The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-20
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
Views OF Senator Cole, of California.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Views Of Senator Cole, of California.
From the San Francisco Bulletin, Nov. 81
The following letter, written by senator Cole to
gentleman in this city, discusses tue Chinese ques-
WASHINGTON, Oct 80 1859.
SIR have noticed with some interest the OBJ
jectons taken TO a letter OF mine, published some
tune ago, in relation TO the diversion or Chinese i'm
migration to Mexico. In my comparison Of the
two races no reterance was intended 10 those
only to that other and much larger class OF whom
Senior Flores spoke In his late address, delivered at
Mazatlan. He, himself Mexican, says:-"Ihey are
degraded and worn down by ignorance and poverty.
They not ut to be jurymen, voters or even SOL
dIers.n II this class OF Mexican population IL supe
riOr TO the Chinese 1t must be IN respect to some
other quality than their industry and frugaty, OF
which alone spoke. Should the Industrious, inge-
NOUS and economical Chinese go among these PEG.
pie cultivate their neglected heds and work their
rcn mines, 1t would spur them up to degree Of
energy which they do not now possess.
The ports OF Mexico are without Wharves or any
OF the conveniences Of commerce; her streams are
destitute Of mills; her farms lack the most common
implements OF husbandry, and machinery OF every
motlve which has track OF ", 600 miles in this re-
public, has hardly place to stand III tnat Her
ships or all Sorts may be numbered on your myers:
She has been harassed by wars. both intestine and
foreign till she poor and dependent TO the last de-
gree. What she needs above all things Is revival
or her industry. She has resources unlimited,
which only await development Her present innaDl-
tants DO not, perhaps they canno effect reforma-
ton. II Chinese aDorers could De transported there
In SUFFICIENT numbers they would completely regene-
rate the country and 1t seems TO Inc That 1t Is very
proper Held tor their operations. am not disposed
TO believe that the Mexicans would be 30 thought
less as TO repel them; the more intelligent certainly
would not. That the ignorant and besotted, such
Senior Flores describes. might be foolish Is more
than probable for jealousy that Is born or ignorance
often ina glnes evil wnere none Is threatened.
The greatest difficulty which the more enlightened
Mexicans would encounter In reference TO this
Celestial labor would be in obtaining enough OF 1t
to effect complete regeneration OF the Industrial
system Of the country All the ships OF tnat republic
and of China combined, could do but little III that
direction and every vessel OF the United States
the Pacific Ocean were added To the trade long
time must elapse before any considerable RELIEF
il mas apparently escaped the attention OF those
who deprecate the presence Of the lew Thousand
Chinese In California that they came not there by
their own cOnveyances, but were all brought by us
to our own shores. Their coming was solicited by
American snipmasterH, whose motive was the Chi
nese passage money If there is any fault, there
fore, in the premises or any ground for COM
plant II should be directed against citizens OF
own country, and not against tue victims Of their
cupldlty. Flaming handbls posted throughout
the seapOrts Of China setting forth the existence In
California Of mountains OF gold and silver, have
attracted to the Pacific coast few thousand Cees-
tias not to permanently remain, but so firmly bent
upon returning to their own country that even their
dead bodies are taken back. such as have come
contributed largely to the development OF the west
portion OF the United States, and In the account
Of benefits rendered and received are Yet entitled TO
q considerable credit
That number large enough or class bad enough
viii ever cross the Pacific to our shores to change
the account Ia not at all probable. Tney are TOO
fond OF home, the distance Ii TOO great IL Costs too
much, the means oil transportation are too limited,
and the inducements are growing less and less day
growing out or political or other reasons When our
waters are vexed by Asiatic junks freighted with
people Intended TO overthrow and destroy
our institutions 1t will be time enough to
complain OF their coming. But while we
bring, in our own ships, people VINO build
railroads. cultivate our waste places and direct
individuals who bring them, nor OF the people that
are brought Every nation has the right, anu IS
justidable 10 exercising that right, TO warn or
from Its shores, and even eject from It's borders
all vile corruptng and degenerate people, IKE
paupers and criminals, and persons infected with
contagious disease. But the exercise OF this dls
cretion is very different thing from the
indiscrlminate exclusion OF whole people,
ana particularly Of people who, az rule are
industrious ingenious and frugal We successfully
disputed the right OF the governments OF emma anu
Japan 70 establish any such policy for themselves
although the reason IN their case was much stronger
than Ia ours, Tor those countries were afeady iuii
even to oyernowing with population, while ours Is
left Tor immigration but the unclaimed territory OF
the New World Is almost without limit. Having
broken over the Chinese wall and penetrated the
ports OF Japan we should not now wall ourselves III
and smut our ports against those people.
To adopt the selfish and exclusive policy which
was 50 mucn despised In them would De, on oar
part extremely inconsistent. Ii would justly can
dowa upon our heads al the maiedlctlons wnich We
nave III the past heaped upon theirs, and much
Dehluet' iOf We are tuVpOseu 10 uc MOI OnS lhoie
LIBERAL ana more Just, but we nave IN abundance
OF room ana ample occupation Tor al that can
come.
The great trepidation that has lately seized upon
the Christian world on account oil the appearance oi
few Chinese Ia California mas, trust, about run
lts course. truly missionary spirit would nave
turned IL TO better account IN thfistiaRiLing the
FIoWery Kingdom, TO which all OF them expected 70
return. Such would have been more IN harmony
with our professions OF iaith. AS IL Is lew OF them
VIII return 10 their homes with better opinion or
our hoy rengon after the persecution TO winch they
have been subjected in this eminenty free country;
Japan will not be facilitated py the experience OF
their wards IN America.
II mas not been charged that the Chinese came TO
our country 20 convert our Inhabitants from Christi.
anlty 10 Buddhism; but, II sucn were their aims,
ana they were partially successful, more alarm could
hardy be created than Is manifested already upon
their coming merely 10 labor an1 10 increase our
wealth and prosperity
But the fear Is not Of those who are here, for they
have done little If any harm, but oi those who may
come, and the Imagination IL drawn upon 10 The
"a the grasshoppers with which our shores
have been once or twice visited. Why these
people should come In such great numbers
on what should bring them, Is never asked Ant
this lear IL stimulated in the face OF the fact tina
twenty odd years OF great gold excltement nov
forever past nave brought less than the tcnth par
| Of 100000, or, on the average even less than
5000 a year. surely this excitement, when ma
sprung up almost since the completion OF inc paciu
| Haiiroad, by which immigration from the hast ual
be increased indefinitely, must have been fomentei
POLITICAL purpose aud ought now 70 30 pcrmlstea1