The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1869-09-02
CHINESE LABOR QUESTION.
E.rtract Of a speech delivereib By Gen. W; H.
Miles, at Vicksburg, reporting results
Of his Investigations IA CdtgorRid
From the Yieksburg Times.


Gen. Miles entered the stana at precisely
8 o'clock, was received with applause, ana
spoke as follows:
In the fulhllment tiny commission, re-
haired at once 70 California. but found thal
the object Of my mission was well known
before my arrival I'm san Francisco. Travel
ling a distance OF more than 5000 miles, i
fully expected to find myselfiu city whose
customs and people would prove entirely
strange TO me. but such was not the case
on the contrary. / iou6d in san Francisco
many friends number Of whom were 0iu
Mississippians, who welcomed me cOrdiliN,
and 10 whom here desire 10 tender my ac-
Lnowled cement for the courtesy so nniYer-
saIlv shown me- Through the kindness 81
the people, and the intense Interest they
felt for our welfare, every facility was sho" y
me for the prosecution OF my mlssloh. a
sroaIn ing a train of cars and every other
facility was extended me. W tn THESE ii'l-
ities had the opportunity Of seeing large
numbers of Chinese laborcrs as wen as thl-
nese merchants, and American ana EUROPE
an merchants who are engaged In eastern
commerce; many OF whom HAD reslueu iOI
long time in China.
In the first place, | gave my attention
70 a close, searching, and critical Gamma
ton of the capacity of the Chinaman 10 per
form labor. He is engaged in California IN
many different occupations. saw him IA the
,,-osh -house. in the kitchen, in the dining
room on the farm. on the railroau' IN llc
shot tower, at the rolling mtll at the sihelI-
inc furnace. and I'm the WOODEN tactorles'-
Fyerywhere his work is done well. Noise
iassIy silently quietly. lac performs the duty
aSsieSned him. and with h wonderful degree
Of adroitness and skill. lie Is now almost
the exclusive builder Of railroads on the IA
cific slope He distances all competition ~
a washer and ironer. lie is an excellent
cook. lie is the best dining-room servant
In the world. The most delicate ana bcautl-
FIJI fabric | ever saw, he makes IN the Two
wooden factories at san Francisco. lie II
n.r-istent and efficient laborer on the lafln'
lie performs his eXactness ana sklll Tue
most delicate duties of the shot tower; and
I'm the rough, heavy work of the rolling NM
and smelling furnace he seemed fully equal
10 any task assigned him. Moreover MS
ouickness of comprehension enables nun 70
understand almost intuitiVely lhehlo9t uoit-
cate and complicated machinery ana ne
manages it almost. from the first like one
who had served an apprenticeship. Attef
watching him closely, 1 came To the conclu-
sion, that whatever white man or a plack
man can do, he can do also. Applause
R1t most especially do ] consider him
ft Iahorer tor this region. In the first place,
he wears " the shadowed livery OF the burn,
she'd sun 10 whom lie Is neighbor ana
near bred" He comes from country where
sugar cane, rice and cotton are largely pro-
duced. Neither our climate nor our plouuc-
tions would be new to him. Like the Eu-
roDean immigrants who are so rapidly peo-
Ming the Northwest, the Chinaman ln COM
ING here would be following isotherneal
lines. And then. too, his patient, never
firing industry, fits him eminently for that
peculiar species of agricultural labor, where,
from twelve To fourteen months, are required
10 make and gather crop.
g. But while the Chinaman Is patient Ia
borious. tractable, submissive a "A child un-
der kind treatment, lac Is proud and sensl-
rive aud though he does not resent "A blow or
1. 10 AIIllsN and in
efficient, when either are applied to him
He must be dealt with fairly and treated
kindly. He Is Am educated man. quick
sharp and intelligent, he cannot be circllm-
vented or cozened. He prides himself upon
the antiqISity of his civilization. ana thinks
his country the front country of the world;
does not believe in the right of eNpatration,
and only consents 10 hire for "A term OF years
in order TO earn in this country OF high wa
ges during that term. a sum OF money that
will keep him through life In his country
cheap living.
This is the Chinaman in miniature, as
saw him and learned him. My deliberate
conviction is that, for the present at least
and possibly for all time he is not only the
best and cheapest. but perhaps the only
labor we can get To fill up and cultivate our
waste and unOccupied land.
Can we get this labor!
If the United States Government docs not
interfere we can. In small quantity for
next year. afterwards as many a. we wish
After having satisfied myself that the
labor would suit ms, directed my attention
10 the question Of encouraging immigra-
ton.
Bear in mind that those who are well OF.
and have means do not want 10 migrate; and
that those who want to come and work for
a term of years are not able 10 pay trans
poTtation and subsistence from China here
but they are willing and anxious 20 enter
infa In nina. fairly WnrloH.
stipulating for fair wages for period OF
five yeaTs-that out Of the total sum 10 ac
crue for the five years LABOR, enough shall
be advanced by the party who makes the
contract with them, to pay all expenses
growing out of their transportation and
subsistence. and that the balance of the
wages stipulated for shall be paid TO the
laborer monthly. quarterly, or annually rs
may be agreed upon.
Finding this disposition to exist, ! made
arrangements TO send TO China, by the stea-
mer to leave San Francisco on the 4th of
September. and TO contract with as many as
TRANSPORTATION could be found for. Some
1000 or 10 900 might have been obtained In
time for the next crop. But just AS this ar
rangement had been completed, Mr.. Secre-
tary Boutwelrs letter TO the collector at
New Orleans was published in the news
papers. This letter seemingly forbids the
coming TO this country Of any number Of
Asiatics under contract for labor, or service
for term of years, entered into In for
eign country and. IN consequence OF this
apparent prohibition, the party who was to
90 out to China suggested that he could not
encounter the risk OF the great outlay for
chartering, and provisioning ships for these
laborers, so long as it was probably, or even
possible that the Government would inter
fere with his delivering them In fulhllment
OF the foreign contract. But stated 70 ne
that if the land owners, and Others here
who wanted this labor, were willing TO run
the risk of the Government interfering he |
would 90 out on the October steamer and !
bring as many as transportation could be |
found for, to New Orleans. Going ont IN /
October the laborers could not well reach /
New Orleans before February or March.
1t is impossible 10 state with precise ac- /
curacy what this labor will cost, because IN /
executing the contracts before Chinese au- |
thorities and having them certified before |
the American authorities there, certain ex- |
penses for fees which we do not know how /
TO estimate will have TO be paid. For neith- |
er the Chinese Mandarin nor the American /
Consul will work without pay. / feel safe |
IN saving that from six hundred TO six hum /
drcd and fifty dollars will cover everything. /
OF which two hundred dollars must be paid /
on the arrival Of the laborer, and the residue /
at such intervals through the five years, /
monthly or otherwise as may be agreed. |
Payment 10 be made in currency, MT IN coin.
This will be between ten aud eleven dollars |
per month, the hirer to supply rations the |
laborer TO clothe himself and pay his own
doctor bills.
If this labor is wanted on these terms, all /
you have TO do is, to deposit each for him
self with Writ Adams q Coz sum Of
money in proportion TO the number Of la /
borers he wants. Whenever sum shall be- |
deposited sufficient 20 cover one or more /
carg0es, i will write or telegraph 70 san |
Francisco. The party engaged there will |
90 over TO China by the INST outgoing stea-
Il Ill H. Il