Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-03-24
THE CHICO MASSACRE.

While the thinking, rejecting portion
Of our people are Studying how to solve
the problem Of Chinese immigration in
manner which shall be at once satisfacto-
ry to ourselves and creditable to our civ
ilization, their senses are shocked by the
details Of tragedy near Chico which,
unless its perpetrators are hunted out and
consigned to the gibbet, will stamp Cal
ifornia as n country where human life is
held rs cheap as that Of cattle or swine.
Six Cbinamen, engaged in their labor
mile or two from town, for no known
cause whatever unless it be that they are
labOring for white men and therefore are
taking the places Of white laborers, are
suddenly set on in the evering by an
equal number of whites, shot down in
cold blood and left for dead. Following
this other citizens receive notice that if
they persist in employing Chinese labor
they must take the con sequences, and an
officer Of the law receives communica-
ton that if he attempts TO ferret out the
perpetrators of the cowardly crime, he
too, will be murdered. II the Turkish
atrocities in Bulgaria, or the Hamburg
Massacre of last Summer presents a more
sickening horror than do the details OF
this waaton, unprovoked attack upon in
offensive Chinese in California, we fail to
see it. And not only the citizens a Chi
co, where the tragedy was enacted, but of
the whole State should leave nothing un-
done to bring the assassins to Justice.
The humblest Chinaman in the State
is entitled to the protection Of the law
equally with any citizen. Aud if the as
sassins expect that their deed will 60 un-
punished because of the lowly caste Of
their victims they should be speedily
| taught otherwise. Our own safety, if no
other consideration. demands it. The
men who would enter a camp OF Chinese
and slaughter them in cold blood for no
other reason than that they intcriered
with the labor market will hardly scru-
pie to take the lives of white men and
women whenever they believe it will
serve their interests to do so. Measures
| for the punishment Of all such crimes
must be prompt and effective, or there
is no telling where the next scene OF
bloody slaughter rnay be. Had the par
ticipators in the Trout Creek affair Of last
| Summer met their deserts, it is not proba-
! bile that we should have to record the
| Chico tragedy at this time. But Justice
was disappointed of its victims there, and
now scene is enacted in another part Of
the State which surpasses Trout Creek in
its horrors. 1t is only the fear of the
stern rigors OF the law which operates as
II restraint upon the passions Of some
men /; take away that fear and there is
no bounds TO the exercise Of their brutS j.
| ty. The fullest penalties must be called
else it will give encouragement to othtI
of their class to let their passions run un-
bridled and the scenes of Trout Creek
and Chico be repeated in other places.
1t is noticeable that this Chico affair
follows soon after a great development OF
strength at That place OF the new secret
order, the "Caucasians" An Encamp
ment of that Order recently established
there shows sufficient element OF
strength to turn the town election this
Spring carrying the election Of those
candidates whom it supported in each
instance. 1t is known that the ground
work OF this Order is opposition to the
Chinese, and however commcndable mny
be the principle which seeks to elevate
white labor, it is apt, when prosecuted
under secrecy, to bring to its aid charac
ters who, while without influence Of
themselves, acquire it by their connection
with men of standing who are also mem
bers of the Order. Oar Chico corrcspon
dent, whose communication we publish.
ed last week, claims a knowledge Of Tie
principles and membership of the Order
which no outsider can possess, but it j.
rather unfortunate for his defence Of toe
Caucasians that this massacre follows st
soon in the train of the establishment o
a strong Encampment there. While it il
a necessity that there should be a gcner
al organization Of those opposed to Chi
nese labor, seeking by legitimate means
to rid the country Of the incubus, it fol
lows that the organization really desiring
such n result, must clear itself Of all sus
picion of completely with such deeds n,
the one we have chroniclcd. We shall
unless this affair is traced up to sum
mary administration Of JUSTICE deserved
ly ALLEVIATE from ourselves the sympathy
ofall civilized people and render the solu
ton cf the Chinese problem more difficult
than ever 1t is to be hoped that the lib,
eral rewards offered by the citizens o
Chico, the Governor, and the Chinese
merchants, will stimulate the detectives
aud be the means of bringing the muir
derer rs to conviction.
szu-~=s<sUls1<szsuzzsrxEEzak8
A BRIDE Fatally PoIsoNED.-A tel
nrro n, from, A loJ, III ;ret 10 a.,