, 1870-06-29
THE CHINESE LABOR ouEsT1OT
mF. Mtll's Letter to EeMFy George,
Esq, Of San Ernncfaco.

s Av1asoH, France, Oct -, 1862.
: | DKAR sm The subj ject on which Tuu have
( aekea my opinion involves two of the most dif-
t heole aud embarrassing questions Of political
mofaAty-the extent and limits Of tho right OF
those who have first taken possession Of an
, unocc1ried portion Of the eatth's surface to
| exclude the remainder Of mankind from in
hsolune 1t, and the means which can be legit-
8 'mately used by the more improved branches
, OF me human species to protect themselves
t from being hurtfnlly enc1oached upon bv those
) OF lower grade in civilization. The Chinese
questions. To furnish a general answer to
| either OF them would be most arduous un-
dertaking.
Concerning tho purely economical view Of
the subject. entirely agree with you; and it
could h1rdly be better stated and argued than
| it il IN your able article in the New York Tyi-
tn'ae. That tho Chinese immigration. if it at
tam great dimensions, must be economically
injurious to the mass Of tho present popula-
ton; that it must diminish their wages. and
reduce them to lower state Of physical COM
Tort and well-being, hive no manner of doubt.
Nothing can DO more fallacious than tho AZ
tempts to make out that thus to lower wages
is the way to raise them, or TINT there is
any compensation. in any economical point
OF view, to- those whose labor is dis
'laced, or who are obliged to work for a |
pr nciples thus state Of things, were it sure to
en- tinue, would Justify the exclusion Of the !
inn igrants, on the ground that. with their
hahh 3 In respect to population, only tempo
mistlI4 part OF their surplus numbers. willie a
poruaaa eut harm is done in mora civilized |
and imp 7oved portion OF mankind.
Bnt q ere is much also, to be said on tho
other sihe Isit justifable to assume that the
character; md habits of the Chinese are un-
suscoptil.ls Of Improvement? The inetitu-
tions Of ~ Unitod States aro the most 20
tent me.nn that have yet existed Of
civilization do yn to the poorest and most IT,
no1ant Of the Il boring masses. II every CHI
nese child wars compulsorily. brought under
your .aclooF 81 TEN, or under = still mora
. sufficient naush er Of years, would no. The
Chinese popuEatiI:n be in time raised to the
level Of the A1nesua n: believe, indeed, that
hitherto tie nun1bez Of Chinese born in Amer
lea has not been vary great but 80 long as this
is the case, SO long ii lat isl as tho Chinese do
not come in familieg I'D settle, but those who
come arc mostly mcn, and return to their
native county, ths eya can hardly roaeh 90
lie put stop to by forcr+
One kind Of restrictive measure seems to me T
1ot only desirable. bit aba ointely called for i,
|he most stringent 1aws against Introducing o.
Chinese immigrants as cot lies, i. e., under -
contracts binding them to til service Of par -
ocular persons. All such obligations arc n sc
orn, OF compulsory labor, thu i, Of slavery; Il
lnd though know that tile LEI nj inra1idity OF Id
'eng made, cannot but think that II pains ie
vere taken to make it known to The immi- ttoe
rants that such engagements ara not legally in,
'ffence to enter into them, that mode, at to t.
east, Of immigration would receive consid- ~,
fablo check; and it does not seem probable wo
has any other mode, among 80 poor q popu- COZ
3tlon ~ tho clineso, can attain such dimon-
ions as to compete. very injuriouHly with say
'1nor1cai labor. Short Of that point, the OPP /
ortunity given to numerous Chinese Of be- tbe
oming familiar with the better and more civil yia
;ea habits Of life, is ono Of the hest chances tia
bat can be opened up for the improvement Of or
4e Chinese in their own country, and one reli
hlch it does not secm to mo that it would ba tha
en- to Withhold from them Tam dear sir, ont
10 nsshx] ] GsoaaE Esq., San r9anssco r. s Mn1 lne hn9
SECOND LETTER FROM sm. MILL tv1
Ay1GSoH, Feb. la, 1870. sho
DEAR sA: presume am indebted to ron nv nv
Il sending ma the number Of The C1ucAGo 80, 80;
n1nuNE which commented on nv supposed i;nc in,t'
unions ~ respecting Chinese immigration, anS n
Dthing could be elearer or fairer tfan tho So Sna
onin,on .n;1St tun feasghs when, IN Ftel
grant laborers or lower grado Of ciyiIiza- sa
III than the existing inhabitants. But / X. ne :.
Ver said that in America, and in the present a,t q
eamsances o. tie case il ought to be done. facii
n; WHO had asked my opinion, has bocn 10 rate t
1ch misunderstood that I cannot but think M ta1e g
copy Of my letter which I understand ap- nn;p
aneo an IN .'.;,, Inc newspapers, must have tlnce
rlarcd that =, one' dlstlnctty both
~ conrsn ny op1nloh tho trent
ayor hv at1nc,t;o,, ~ - auoplea la TO en- thus.
'tlon o. ClIinese up to the level Of Ameri- II II
10 C1iness nj ha;v " 10 Iasng generation this
aid Mai in fiat cnSa pe:. r.. aGnt seuors}, that
sucl evil tn fho i.h,.;ns! cS cou!d 90 direc
its nroh;h;t;nn I'LL E.aseea as 70 ?HsG. zatio
cg of cnnrarinr ttn ;Io.s .as oIlolanlty u State
,ptry into fi;a hos-t ~ G,;a ote els.Azod meet
o 10 the nconic ~ f1,;,s n - - ~ Aasan- has r
! not think f Son11 - =; pf.. mcn ~ sala) vas
N. Tia on1v moi3o ~ - aeP!!pe, treat,
that tlon11,t choriJ - sG:h. I:ou w!nc3 been
3einc over GS;nssa ~ " pton1uiLea ls inc and
nts to work for particular persons; Which IF siI
is. OF slaverr- iHool, of' - otner HeEse
am. dear air. vonrz vo-x, +rr,.. of Ap
'et5 e'u'J1 OF til
[onAcE Wu7,r f., rr;..' - &C. adI1~ partu
''-Nt AAt4e1 %444|oSV. 1 fo t1,f