Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-04-03
The Chinese in California-No. 2.

that there are more than ten millions Of the ma
tive inhabitants Of China who are Rouan
Catholics, and there is scarcely denomination
of P.otcstart-. but has mission .rics at work
this race to Christianity. How can
it be claimed then that they hate our customs,
our government. aud loathe our religion, and
our God? The Christian people Of the United
States do well in annually spending hundreds
OF thousands of dollars in the noble work OF
bringing light to these ready and eager minds.
1t is told Us, upon reliable authority, iu China
the children OF the poorest classes may attain
the highest Offices, learning and zeal being the
only avenues to promotion schools are free
t. all, and education universal You will never
lid Chinaman unable to read or write his
name Can we say as much of many who have
cmigrated from other countries, and who are
loudest in drnouncing the Chinese as incapable
of culture. Crowds of them may be seen IN
San Francisco on Sunday afternoon, in Sacra-
mcnto. Jackson, and Commercial streets, all
dressed clean and tidy No case of disorder,
or drunkenness has ever to be recorded. II mcn
who behave thus are hcatheu, might not mauy
so-ca,Ied Christians take a useful lesson from
them in conduct on the Sabbath day? The as
sprtlon that the Chinese are an inferior race OF
men is not n W cry to raise against a people
held in suhjcclon. 1t is as old as the history
Of man. The Greeks, Romans, Egyptians,
Normans, Russians and SpaniaTds have all
maiutancd this doctrine Of the infcrlorlty Of
those held in subj elton. But what retuta-
lion of the principle Is presented when 1t is OK
amined 10y the clear light of history. The
Britous held for centuries as an inferior race by
their cnnqucror<, are to-day among the fore
most races on earth. IN energy, enterprise, and
intelligence. The Irish were SO he'd by their
Saxon rulers. Less than century agol 10 Eng
land aye in Ireland, on the green soil of their
pariyc Iaai. they were drspiscd by the English
as much, or more, than the Irish hate the
Chiuc>e Duins The reign OF Georges LII and
", the Paran NJ, press aud pul pit of Eng
that the Celtic was inferior to the Saxon race.
Scarcely more than score Of years have passed
since the cry through the length and breadth Of
our great Republic rang, ''Duwn with the
Irish America Tor Americans Yet on this
soil cunsecratcd to trccdnm, we iud they ex.
II biz capabilities Tor improvement unsurpassed
by he Immigrants troui any other country.
" hen the iraus-continental railroad was about
to be finished, we are told, oI the last four
rails that completed that great National work.
two were laid by ChiuaDcu and TWO by Irish
men. So in the very centre OF the American
CONTINENT aS il were, the Slnrwy allIs Vi labor
cr~ born in Europe and Asia had the honor Of
flushing work that will ever remain Il monu
uent vi American gculuS-the Monaghan aud
CrIt only ubrycd the advanced intelligence OF
their American employers When he Chinese
u,,ou this coast are treated as her meu they
will prove themselves equal. in al: that aids III
increasing The National wealth and prosperity,
To any other OF the exotic RACES that enter the
cnmrustlon Of this heterogeneous population.
Their economic methods eau teach other classes
how to be better off upon less wages, toy being
economical in their habits. Chinese labor is
relatively cheaper in this State than white Ia
Dor, bul it is much dcarcr than white orcolored
labor in the South, aud these very people who
arc dcspiScd here, are now being sought by the
employers vi other States, who pay them fifty
per cent more for the very qualities oi doclilty,
Industry ahd intelligence. tur which they are
denounced by demagogucs IN this State. Ii Is
the poor who most brnctlt by the cheap labor
OF the Chinese, for they are not able otherwise
to employ the necessary help; wages OF the white
man being held at such high figures. a lew
years ago Il washclw0man having a good run
of custom could earn more than frs; class
mechanic-it was cheaper to buy new clothing
than to have old washed. The fortunes Of D,any
a rich man in this city spraug from the <lld> III
his witc's wash tub. But what we would say
is, the woman whose husband goes to his daily
toll at the rising Of the SUP, aud returns only at
its going down, whose young children are too
small t., be left alone, and The treasury not SUI
icicnt to employ the thirty five dollar per
month maid Servant, looks upon the Chinese
vegetable or fish peddler, who comes to her
door to sell his cheap but fresh market supplies,
as a b, n"iactOr. There is 10 possibility OF the
Chinese coming to America on any other con-
diton than that of absolute freedom; our Min
lister and Consul are held personally responsible
that no Chinauian leaves any port IN that
empire Tor this country except az free man,
so they caunot be styled Coolies term which.
by the way, should apply only 10 vocation, and
not to condition. The iact that the Imperial
Court Of China refused 10 receive an English
prince, while it honored an American citizen
with an Office the noblcst Statesman in the
world might be proud to fill, is a proof Of their
preference for Americans, and it is shameful
abuse to attempt to heap degrading libcls on q
people so friendly to Us. Men are like pebbles
on the sea bcach-cach is rough and angular
when first separated from it parent rock. 1t is
by the artrition of the ceascless cbbing and
flowing Of the tide and storms of life that they
become rounded and smooth and polish one
another The harder specimens wear away
the softer ones, receiving the greater polish
in the operation. SO with men. 1t matters
not whc her born in America Asia or Europe,
they show this true grain and grit only after
much rubbing and polishing. Intellectual ability,
that divine, boundess power, by which the re.
latiop Of facts and thugs, from the STRUCTURE of
an animalcu;a to the mysterious laws which
control the universe. are comprehcndcd and
applied to the purposes of life. cannot exist in
harmony with prejudice Mercy, justice and
truth are the evidence of intellectual strength,
while cruelty, persecution and oppression are
the products Of prejudice The healthy intel
Iect is governed by Consc;ence--God' ; nessen-
ger to man-to which prejudice bars the en-
trance; and when it gets coutrol-a nation, com
nlunity or an Individual is placed, head, feet,
and hands bound, at the mercy of dcmagogucs,