Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-09-03
From the GalvestO
John ChinaMan,


various articles in your paper relative to
the efficiency Of the celestials, as.laborers,
and their value as citizents, offer you
the result of my experience with them,
and observations upon their habits, educa-
ton, etc.
During the years 1647-4S, [ had two
hundred and fifty Chinese lnborers in my
employ On sugar plantation in the island
OF Cuba. They came from the port oI
Annoy, under contract TO work eight
years at four dollars per month, payable
annually. On the same plantation were
$50 native Africans and 800 negroe", ,.;.-
tives of the island The Chinese were r.
markably docile, in. ustrioua and iut,l!;
gent all conld read and write their LA
guage tluently, and from their pccriiat
tact and dexterity would perform about
double the amount OF the lab,r If the lie
groes, and with much less apInls il; ft1rt.
When once shown how their work j. 10 be
done, they require but little overseeing.--
They are all botanists TO the extent Of
knowing enough Of the merits Of every
species OF vegetation to cook il into savory
bushes. They will pull UP the common
grasses and pick the leaves from forest
trees for choice dishes Their rations
were lerked beef and corn meal, but they
always had more or less vetegetable dishes
from the fields ard forests, and under
stand the art of making the most of every
thing better than any people that | have
seen.
My experience with them lasted nearly
three years. and satisfied me that one
Chinaman was worth at least two negroes
fer any kind Of labor. In 1853 [ was on
the island ot Cuba, when some of my
friends were paying a premium of $3.50
per head Tor Chinese labor contracts, be-
sides paying them their regular wages,
proving IN the most positive manner, that
after ten years experience they were val
ued at more than double the price of ne
groes, who were not worth $1,000 for the
term of their natural life
The most of the Islands bordering the
g Straits of Molucca," as we'll as the ''Los
Choo" group, are largely cultivated in su-
tors, who contract with Boss Chinaman
to make the crop and take it off for stip-
ulated price per pound for the sugar weigh
ed from the coolers.
The proprietor furn isheS the land Ia
portion of which may be dense Jungle to
be cleared) and the sugar house, the con-
tractor furnishing all work, animals and
implements, and the proprietor advan cling
portion OF the payment as the crop pro-
crosses, if required, but the contractors
are generally men of sufficient means to
make the crop without any payment until
it is finished.
The route from the ports Of China to the
Mississippi river, is now SO quick and COM
plete that we are almost certain within five
years to see the cotton and cane fields and
factories of the South, and factories of
New England fully supplied with "Celes-
tial labor, working on the contract sys-
tenn of the East Indies, above referred to.
The Celestials are generally prudent, saw
ing their wages for capital to start or, as
soon as they save sufficient, aspiring to
farm or some trade of their own-which is
the character of labor that we want to Sc
cure the growing stability of our agricui-
tural interest, which is the basis of all
others.
One immigrant who by his manual labor
becomes a landed proprietor, however
small, is worth much more to the commu-
nifty and State than one who never aspires
above daily wages. Among the Chinese
will Of course be found the vicious and de-
based as among ourselves but that the
moral and political sense of the nation at
large, is at least as near correct as any
modern civilization, is sufficiently proved
by the simple fact that its three hundred
millions possess the elements OF existence
as nation for thousands of years back out
of date of history, with its masses educated
better and more generally than any other
nation on the globe.
This system and vigor of government
have certainly never been acquired by any
modern civilization, and while we are
hiring their laborers for our fields, perhaps
some of their statesmen will come over
and show our Congress how it is done.
Their code of morals which so troubles
our New England Puritan friends, will
afford them rich field for missionary
effort without sending to Africa, and they
may acquire some special legislation to
bring the moral ideas of the Celestial
down to the Puritanical standard but
with their intelligence, industry, ambition,
and prudence let us welcome all that will
come, and take the chances. The strong
contrast of their customs and moral
ideas may result in improvement to both
races.
Much might be said about their chem
istry, applied to the arts, medicine, etc.,
in many respects far in advance of any
knowledge that we possess-bnt enough