Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-08-20
EX-GOVERNOR SEYMOUR ON THE
COOLlE QUESTION.
Letter 20 the work king Men ut Roch.
ester.


Letter 20 the work. ing Men nj Roch.
ester.
At q mass meeting of the working
men, held at Rochester OH the 4th in
slant, the following letter was read
from Ex-Gov- Seymour on the ques-
ton of Chinese immigration to the
United States:
UTICA, Aug. 3, 1ST0.-Tr: I put
off until this time my answer to your
letter asking me to speak to meet
ing ut Rochester on the subject Of
Chinese immigration, as hoped IL
would be In my power to do so. lam
sorry I cannot attend 1t Is one that
must be met, and must be met now.
Strong influences are at work to opeii
the flood-gates and pour in upon us
the worst classes of over-crowded
China. They can get to our shores at
less cost i'm great numbers than the
people Of Europe. If they continue
to crowd in, they will overthrow the
customs, civilization and religion of
the whole Pacific coast, and they will
also crush down ihe position of labor
ing classes throughout our country.
| am against this. am not willing
they should gain q foothold here
No nation in Europe would suffer
such an invasion. If Britain, Ger
many or France should allow any
thing of the kind, their governments
would be overthrown. Why should
we give up our civilization In any part
of our country for that of Asia?
1t is said we want cheap labor. We
do not want cheap labor, but well paid
labor. Interest as well as justice and
humanity calls for this. If all who
labor in this country took the same
wages and spend as little money as
the Chinese laborer, our Government
would be bankrupt and business
would shrink up. Well paid labor
spends freely with the business man
fills the national treasury by the i'm
posts and duties it pays upon what
1t uses. This is the whole source of
our financial strength as compared
with our people. Iflabor is brought
down to the Chinese standard there
will at once be difference in the con-
dition ofclasses which will in the end
overthrow our government. Wepay
higher taxes and interest than any
other people, and If the price of labor
is put down to Asiatic rates, capital
will swallow up the earnings of toll
more rapidly than was ever yet done
In the history of nations. If this is
to be our future, we have lost in vain
nearly q million of lives i'm the late
civil war. 1t is not the object of gov
eminent to undersell others, to pinch
ourselves that we may pinch Others.
The great end Of craftsmanship is to
give comfort and plenty to each
home, and to take care that labor is
well paid. We should seek to give
happiness to each Preside circle, and
not to fill the Golfers of capitalists.
1t Is said by some If we shut out
Chinese immigration, we do so i'm the
face of our former professions. This
Is not so. Weinvite European immi-
grafton, because it adds to our power
and happiness. Europeans do not
overthrow our customs, religion or
civilization. They do not bring here
any strange blood. 1t has always
been our practice to shut out any i'm
migration that is hurtfiil. We send
back to Europe criminals or paupers,
by virtue of State and National laws.
Every city and town guards against
incomers who endanger social order
or safety. We are in no way bound
to take into our public system any
mischievOus elements, or to destroy
it by personal influences. If we be-
lieve in our religious creeds; in the
force and principles of our Govern
r,,out than xya M net holtauo that q;
attic creeds and customs are baleful.
native Indians into States, Counties
and Townships. We are driving off
from their property the game upon
which they live, by railroads. We
tell them plainly they must give up
their homes and property and live
upon corners of their own territories,
because they are in the way of our
civilization. If we can do this, then
we can keep away another form of
barbarism which has no right here.
l have no doubt the Chinese have
useful qualities. They are said to be
good servants, ready to do the work
of men or women, but they have not
the traits which will build up on this
continent great and high toned
power. We must not judge of those
who come here by those who stay at
home. We get only the dregs.--
There Is but one way of dealing with
this matter. The policy of exclusion
must be as sharp and as vigorous as
that of Massachusetts or New York
against the coming pauperism. Ttmust
be borne in mind that, under the late
amendments to our national Consti-
tuition, you can give them no qualified
condition; you put upon them no po-
litical restraint, made necessary by
their pecularities. They can grasp
the rights of voting and law making
despite all State legislation. 1t is to
be hoped that this subject will he
taken up and discussed in q fair and
temperate way by all classes. We
must not let 1t drift and seettle itself.
Unless we are ready to give up the
consequences of this new danger To
the public peace and home happiness
of our people, we must confront the
problem at the outset.
Truly yours, HoRATIo SEYMOUR
To ELIAS MAPEs, Recording Secre.
tar of Working Mems Assembly
Rochester
GEN. J. G. BROWN who is a prom
met candidate for Governor subject tc
\ the nomination of the DemOc