New-York tribune., 1870-08-03

people OF that country the privilege OF lnInl-
grating to our country and living here with
out molestation. That is all very well, say
the President and Secretary of the Anti
Chinese Convention but what do we care Tor
treaties The Government OF the United
States il the people the President and Senate
are our creatures, and when they don I snlt
us we turn them out. Besides that, Govern
ments are sometimes too slow California has
before now visited summary justice upon
offenders without awaiting processes OF law,
and if YOU are not careful she will do 1T
again. At any rate, treaty or no treaty, Gov
crnment or no Government, right or wrong,
we mean to have our own way, and
if YOU bring your Coolies here are wW hH
them. The warning was not expressed IN such
direct language ; but there was no mistakins
its meaning. OF course the Convention ." re-
grets" the excited temper of the public which
makes these outrages probable. 1t counsels
patience. and will do all it can to prevent vio-
lence but it reminds the Chinese that when
"people act from impulse in resisting wrong
thew often commit excesses before anybody can
interfere. The popular feeling Is growing dan
gerous. and the only safe plan for the Coolies
il to keep out Of the way. Readers OF Put
" Yourself in his Place. will remember that
whenever the Saw-Grinders Union blew up
factory or /" did forn an obnoxious workman,
the Society officers, who had paid dcsperado
to perpetrate the outrage, professed to be
inexpressbly shocked, and offered small
reward for the detection Of the criminal.
Now let the Anti-Chinese Convention put
itself in the Six Companies place. Suppose
Messrs. Hong Chow, Sam Yup, and the rest of
them, should reply that the immigrants had
become impressed with the doplOrable idea that
our Government having promised to protect
them if they came here, was bound TO do it;
that che people of California bad no right to
molest them 80 long as they behaved them
selves that Cinnamon, as well as Americans,
are apt to do ugly things when they act from
"impulse in resisting wrOng;" and the Califor-
mans had therefore better let them alone unless
they want TO be stabbed or poisoned. If The
Six Companies had then interviewer with this
answer some indirect indictments to violence
(as Mr.. Winkle urged SnOdgrass not to warn
the police of his proposed dueD the parallel
would be perfect.
These CalifOTnians ere apparently Ignorant
of the first principles of politics, as well as
Justice The people are not the Government,
but only the source of power. The President
and Senate are not their creatures" sent to
Washington just to register the popular will
of the hour, and liable to be turned ont
at the demand Of o mob. Treaties are no
more to be repudiated than debts, and cannot
be abolished by vote. They might as well
talk of voting to abolish all mortgages on real
estate in tho City of San Francisco. The
Chinese question is not to be settled by law
less violence, or insolent and threatening let
ters 1t is the plain duty Of the Government
to protect tho Coolies, and if it fail to do so,
after the warning of these San Francisco gem
tlemen, it will be held guilty Of not only
negligence but cOwardce.