The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-06
Tho Question Of Races In Congress-
Curious Developments.

The debate and voting on the Naturalization
bill In the Senate are very suggestive, and
show that new element has entered into
politics which may prove troublesome 10 the
republican party. The Naturalization bill, rs
| Is generally known, was framed chiefly as a
measure to prevent frauds at elections through
the voting Of persons not naturalized or not
entitled to be naturalized. While it pretends
TO facilitate naturalization the chief object is
to check it in the manner practised on the eve
and at the time of elections. The proposed
law is designed more especially for the city Of
New York, though its application would neces-
sariy be general. The easy and rapid way
our democratic politicians-and republicans,
too, for that matter, if they have the chance
manufacture citizens out of raw emigrant ma
terials whenever there is an important election
has aroused the sensibilities and patriotism of
our virtuous republican Congress. Hence the
bill we refer to, which was under discussion on
Independence Day.
But the most curious feature of the proceed
ings was that involving the question of races
naturalization. Mr.. Sumner proposed an
amendment to strike out the word "white"
from the naturalization laws. This was con-
sstent with that Senator's views and his
whole political career. 1t was consistent too,
with the platform and avowed principles Of the
dominant republican party. The republicans
had, from the commencement of their organi-
cation, aud all through, particularly since the
war, taken the Declaration of Independence
rather than the constitution for their platform,
which proclaimed all men free and equal. Mr..
Sumner was logical, therefore, when he took
his stand on this platform and proposed to
strike out the word white from the natu
radiation laws.
few years ago, or perhaps few weeks
ago, the republicans in the Senate would have
voted for Mr.. Summers proposition. There
would not have been, probably, any dissen-
tient votes, except those that might have
been given by the republican Senators from
the Pacific States. But new question
has arisen. The introduction of Chinese
laborers, who will work for third of the
wages of white men, has aroused the masses
of the workingmen throughout the country.
The North Adams experiment of bringing
people from China to make shoes ut much
lower rate Of wages has precipitated q trouble
some and difficult question just on the eve of
the Congressional elections. There is no time
to discuss the question generally upon philoso-
phical, social and commercial principles before
the elections, and the mass of working people,
who are alarmed at the introduction of the
Chinese, will be apt to give their votes for
those candidates who are opposed to the
Chinese. Neither the republican Senate nor re-
publican House of Representatives, looking at
the interests OF the party, can afford to ignore
or defy the feeling of the working people on
this Chinese question. We are not surprised,
therefore, that Mr.. Summers proposition to
strike out the word ''white" from the naturali-
cation laws, which would admit the Chinese to
citizenship and all the rights of citizens, was
rejected by the large negative vote Of &c nays
to ~ yeas.
AT the same time an amendment, offered by
Mr.. Warner, of Virginia, to extend the natu-
ralization laws to aliens of African nativity
and persons of African descent, was carried
by vote of 81 yeas to 20 nays. Our republi-
Africa, who never in the history of the world
began to be civilized, except under the tutc-
lage of the white man who never showed the
capacity within himself to emerge from bar
barism, and who is confessedly the lowest of
all the races of man--the Senate will admit
him to naturalization and refuse this privilege
to "a superior and more intelligent race. What
Inconsistency! The Chinese were civilized
people when our own fOrefathers were uncivi-
lized, when the northern nations of Europe,
which are now highly civilized, were barba-
rians. The Mongolian is a far higher type of
man than the African negro. Why, then,
this invidious discrimination in favor Of the
negro and against the Chinese? Are
our republican Senators and politicians begin
ming to see future evils looming up by their
attempt to make equal what the Almighty
Creator has made unequal? Do they foresee
danger to the republic by putting on an
equality races that are not and never can be
equals We may demoralize the superior race
and drag it down from the proud eminence it
has attained by forcing social and political
equality with the inferior, and by leading to an
unnatural amalgamation, but we can never
make Caucasian out of the negro or Mongol.
A breeder of horses or skilful raiser of stock
of any kind would never attempt anything so
foolish, unnatural and unphilosophical. But,
to be logical, the republicans ought certainly
to give the Chinese equal rights of naturaliza-
ton with the negroes. If we are to have a
great mongrel empire on the principle Mr..
Sumner advocates, we must admit one race as
well as another to equality with ourselves but
how, then, are we to arrest this importation Of