The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1870-02-16
Speech Of Hon. Barclay Henley on the Fifteenth
Amendrnent

Speech Of Hon. Barclay Henley on the Fifteenth
Amendment
The following extract is the closing of a
speech recently delivered in the California As
sembly by Hon. Barclay Henley, of Sonoma
county:
say that il this Amendment is assed, il
will introduce into this country an element
differing with us widely in race, color, Gus
toms aud religion. that antagonisIns and com
motions must inevitably arise which will EN-
danger the very existence of the Government.
II is against all human experience aud our
knowledge of mans nature, for any two races
of people 10 live together hnrmoniously and
peaceably under republican form of Govern
ment in the equal enjoyment of political
rights, unless they intermarry or nmalgamate.
That we cannot do, and therefore peace is inn
possible. The Chinese differ from us morally,
and physically and intellectually in every
conceivable particular; difference that nsi-
ther time nor cline, nor education can oblit-
crate; a difference that is radical, ingram, in
terwoven with nature, blood, bone and tissue
W g cannot change the pagan Chinese. trans
mute them from barbarism into Christians,
Amencanize them so that they fit to dis
charge the high duties that pertain TO Amer-
can citizens. II might be different If il were
only few Chinese that we had to deal with:
then VIC might humaniZe and Christianize
tntm. Dut IL Is tnllllOnh lnAt We VIII nave 10
deal with. Remember they number one third
OF the human race, have sixteen times as
many people rs We have, have more inhab-
itants than all North and South America and
Europe combined. In few years they can
throw into our country double our population
and not miss them. Then. II We open the
door To their free emigration, and the word
spreads throughout that vast and effete EN-
pirc Of the new I'll Dorado, OF it's wonderful
resources, Of its salubrIty Of climate and fer
tlity of soil. Of the gold To be pluckcd from
tue pregnant earth, to all OF which will doubt
los" bc added II dazzling account Of political
power To he acquired, and what will you see,
sir? You will sCc pouring 10 our shores from
tho stncuant and overhurdcned cities of Asia d.
population Us numerous rs the sands of the
Sea. What next! Let them come in such
numbers. and with their industry and thrift
which il is as bOotlcss 10 deny them as il is To
deny them utter destitutiUn of moral princi-
pie, and they will soon become a power of the
land. Next, Ne would sec country, religion,
power, the institutions bequcathed Ia us by
Washington and Jefferson sink into the loath-
some embrace of idOlatry and paganlsm. Once
more in the worlds history will the great
sun shine upon spectacle the sadcst ever seen
upon the horrOr-strickcn fields of carth-tho
determination of liberty In the Western World
the decentralization of this proud Republic.
the altar of the Ever Living God supplantcti
by the bcastly and impious images of idolatry.
and We, the American people, the victims, the
prey, of these barbarians, rs in the oldcn time
was Rome the prey Of the Goth, the Vaudnl
md the Iun-upon all that we love, upon all
that We revere, upon all that we have fought
for and for which q gallant ancestry rcclcd
and fell in tho red miro Of Monmouth and
Brandywine; upon everything, "IchabOd''
will be written. Our glory is gone and for.
eyeImore! Sir from tho hidcous contcmpla-
ton Of such picture ] turn in horror aud
dismny, and We who stand idly 10y and suffer
this toulest OF consumations, commit a crime
not pnrallclled by the Roman Emperors, who
led Christianity to the beasts Of the arenas; n
erime which in the esteem of posterity will
blacken and intensity as lustrrms decades
and centuries shall roll on. am no seer 10
predict u nations doom--no prophet, as was
he who interpreted 10 Babylon 4 rror.strickc ON
hing the mystic charactcrs on the wall. and
forotold tho humiliation Of mn empire aud the
6woop OF the Persian host: but to my mind
athwart the clear blue Of the political sky ap.
pear portents as dread, signs as sinister and
oin'nous M those which startled the guilty
monarch upon his throne, evironcd hs he was
Uy prince and satrap, concubinc and slave
me' us that sovereign, have dcgenerated from
,ho purity and simplicity Of our ancestors
hnse become voluptuaries and worshipers o
Bods OF gold, Of iron, Of stone and of wood
hhu unless steps nre taken to avert the danger
soon may bc whispered into our afrrightct
I .p "PPaihhR words: Meme, meme, tckc
phdrs'm -Thou art weighed in The bnlonc,
and found wanting shnil IL be that with IN,
ireshoning brcezos yon blue ocean will aoor
pc mingled, by our sufreranoe, that sound-th,
moutninlcst that has Swept tho fields o.
mortality since tho sun went down ON Ro
man iborty-.tbo requiem Of frcedoom in tbi,
hemlshcre-tho dirge of dying Ropublic'
~ deyolyos upon us TO say. Tho rosponsibl
IVY is upon us, and wo cannot eyado Il.
nave intimated, MIR. Speaker. that wo mich
be swallowed up by this horde of barbarinns
u thls measure becomes engrafted upor
our Federal Constitution. Either that will b,
our fate,,or, when the fruits OF unlimited Chi
nose immigration and Chinese suffrage shnl
become manifest--when tho whites are driver
rom tho market places and the marts of lnbo
tno overwhelming competition of thos,
ie,cs-then in,, =. will como tho most unrolent
Ing OF wars--a war Of races. And lny 1
M aMown as proposition not 10 bo succossfiill,
B"nesyod, that this country will either ba