New-York tribune., 1870-12-16
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
LECTURE BY JULIUS A. PALMER, JR, oF BOSTON
on CHINESE IMMIGRATION AND COoLiE SLs-
yITTpE.

seryitude before the Mercantile Library Association
last evening large audience being present MI famei
l. faunr with the question from observation ana eApe
rence upon the Pacific Coast during the past four years
Mr. Palmer stated that he had been in China and
his views were formed by daily intercourse with China
men In California Oregon Nevada, and the sandwich
Islands He said flying trip to China was just rs neees
sary 10 correct understanding Of this question "a wonld
have been voyage to africa in the days OF American
slavery m order to write ntcligently the system OF
II bondage IN Virginia. ,v 70 ,rcso ,r.,t.
which would assist Judging of then, enigrats and
laborers Their leading rais eceGofby ciannishDeas
Indifference and wonderful adnp pblty to circumstances,
Temperance, hdelty and almost miraculous gcpius for
imitation. Their economy rendered necessary by .
daily struggle for existence in densely crowded coun
try unt II has become much OF second nature that
IL win be exercised carefully n interest 10 In bis
own by the Chinaman. Their clannshDeos Is tbe prn-
cpal obstacle which prevents any individual euigraon
Us tho Clinainen are intensely happy IN each others
society and dread 10 alone 70 m unknown country
This universal Hight heartedness is perhaps owing to their
Improved condition in tbis country. Iet spirit ofgoil-
ing trait IN the ChIndinin uHdor all ciiCumsiancts
sI snTronndnes mnd inaneng m bot their physical and
mental eonditon ~ allus,0a 70 them n ~ ge h%a seen
Mountains. IN hot and cold climates. lie further illus
traied The poi2 Of thelr adaphhiy. and meni0ned IN
one overscer could contrc 800 Cinnamon easily he
could 10 Irshacn. Prof PunpeHy In bis recent w0rk,
says that IN 5a miles of travel ~ China beside j"urney
Nun aud Mr Palmer con hrmed tho truh Of this state
ment In regard TO fidelity the Chinese susceptible
to strong personal attachment. Tine mercantile class
usually prefer 10 deal with those whom thoy can trnst
Wei T%afe Tctr aTety TO their contracts "a owingto
the ChDsman breads to break his word Their
Sosed he list for II Explained their ability TO any
trade froom cooking 10 shoemaking. He cited many ex
ceent Illustrations showing their genius for imitation,
and showed tLat While the trait might be perplexng TO
hou-ekeeper, 1t Il invaluable to the manufacturer.
Mr. Palmer spoke Of the East India Cooiic immigration,
and similar movement hmted IRON CHINA 10
the West indies illustrating the fact that system
by which the alorer Is guaranteed employ ana the
capitalist guarantee adequate return for his yenture,
Is in itsf equitable one. with honorable precedent
lie further confirmed his position by anding TO the @et
OF the United States Congress In 1854 rendering Vad
labor contracts made abroad and also cted the ancient
example of the merchant adyenturers who hted out he
MaynOwer Ihe accounts OF the CO0He trado were DOL
exeetrued, that the hatred OF 1t among the Chinese
strong as it was in England After aludi0g
70 the slIps engaged IN IT, no rlsl,so, en,ilelnc1t,
OF the emigant under false pretenses Z. Forcing
him sign contract under torture II threats and in
tract L. Oye.crCwdod ships and brutal treatment, TO
which might be added he sale OF the Coolies labor for
He Proceeded 10 prove each Il these positions The first
shown IN an Instance where he ha seen tho depos
tiOu, OF over 100 Coolies taken from different sp,
who alleged that they were got Oh board by seizure by
bower OF wuman 10y every arfice craft cOnid suggest
This also illustrated the second point They ful thcr
state that II they objected they beaten, starved,
and finally tied mp by the thumbs they affixed their
narKs To the ini,Iuitons contract.
III proving the nature 0f COOEe contracts, Mr. Palmer
ctrd q G which was Uncommon use in Macao by tho
it5" % Wcr t The tefIis for cgnt year the Cooe
agrees 10 any shlp any how. at any time; agrees
muster elects Finally ahrogats. by reference to thOm
in due legal form, the statute made by the mother co
try the proper OeCto Of the African slave ln-
stances were cited OF the horrors Of ovcrcrOwded snps.
and the speaker turned from tho picture too psnfu!
