The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-04

Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topios-CompiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
CALIFORNIA

From the n. y. Tribune.
The base and truculent letter addressed by
the Anti-C Chinese Convention of San Fran
cisco TO the Six Chinese Companies ought to
arouse the Indignation of the whole country.
1t is little better than undisguised ruffianism,
accompanied with peculiarly gross insults.
The convention instructed its president and
secretary to inform the Six Companies that it
was neither Just to our own people nor ''safe
to the Chinnmen" that Chinese immigration
should continue. The worthy delegates dis
charge this commission by informing the
companies that the Chinese are nuisances;
that 'their habits and morals are eontami-
mating our people;" that they are becoming
every day more and more repulsive to free
men; and, finally, that the people do not
mean to put up with them any longer. The
people have a right to do as they please about
everything, and the Anti Chinese Convention
was tthe largest meeting of the people ever
held in San Francisco" Hence the Six Com
panies, and through them the ruling
powers at Pekin, are to take warming that
if any more Chinese persist in coming to this
country they must come at the peril of
their lives. But, it will be objected, we have
a treaty with China, which guarantees to the
people of that country the privilege of immi-
grating to our country and living here with
out molestation. That is all very we'll, say
the President and Secretary of the Anti
Chinese Convention; but what do we care for
t~reaties2 The Government of the United
States is the people; the President and Senate
are our creatures, and when they don't suit
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 it
again. At any rate, treaty or no treaty, Gov
eminent or no Government, right or wrong,
we mean to have our own way, and if
you bring your coolies here zoe UW b6U
them. The warning was not expressed in such
direct language; but there was no mistaking
its meaning. Of course the convention ere
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
they often commit excuses before anybody
can interfere. The popular feeling is growing
dangerous, and the only safe plan for the
coolies is to keep out of the way. Readers
of ''Put Yourself in his Place" will remember
that whenever the Saw-Grinders' Union blew
up a factory or ''did for" an obnoxious work
man, the society officers, who had paid a
desperate to perpetrate the outrage, professed
to be ~inexpressibly shocked, and offered a
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 deplorable idea
that our Government having promised to
protect them if they came here, was bound
to do it; that the people of California had no
right to modest them so long as they behaved
themselves; that Cinnamon, as we'll as Ame-
ricans, are apt to do ugly things when they
''act from impulse in resisting wrong and
the Californians had therefore better let them
alone unless they want to be stabbed or poi
soned. If the Six Companies had then inter
woven with this answer some indirect incite-
ments TO violence Gas Mr.. Wrinkle urged
Snodgrass not to warn the police of his pro-
posed dueD, the parallel would be perfect.
These Californians are apparently ignorant
of the first principles of politics, as we'll 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 out at
the demand of a mob. Treaties are no more
to be repudiated than debts, and cannot be
abolished by vote. They might as we'll talk
of voting to abolish all mortgages on real
estate in the city of San Francisco. The
Chinese question is not to be settled by law
less violence, or i~nsolent or threatening let
ters. 1t is the plain duty of the Government
to protect the coolies, and if it fail to do so,
after the warning of these San Francisco
gentlemen, it will be held guilty of not only
negligence but cowardice. @