The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-07-14
COEITAfBI1K, s C.
..Thursa.y aorninga. ;. July IA. 1870.
Tho Chinese Question.


upon this subject by letter in the New
York World. from N. B. Dennys, late
editor Hong Kong (Ohina) Nail This
intelligent writer gives an account OF
Chinese immigration to this country.
He states that there are two distinct
GLASS OF these immigrants, viz: coolies and
free enigrants. The ''oontraot coolies"
come here under an engagement to work
for certain sum for certan price. The
@'free emigrants" come like other emil
grants, unfsttered, to improve their con-
dition. The writer. to whom we have
referred, says of the Chinese:
s'Before parting from the coolie ut his
depot, there are two matters upon which
/ would remark. I have already said
that the average are of an extremely low
GLASS. But even to these the extrava-
giant assertions circulated as to their re-
1igious and moral hnbits do not apply
The majority of all laboring Chinese nre.
if they can be said to have any religion
at all, Buddhists. No one would, OF
course, praise paganism, but it may be
well to remark that, however absurd its
tenets, Buddhism is essentially pure in
its total absence of those obscene
legends and practices which formed
the NEUROLOGICAL history and daily
habits of the much-admired Roman
morality, the Southern Chinese rank
favorably amongst civilized nations, and
are immeasurably superior to the Turks,
Greeks, Egyptians and other nations,
whose weli-known vicious tendencies
have never operated to exclude them
from unfettered intercourse with the
.Auglo Saxon races. I pass over as
scarcely worthy of serious refutation the
amusing, but utterly untrue, stories cir
culuted as to their rat pies and cock
roach SOUP Few but residents of the
East are possibly aware that the Chinese
enjoy good and we'll merited reputation
as cooks, both in respect of their clean
liness and skill. I have stood in na-
tive shops. in towns far removed from
foreign influence or intercourse. watch
ing the preparation of native food for
native customers, and can conscientious
ly assert that I have seldom seen any
thing which could offend the most
fastidious pilates. AS to their peculiar
manner Of eating rice, it is not more
disagreeable than the coarse, animal-like
way in vogue amongst the lowest class of
Europeans across the Atlantic, and I
have heard we'll educated Chnaman
remark that people who were 80 filthy
as to use pocket-hankerchiefs instead Of
slips Of paper, had but little right to
quarrel with others on the score Of nice
ness.
tBnt, to turn from the depression into
which have been betrayed, thera is, as
have remarked, another class of Chinese
10 ta1 70
cheaper the labor market. but have vol
untarily come over to seek employment.
The social problems raised by these un-
welcome additions to the population are
precisely those which have for so many
years engaged attention in Great Britain.
France, and other countries, and have
led to the formation Of Trades Unions
on the one hand, and Masters Associa-
tions on the other. They are: First,
Has the master right to pay what wages
he chooses, if he can fnd any one to NC
cept them; and second, has the laborer
right to accept any scale of remunern-
tion offered, if it suit him to do so? AS
suming for the moment that it is posi-
BILE to prohibit contract emigration, what
is to be done with the ordinary China.
man? Has he, or has be not, the same
rights (of labor rs his European compe-
titor? None OF the arguments adduced
against him as mere resident are worth
n moments attention. He is sober, in
dustrions, peaceful, ingenious, and saw
ing. He seeks to make no converts to
his own belief, and rapidly assimilntes,
in many respects, to the people around
him. His one crime is that he will work
for lower wages. Bnt, if the Consttu-
tion of the United States be not merely
waste paper. he is strictly within the law
in so doing. The dilemma is trouble
some enough, al it il moro than strange
that no one has as yet hit upon the OBJ
vious and legal solution of the diff
Guilty"
AS to the threatened "Chinese inunda-
tion," OF which We have had so many
fears expressed, Mr.. Dennys says:
now come to the question of num-
bers, and it would seem that the exag-
geration to which have alluded extends
to this matter also. While Chilli, Peru,
and Havana have been swamped by the
importation. tho United States have Us
yet absorbed but q nero trihe. AS Mr..
Schurz recently stated in tho Senate. the
annual influx, deducting returns, has
onurco1u ovn,o,Jol n nm