Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-10-05
VOLUME XVII.
Chinese Slave Trade" "CoOIyism.
SPEECEI
OF
HON. JOHN M. COGHLAN
OF CALIFORNIA,
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
MARCH 10TH, 1872.
SPEECTI
OF CALIFORNIA,

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
MARCH I6TH, 1872.
Mr.. SPEAKER: There is now pending
before the Judiciary Committee of this
House a bill which | introduced some
time since, for the suppression of the Chi
nese slave trade, and as | have been re-
onested by some members of that COM
mittee as we'll as by other gentlemen
upon this floor, to take this occasion to
lay before the House my reasons for
wishing that bill to pass, and as | know
that to many the question Is novel one,
| will, with the consent of the House,
proceed to discuss some OF the many ar
euments that might be advanced why
that bill should become a law. The Chi
nese cody question is one that is possibly
less understood by members than any
other that will demand the attention OF
this House. | find by private cOnversa
ton that some Representatives here have
by half an hours contact with free Chi
nese in San Francisco judged of the NOR
ality, the standing, and the intelligence
of the fifty thousand Chinese coolies or
slaves that to day compete with the labor
of the free men of the great State Of Cal
iiornia.
cannot hope, Mr.. Speaker, to open
the eyes of prejudice, or to make the
wilfully blind to see, but | do ask
the House, in the name of the laboring
men of the far West, to assist, ere it be
too late, in checking the importation of
the host of slaves which are yearly being
landed on American soil. This bill asks
no more, nor do | seek for further legis-
lation.
Startling as the proposition may be to
some, a personal knowledge for the last
twenty years of the workings of the Chi
nese system of labor compels me to say
that in my judgment the labor of the fifty
thousand Chinese who to-day iniest the
State have the honor in part to repre-
SENT is owned and sold by few rich
companies Of merchants who traffic in
human flesh. | know that these compa-
MES make the engagements for the labor
ers, fix the compensation, and send their
agents along to receive the wages Of the
coolies labor. The records Of our courts
show that they sell their women for so
many pieces of silver, and their own con
versaton tells that they have introduced
into free America the vile system of Chi
nese slave labor.
am aware, sir, that in this portion Of
of our country, where the Chinese ques-
ton is so little understood, it is generally
believed that the opposition to coolyism
by the people Of the far West is engend-
cred by feeling OF caste prejudice, and
that it has no nobler or more generous
sentiment to support it. But, sir, while
| admit with sorrow that some few ruff
iianly attacks upon persons of that ma
tiunaity might give color to such II sup
position, | emphatically deny that the
enlightened and generous hearted people
of the Pacific coast are Influenced by any
such ignoble feeling. No people depre-
cate and abhor the cowurdly instincts
that impe men to ill-treat and abuse the
detenscIess more than they, and the swift
vengeance of an impartial law follows
close upon the heels OF all these outrages
when their perpetrators can be discover
ed. But knowing as we do that the foul
stain of slavery is upon us, and feeling
that all our efforts to suppress it are
futile, and finding that our cries for as
sistancc, instead of bringing us aid, are
answered by you with increduous smiles
and derisive taunts, we may depore, but
we cannot be surprised at the fact that
our laboring men are gradually becoming
prejudiced against the whole Chinese
nation, because a false reasoning leads
them to believe that the poor cody is
responsible for the slavery that exists
among us, when in truth yOu and | and
the lawmakers of the land are the real
culplits.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, tempting as the
subject undoubtedly is, | do not intend
to essay speech at this time. | propose
to make Il simple and straightforward
statement of facts, which | believe will
prove to every member upon this floor
that the Pacific coast is to-day cursed
with AS foul system of slavery as ever
1lSnrnonH "a of
Gods fair earth.
The Chinese slave system is, | believe,
unique. 1t is IA quasi voluntary servi-
tude. The cody intended for foreign
marts is sometimes kidnapped and car
rled aboard ship by violence, or while
stupefied by drugs administered by the
kldnapper, and after he finds himself de-
tached from his home, his fears and
supersttions are alike used as levers to
compel him to sign contract to labor
Tor his capturer tor certain number OF
years, which contract once signed is, as
Will directly show, as binding upon him
threat from hell.
Mention is made in the North China
Herald, of June %, 1870, as quoted in
the correspondence between the Secretary
OF State and the American consulate at
Shanghai, that for many years the GUS
Tom OF kidnapping even little children
WAS very common in China.
Ihlrty-fve years ago, says this paper,
a writer complains that kidnapping Is
growing more and more common in Can
ton. The way was, "lor kidnappers to
give notice to the parents that if a certain
sum were sent, within certain time, to
"certaln place, the girl would be returned,
otherwise she would be sold as slave"
little later, mention is made of the
crime at Pelin and Macao. That nota-
Die publication, the Pekin Gazette,
spoke of it as "a gross infraction of the
laws, which ought to be carefully invest
igated and prohibited" In 1888 we find
a complaint in the Canton Circular that
There are 'several hundred kidnappers in
and about the city of Canton, who are
constantly carrying off and selling young
women and children, and gain their live
mood by this infamous traffic." "In
1854 censor complained to the emperor
ABOUT system of kidnapping children
ana young persons in Pekin."
Sometimes the Government itself be-
comes slave trader, and by its edicts
declares that certain numbes of coolies
rom specified district shall engage their
laoor for number of years at a given
price, Thus to the wiles of the procurer
a39 The treachery of the kidnapper is
ADDED the fear of a horrible punishment
rom despotc and cruel Government
where the will of the tyrant who thus
ehacts that he is slave is the only law
70 winch he can appeal for justice. Thus
III the papers sent to the State Depart
heht by the American consul at Shang-
nai' we are told that in the trial of apoor
wretch who, with more of manhood than