The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-11-17
The Chinese Question.
BY REv. JOHN TODD, D. D.

BY REv. JOHN TODD, D. D.
The Chinese are coming-there is nc
doubt of that-coming in waves as certain
as the waves roll in upon the Pacific
shores coming in multitudes almost count
! less-coming to the Pacific slope, to the
great midland valley-to the depopulatet
fields Of the South, to the great cities anC
villages at the East.
What makes 1t certain that they viii
thus come!
(a) They are so crowded and full al
home that they are suffocating. They
want to breathe and they want to eat
They commit infanueide, they do the work
Of cattle, they almost starve. and they arr
ready TO rush to any spot where they car
live. Hunger drives them out
/ ID Emigration is to them, no new thing
They have scattered all along the coast o.
Japan, they have gone to the Sandwich
islands. to South America and elsewhere
for long time, in the hope of bettering
their condition.
lei The facilities are such now that they
can reach our shores in seventeen days
and every month new opportunities are
afforded.
ID They here find food, clothing and
wages which seems almost incredible to
them. Those who come entice Others
and those who return TO China are almost
invariably found back again soon.
(e) our country wants cheap labor, and
will do almost anything to get it; aud
water is hardly more certain to run down
hill and find its level, than men are TO 60
where they can find good wages They
will come for the pay which they are sure
TO command.
~ They will be encouraged to come.
At the present time there is great danger
that they Will be enticed and deceived, and
brought over as coolies. Our Government
cannot be too anxious to prevent this. !
fear there are revolving means used, at the
present time, to get them on our shores.
Whdf are Mey good for?
They are good for house-domesties-f
the best now TO be had. They are much
esteemed in California-neat, quiet, con-
tented. docile, economical, able and viii
ling to do Just as you tell them. They are
comparatively almost an angelic order oil
beings in the kitchen. They are capital
cooks. and soon give great satisfaction in
that line and as to washing all the wash
irg. and wringing machines, manges and
the like, are not TO be compared to them.
They are good in the factory-quickly
learn, need showing but once,-quiek to
catch an idea in mechanics, and accurate
to immitate. No better uneducated OPP
eratives can be found.
They are equally good anywhere-in
the mines, on the farm, on the railroad.
There were ten thousand of them at work
at the same time, on the Central Pacific
Railroad, and whether the Chinaman
swings the piekaxe, drilled the rock, trun-
died the barrow, chopped in the forests, or
laid the rails, he found no superior. They
were industrious, patient, quiet. faithful
and highly esteemed by their employers.
High praise is not beyond desert.
They are quick and apt to learn-can
often acquire our alphabet in a single les
son. Their natural abilities are unde-
veloped as yet; but so far as we know,
they are prompt, apt, and accurate schol-
airs, and can master anything they under
take They can all read and write their
own language. have by me now, beau
tiful newspaper in Chinese. Purchase an
article of them. and though they may do it
up in piece of old newspaper, they will
write its name, if not more on the wrap
per- They will bring their idolatry with
them. By the Burlingame treaty. we are
- -, = nd tbax-
in ours. We may build our houses Of
worship there, and they may theirs here.
Already they have their temples, or joss
houses in numbers in California, and will
doubtless have them in New York and
Boston. 1t would be relief to China to
have as many emigrate to this country as
we have inhabitants at the present time.
Whether it was wise or right TO make
such treaty, and thus bring q very low
idolatry under the protection of our Gov
eminent, we will not now decide. What
the effect of this new element will be in
developing the resources of our country
what upon the Celtic, the Teutonic and
the African population already here
what upon our future national Government
and the destiny Of this country, have dis
cussed in another place, and have no room
here found the Chinese in several Sab
bath schools in California-where they
soon learn to read, and are greatly delight
ed to be able to read in the Bible. But
they are heathenS and are to roll in idola-
try among Us like thick cloud. He who
as statesman or christian looks at our
future without taking this new element
into the account, will make a great mis-
take. The providence Of God is sending
them to Us that We may receive these
poor, life-mlnors in the name of Christ,
treat them kindly, and educate them for
his glory. So evidently is the divine hand
in the whole thing that have ceased to
have any anxiety as to results 1t seems
as if divine wisdom could not wait for our
slow movements and so be pours the hea-
then in among us-perhaps TO rear their
temples in sight of the Missionary House.
/ have acquired views respecting the pres
ent indications of this wisdom in my late
tour, such as never had before and who
ever lives to see the changes to be made
during the next twenty-five years, as time
rolls up bis curtain, will. doubt, see that
the world moves fast. Time grows great
er,-space aud distance less.-the divine
and the human meeting and working to-
gether as never before.
o.Su - ~. r.. fv,.--s Tba to-=-, cour