H. consider lie drew vivid picture OF the condition "a
California when bs CbinameD first arrived there, AID
when tlcy cordially received The prosperity OF That
State then was spasmodIc, now ~ II more IKE Oler
states and the people blamed the Chinese for the change
instead ayaug themselves OF their labor Ia produce
healthy state ot prosperity MI Palmer denied tiat
the Chinese immigrants were Coolies sal ing that they
antry from the Caution district Cooe being simply the
oriental term of porter From speaking Oi tbe CIneee
In California Mr. Palmer anGed 70 the system Ivy which
thoy came there, ana read the agreement which 10 ~
common usf ~ the house OI kO1pmt i,schap &So when
trast between tns and the C0eo contract showing tha
tho former, from It's Intrinsic nature, ana also irom
In tno "'t eouhtSy ss Where S s'" he is equal to his
cGployer In the eye cf the law there could be posi-.
@ 81 N. o s e %' d s& 3 sS tho Ss5 In
order 70 definitely consider them ne separated them
case q Tho sale or pawn of the Chinaman's family,
the coniracf Of X. & Co. Mr. Palmer acknowledged
that when the Chnalnan paid his own passage II
WAS possible that there might be instances of
lis pedgng the honor services OF his family,
6s na Sa t v.e taa1 That Se chnesss
own their He explained the nature Of tAOse
20 ss and stated that their hold upon their members
maintained simply by selfinteres a That II contracts
are made I'm China II IS by deception and fmud. Grant
Ing that they were hired In China at low OF wages
cont assumed the rsk OF their Passag their he
ity. their capaeiity or their lives O. Ihst the Cna
man under the inmg alton system are victims OF wrong
and would bs thankful II tloy could DO returned TO
China That was merely assumption by the OBJ
Ieotors. He said this was not so, because the thl-
namen had never conpainsd agsinss our 1atrrSy sy5
And their trust In Koopmanschsp Co. was almost un
limited II Understood that in meeting these objec.
Mr Palmer was replying to the Delnocrstc PRESS OF
California, Judge Kelley OF Philadelphia anu Coi. X n
show now the present emigration would influence both
the mercantile conIunlty anu the aDrng Class IA tne
been drawn between their Introduction and the tariff
question. gave very humorous Illustration OF the
Would raise tho condition of the laDOrers, especially 0f
the agricultural class He compared the introduction OF
,naIpy showing how these latter although violently
opposed NJ first had resulted in the general good Of the
clsssea formerly forced TO submit 70 manual
labor a. u means Of earning their daily bread. =.
Regarding the number OF Chinese now in this country
hr stated that the aggregate did not exceed 1OoOO III
",n5ipg 5000 wOmeif-in round numbers. This
the result OF 20 years emigration During tue same
Caslis Garden Nev-iort one-fourh OF which number
from the nation whose rePfesentase' nov Tan
at Newiora nearly soo0o per snnui ana the ai go. 81
n"nDe, sr VI s .weS was in 1862 when the Pacific
Railroad was building. There are about l2VD chinese
now Ia that city, aud every ono Of them can read ana
~rts In the same city there about 1000 lrsbnen
who can 40 THESE only general statstlo
and wers gyen simply show that he had not s,oidod
mem hitherto because had any reasOn to dread their
story our national. phianthrOpc, and religious duty
nnd,r the discussed IN AN interesting
manner Beside tho folly OF endeayering 10 hedge our
ssIyes n with wall he doubted II 1t could be DONE
lie ay0wed that he perfectly willing ~ make rpn
tract ~ fnish railroad with Chinese immediately aef
tbr passaRe by Tess OF law annulilnB cuntracts
The Chinese keep their contracts now, not because hey
know thing ~ the laws bit because they have gwen
| their word Ia do 80. ~, ~. a., -.
In conclusion, he showed the necessities OF tho peopo
of t,r Umpire OF Chma who are suffering frOm over.
Gro sJipx snd stary alton. Tho population Of
Cnin Is more than twice chat OF tho most popgous state
in the Union, and he sarcasety alluded to he Kind OF
char ge should show II in Enclosure VI HsnIy We
begsd ourselves against ring fellow beings
Nv tbe memory Of charity as nation and the hOsll
III OF our country tho suffering nations o the eart
he hoped that slute-DOok would never be dssiaced
by tbs udmssion Of any bill OF exclusion against any
nationality Whatever. In eloquent and fof,Oie man,