New-York tribune., 1876-06-14
CONGRESS AYD the SIX CoupANIES

In the prcponderating cxcitcments OF this
season, the question OF the Yellow Man, al
though affecting more than one radical princi-
pie of our political system, has scarcely re-
ceivcd other than a passing notice. In the
mean time, the prejudice of IL class OF persons
in Califonia-who, to judge by some of their
acts, include much of the ignorant and lawlcss
element of that State-havc been swiftly
needed by our lawmakers at Washington.
The subject has reached a stage which would
be ludicrous if it did not include such grave
and wide-reaching consequences. 1t is some
time since we have been called upon to cx-
anime as complete a moral and judicial mud
die.
To make the present state of the question
clear TO the readers of THE TRIBUNE we must
recall to their minds the immense Anti Chinese
Mass Meeting, held in San Francisco on the
5th OF April last. The Governor OF the State,
the Mayor Of the city, and many prominent
politicians took part in the movements 10000
persons were in attendance; an address and
resolutions were drawn up, and a committee
of three appointed to carry the same to Wash
ingtOn Soon after this the outrage ut Antioch
took place the Chinese quarter of the town
was burned, the inhabitants driven oiF, and the
mob spirit, encouraged by the exaggerated
charges of the San Francisco meeting, be-
gan to express itself in other places. 1t has
since then been checked, indeed, but the
opposition to il has been timid and feeble.
Anonymous pamphlets, III such crises, are of
little service, for they give the agitators an
additional evidence of their own power. EX-
Gov. Low, Dr. Loomis, the Rev. o. Glib
son and few others disprovcd most OF the
statements made in the Anti-C Chinese address !;
but it makes little difference to those who
adopted that address and those who are guided
by it in Washington whether the statements
are true or false. When IL certain course in
wolves the suiest and blackcst unpOpulari;y,
we know where to find the politician.
The Presidents of the Six Companies in Cal
ifornia, headed by Lee Ming How of the " Sam
"Yup Co." 1--WE omit the other five signatures,
to escape a monosyllabic confuson) have ad-
dressed memorial to President Grant, IN an
swer to the charges made against them. The
document is also signed by Lee Tong Hay, who
is-many of our readers will be surprised to
hear" President of the Chinese Young Mems
" Christian Association ~ Yet the Anti-Chinesc
address declares, and Congress evidently be-
lieyes, that "the Chinese are pagans; are not
ga homogeneous race do not adopt our man
"ners, our food, our style of dress" etc! Let
us see what our seven yellow faced brethren
have to say for themselves. In cool, dispas-
sonate statement, in the natural instinct of
justice. in temperance, dignity, peaceful temper.
their document is-we were about to say Chris
tian but We remember that the Anti-Chinese
address was written by protesting Christians,
and, moreover we are not quite sure whether
Christianity permits the use Of delicate sar-
casm such ~ we detect in the response of the
Six Companies and the Chinese Young Mems
Christian Association. The latter quietly say,
in their own defense, that "the Chinese have
"neither attempted nor desired to interfere
"with the established order of things in this
country, either OF politics or religion. They
" hare opened no whisky saloons for the pur-
~ pose OF dealing out poison and degrading
their ielow-nlen. They hare promptly paid
a" Heir datics, their tares, their rents, and their
"debts" This is undoubtedly the simple
truth, but what free-born, Anglo-Saxon Cali