
will tell such surprising tales. Every letter
enclosing five pound note and sent home by
the Irish or Scotch or English or German
immigrant to the United States has been
instrumental in swelling the tide Of immigra-
ton to this country. So each China
man who goes home himself, what-
ever his immediate motives for returning may
be, will prove to be more efficient than all his
fellow passengers, the missionaries, in multi
plying the number of his compatriots who are
to be brought within the influences of Ameri-
can civilization. No people are more attached
to their native soil than the Chinese, and a
large part of the transportation business
between San Francisco and Hong Kong con-
sists in sending to the latter port the corpses of
Cinnamon. Whether the Cinnamon 20 back
alive with money in their pockets or are car
ried back dead in their cofins, their patient
industry while here deposits a permanent
addition to our national wealth. In this con-
nection we are glad to say that in New York,
at least, efforts have been seriously made to
supply with suitable instruction the few China
men whom we see selling candy and cigars at
our street corners. On Monday evening the
Chinese school, founded by Mr.. and Mrs. Rails
back, at the Five Points House of Industry,
celebrated its annual festival. Chinese dishes
and music on Chinese instruments, as we'll as
speeches in both Chinese and English, were
features of the occasion. The intelligence and
rapid progress of these Chinese pupils, who
devote their evenings to study, are applauded
by their teacher. When they also 90 back
to China they may become teachers in their
turn.