New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-01-28
TILE CELESTL1LS ~ TEKAS.

The Chinese are III Texas. We can imagine
the tender curiosity and pleased establishment
of a survivor of McIaws' brigade staring at
these Celestial visitors. The elephant steps
carefully among children that have escaped into
his way. They are babes. He is gigantic. He
pauses in his gait, steps wide and softly, and
with his trunk lifts tenderly the mnOcents and
places them one side. This Texan taking up a
hole in the belt that supports his navy re-
volver, loses his left hand from sight III the
bush of flowing beard that falls to his waist,
while he supports his head to enable him to
get this extraordinary affair clean through him.
lie reckOns that he could catawampously
"chaw up" the entire three hundred of these
railroad builders. But he would as soon jerk
woman by her clignon as "yank' one of these
Cinnamon by his tail. Yet he can't help
revolving around the idea of the tremendous
disadvantage in fight which the pig-tail must
put a warrior to. But his eyes twinkle at the
paradox of asSOciating war with these blue
cotton short gowns, and the peaceful, patient,
child-lke, sweet-tempered faces before him,
matched with queer hats that surely must be
worn in Joke. He is dazed, is this remnant of
the fierce Brigade; but he is nightly amused
and greatly pleased If he could talk Chinese,
ie would surely lasso this little fellow with
his own tail, and ask him precisely how much
roast dog it was his habit to eat at a meal,
and what breed of dogs tasted best. Sud
denly. curious, too, about rats as food he is
sure that these three hundred are all rat
| eaters. For, when he set fire to Il school-hOuse
in Chambersburg, he saw picture in a
! geography of a Chinaman with cage,
L m Il g,t cir 10 nnla
over his shoulder, and balanced with heavy
! string of rats dressed for the stewpan. OF
course they eat rats. But he reckOns that rats
aren't fighting diet. For, indiSputably, there
! is no fight under those waSh-bowls of straw
| hats. DOR behind those tender eyes and ever
! smiling lips. The inequality Of the proverbial
cat in hell without claws recurs painfully
to this residue of the dreadful Brigade, as he
! thinks of the helpessncSs of these people
! against Texan of average skill IN the use OF
| bowie-knife and rcvOlver-a Texan whose
dander was riz.' Aud they are said to
work cheaply, and to labor faithfully and
they have come six thousand miles to get
this work" Though he chews an entire
mouthful of beard, he can't get the thing
through him." but he impetuousy takes to
the Cinnamon. They become toy working folks
! TO him. They ara funny, fragile, nice things,
! that men with boards and reyolvers should
take care Of lie profanely and with swing
Of his pistol, declares protectorate of them
" By -! these are my friends. You know
"met I will go for any man in Texas who
"molests the Pig Tails"
And lie has reason, as the French say. III
fhe first place, the labor of the Chinese may re-
store to Texas what Texas economically lost
in the loss Of her slaves. In the second place,
the Chinese may be good things to have in
the national family. Our Texan friend, the
Protectorate of the Three Hundred, does not
know one Of the facts we are about to set be-
fore him bat lie instinctiyely feels the whole
of them to be true. We vouch to him for
their truth, each and all.
! Among the Chinese, alone Of all neonlcs on