Litchfield enquirer., 1877-03-01
IFrOn soribner's MonthlyI r AN.ASIATIC INVASION. :

IFrons soribners MonthlyI -ss sas.zs
 .AN.AsIATlC INvAsIoN.
 A paper on the Chinese in San Fran cisco which appeared in Scribner's Month ly for last October, marked the lntroduc- tion into Magazine literature of discus sion which has seemed important enough to enter into the debates of the two great political parties, and to have it's moment ary result embodied in their platforms;-- it's momentary result only, for the dis cussion has only just begun in earnest; and though the matter is thrust aside for the time from all our minds by questions of much greater moment to the country. it IS as certain to come back again az in every other of those political problems. demagogy is quick to petty uses. but cer- tain never to solve correctly.
 It is fortunate when such subject gains the more thoughtful attention it is sure to find in the cooler field of maga- zine debate; and Mir. Vivian's paper on "John Chinaman" was taken up. with a different interest from that attaching to a newspaper article written in the heat of ''campaign." It was read by many stu
 dents of political matter with unusual care, in the hope to learn something of 8 question the Eastern press has treated too little; yet it was laid down by many with regret both at it's spirit and at it's arguments. Without unfairness to it's author, and without the least imputation upon his desire to write dispassionately and accurately, 1t must be said that MT. Vivian's paper is of less value as discus sion than as text; less important as 8 repetition of the customary Californian opinion, than as an illustration of the prevailing misunderstanding as to what the "Chinese Question" really is.
 Taking the article, then, merely as text for comment on a large number of similar expressions, it is evident that the Californians complain chiefly of three things in regard to the Chinese. First, that their emigration to California is not really voluntary, and therefore that their labor is ''servile" e"-approxima to slave labor in sense, at least. Sec. ond, that this labor is brought into un- fair competition with white labor, not only to the great disadvantage of the lat ter, but so greatly to the advantage of the to this country and California will be be- reft of white labor" altogether. Third. that the Chinese are in themselves a vile 
 terrihly demoralizing, nay, destructive element to introduce into the communi- ty. In support of these three complaints they bring forward what they consider to be sufficient facts; and as & remedy for the state of things they believe the alleged facts to indicate, they have thought themselves justified in going to the feder- al government for aid. Let us look first at the facts.
 Mr. Vivian makes the statement, rath- CT surprising in the light of the attention attracted to MT. Burlingame's under taking the Chinese embassy, that the American Chinese treaty of 1868 was agreed to by "Ahson Burlingame, on the part of the United States" A little fur. ther on he refers to an interview with MT. De Long (who was some time minister to Japan), as ''an interview with the Hon. c. D. De Long, late minister to China. !" These statements do not predispose any one, certainly, to think that Mir. Vivian, however skilled an expert in this matter, can ever have read very carefully the trea- ty which he quotes, or the ''Diplomatic Correspondence, (which contains so much of the literature of his subject. Should he do so, however, he would gain informa- tion from both those sources as to the voluntary character of the Chinese emil grafton to this country. The fifth article of the treaty is an agreement of the two nations to make it penal offense ''for a citizen of the United. States or Chinese subjects to take Chinese subjects eith- CT to the United States or to any other foreign country without their voluntary consent" In the Diplo- matic Correspondence for 1866 (part I, pages 498 ct seQ., where is printed the British and French agreement with China as to emigration), appear the laws which have prevailed for more than sixteen years in China itself upon this subject, punishing with extreme rigor all who in- duce Chinese to emigrate except as the humane regulations provide, and with death to all who kidnap or compel them. That these laws are really sternly enforc- ed, and that the most earnest efforts of the Chinese government to break up anything like coolie trade in their own ports have been successful, anyone fa- miliar with China will bear witness. For years the seat of the coolie trade has been Macao, and not Chinese seaport.
 All this, of course, the Californians con- cede,-that coeEced emigration is forbid den by the treaty which they wish to see abrogated, and that both countries have laws to which they can appeal to have such emigration stopped. What they claim is that coercion IS practieed by Chi nese emigration agents 1n such a way as to escape punishment, since 1t forces it's victims into declaring that they go will ingly; whereas they have actually signed ga contract which is absolutely fright ful in it's conditions. The result is, says MT. De Long in the quoted inter- view. "that the coolie is bound body and soul, and hence, when the inspector asks, Are you leaving China of your own free will ?" the answer is, II am;" and when here called on to testify he knows just how to answer to please his master. And yet the gentleman whose words are thus reported speaks of the t'absolately fright fnp contract in the following comparative ly mild terms: The men we see drudg- ing here are paying a debt contracted to keep their fathers and mothers from starv- ing" It is generally said by those who compare the Chinese emigrant to a slave, that he has sold himself for a term of years to a contractor, leaving fearful pen. alties hanging over the head of his rela- tives at home, should the contractor not gain the expected return from the profits of his labor,
 Is it supposable that system really involving close approach to slavery could possibly exist for years, and con tinue in the midst of the prevailing ex- citement concerning it, without exposure in single case Carried on under the eyes of consuls, not few of whom go to China under the belief that such abuse exists: under the eyes of inspectors and native officials whose prejudices are against emigration; would it be continued under government authorization and gov. ernment arrangement, if it were actually