The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-01-15

AyIGNoN. France. October 2Cth. 1865.

AvIGSoN, France, October 2Gth, 1868.
Dear Sir The subject in which you have asked
my opinion involves two of the most difficult and
embarrassing questions of political morality-the
extent and limits Of the right Of those who have
taken possession Of an unoccnpied portion OF The
earth's surface to exclude the remainder Of man
kind from inlIabIting 1t, and the means which can
be le~gitimately used by the more Improved branches
of the human species TO protect themselves from
being ~hurtfully encrOacbed upon by those of Il
lower grade in civilization. The Chinese i~mmigra-
ton into America raises both these questions. TO
furnish a general answer TO either OF them would
be a most arduOus undertaking.
Concerning the purely economical view Of the
subject | entirely agree with you and IL could
hardly be better stated and argued than IL il in
your able article in the New York Tribune. That
the Chinese immigration. If IL attains great dimen-
sions, must be economically injurious 10 the mass
of the present population that h must diminish
their wages. and reduce them 10 n lower stage Of
physical comfort and well-being, / have no manner
OF doubt. Nothing can be more fallaeious than the
attempts to make out that thus TO lower wages IL
the way to raise them. or that there is any compen-
s%atiOn, in an economical point OF view, 10 those
whose labor is displaced, or who are obliged 10
work for a greatly reduced remuneration. On
general principles this state of things. were IL sure
to continue, would justify the exclusion Of the ms
migrants, on the ground that, with their habits in
respect to population, only "a temporary good IL
done to the Chinese people by admitting part Of
their surplus numbers, while a permanent harm is
done to a more civilized and improved portion Of
mankind.
But there is much also to be said on the other
side. Is it justiGabie to assume that the character
and habits Of the Chinese are unsusceptfble OF i'm
provement? The institutions Of the United States
are the most potent means that have yet existed
of spreading the most important elements Of civili-
cation down TO the poorest and most ignorant
Of the laboring masses. IL every Chinese child
were compulsorily brought under yonr school sys-
TEN, or under a sill more effective one. II possible,
and kept under IL for a sufficient number OF years,
would not the Chinese population be in time raised
to the level of the American? i believe, indeed,
that hitherto the number of Chinese born in America
has not been very great but so long as this is the
case-so long (that is) as the Chinese do not come
mostly men, and return to their native country, the
evil can hardly reach so great a magnitude as 10
require that it should be put a stop to by force.
One kind OF restrictive measure seems TO me not
only desirable, but absolutely called for-the most
law against introducing Chinese immi-
grants as coolies, I, e. under contracts binding them
to the service OF particular persons. All such obli-
cations are a form of compulsory labor, that Ia. Of
slavery and though l know that the legal invalid
ity of such contracts does not prevent them from
being made, | cannot, but think that IL pains were
taken TO make it known to the immigrants that
such engagements are not legally binding, and es-
pecially If ii were made q penal offence TO enter
them. that mode OF immigration would receive,
at least a considerable check and II does not seem
probable that any other mode among so poor q
population as the Chinese can attain such dimen-
as to compete very injuriously with American
labor. Short of that point. the opportunity given
10 numerous Chinese of becoming familiar with
better and more civilized habits of life, Is one OF
The best chances that can be opened mp Tor the i'm,
Of the Chinese In their own country, ana
Dne which ii does not seem 10 me that IL woulo DO
right TO withhold from them. / am, dear sir:
Yours very sincerely. j. :. MILL
To Her y George Esq, San Francisco