Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-13
JOHN CHINAMAN In AMERICA.
Character, Mode and Extent of the
Chinese Immigration into CalifOr-


The Chinese are civilized, in
dustrious and educated people of
very high order of intellect They
are shrewd business people, o
very enterprising character, anc
honest in their dealings. They be.
came more familiar with the Ameri.
cans during the opium war and the
subsequent events than with any
other people, and their respect for
them was manifested in the success
of the mission of the Hon. Caleb
Cushing. When the fame of the
California gold discovery reached
those people, as it did those of the
East and Europe, it produced nearly
the same effect, stimulating the
desire of young men to push their
fortunes in the newly-discovered
gold fields; they at once, with the
shrewdness and foresight which
characterize them, organised sys-
tenn of emigration, which has
proved eminently efficient. Some
leading men came here and organ
ised company, the object of which
was to further the interests of all
who wished to migrate from the
Chinese district or State to which
the organizers belonged. A head
quarters was established here, and
the migration of applicants was
facilitated by advances of money,
information, advice, etc. On the
arrival of the immigrants the COM
pany's agents attend to the disem-
barkation,. furnish wagons, etc, and
receive the new corners at the house
of the company provided in San
Francisco for that purpose. That
is their home until they get en-
ployment. They leave their bag
gage there, where also letters from
home are directed, and when out of
employment they live there. They,
then, are their own masters, seek
employment: get the best pay they
can, pay up what the company has
advanced on their account, and $40
per head for the privilege of the
home, etc. This is the whole sys-
TEN, branches of the company or
club being established for them in
the interior. The success of the
first company or club led to the es-
Enlistment of others from other
Chinese districts, and there now are
six in operation, by the means of |
which some So, 900 Cinnamon are
now in the State. All these China
men have been educated at public
schools. There are none, however
poor, but Can read and write. Many
Of them are young men, but a con-
siderable proportion have families
at home. to whom they return oe
casionally and generally come back.
Many of the better class have their
families with them. But the ma
jority, coming TO strange country,
were not permitted by their parents,
whose authority in China is abso-
lutte, to bring their families until
something more certain was known
of the state of affairs here. Those
who succeed in making a little
money return home, make their re-
port, and generally come back with
several neighbors. Unfortunately
they have to report hostile laws,
which, in despite of the treaty, levy
discriminating taxes upon them,
and refuse them protection before
the courts by not taking their evil
dence. That is not state of affairs
which induces parents to trust fam
lilies, young mothers with children,
so far from home, and it also re-
strains the better class of migration.
1t is further an obstacle in the
way of making this their perma-
nent home. From which it results
that they adhere to their national
cue and costume, and send home
their dead to the family vaults for
burial. This is done by the com
panies, at an expense OF about one
hundred dollars, and where the
familys is too poor to bury the
BODY after arrival money is sent for
that purpose also. This is neither
a religious nor political obliga-
ton, but simply one OF sentiment.
1t is a result of that respect and
REVENGE for the dead which dictates
the universal semi-annual visits to
the family burying grounds with
offerings and decorations. It's the
desire common to most civilized
people to be buried with relations,
and which displays itself IN the
magnificent cemeteries of most CT
ties, from "Lone Mountain to
Greenwood" the one overlooking
the Atlantic and the other the Pa
cific.
To these impolitic laws are also
to be ascribed the presence of the
Objectionable class of Chinese wo-
men; since the mass of Chinese will
not expose their families to be
treated as outlaws by the mass of
immigrants and males. Taking
advantage of this, outside specu-
lators send hither degraded fe-
males; but this the companies have
strenuously resisted, and have
given the authorities here much
aid in having the women returned.
This evil would be greatly modified
if the laws afforded protection to
orderly people of that nation. The
mass of those who come under the
auspices of the companies are or
derby, industrious, sober and intel
ligent, adapting themselves readily
to circumstances.
The time has now arrived when
the merits and the serviceable value
of the 450,000,000 persons who
people China, and of whom the Co.,
900 souls here under the six com
panies from the vanguard, have
not only become recognized by the
American people, but their labor
has become urgently necessary in
a national point of view. The war
through which we have passed has
destroyed all political distinction
founded on color or race; our treaty
with China has covered those
people with the protection of our
national laws; every branch of