The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-05-29
VOL. XIV---NO. 46.


casion to bring to Your Excellency's no.
tice that formerly no restrictions were
placed on emigration from China. but
latterly restrictions have been imposed
and we solicit Your Excellency's power.
full influence on our behalf to advocate
the removal of these restrictions, and thus
restore the intercourse between the two
nations to its former footing. Should
Qour Excellency be instrumental In re-
opening the ports of America to free EN-.
igration from China Your Excellencv's
name will ever be held in grateful re.
membrance.
GENERAL GRANTS ERPLY.
General Grant said it afforded him
special pleasure to receive tie address
which had just Lecn read. lie was about
to visit China, having received q warm
invitation to do so, and he was anxious
to see with his own eyes the institutions
and people of that country. @ be met
with welcome from Cinnamon in this
colony, therefore, was gratifying. There
was one point in the address "A reference
to tie passage by Congress Of bill re-
stric.ng the emigration OF Cinnamon to
the United States. He knew no; hing of
such bill except what he had read in
the tclegraphic despathes in the last
English newspapers. He had been alb.
sent from the United States for some
time, and was imperfectly informed of
the public sentiment which had support
cd its passage. In all questions like this
there were demagogues who, in America
as i'll other countries, pander to prejud-
ces against race ar nationality. and favor
any measure Of oppression that might
advance their political interests. A
good deal of the antipathy toward pco-
pie of other races in the United States,
of which we heard SO much, was donna.
gogery, and did not represent the better
feeling of the country. In this question
OF Chinese emigration there was some.
thing to be said in favor of those advoca-
ting bill limiting emigration of the Chi
nese to America. In his earlier years,
when a young officer in the army, the
General said he spent some time in Cal
ifornia and saw there something Of the
beginning of Chinese emigration to the
United States, and he heard then objec-
tons to that emigration on the part of
good people. The settlement Of Cali
fornia was the beginning of this whole
agitation. He remembered very well
the objections he then heard to the Chi
nese emigration. 1t was not 10 the Chi
namnn coming to the United States, but
to his coming in condition of slavery.
CHINESE AND NEGRO SLAVERY.
lie hoped when he visited China 10
look into this question more closely. to
see for himself the practical operations
Of the Chinese emigration to the United
States, rs it was Il question on which he
felt the deepest, affecting, as it must in
evitably do, the welfare of the nations.
But the gentlemen who presented this
address could well understand the obiec.
tions on the part of the American peo-
pie to receiving emigrants who came,
not rs citizens, but rs s!::ves. On that
point Americans would naturally feel
strongly. 1t WAS in the order to free one
race from slavery, to put All end to a
condition Of things that was degrading to
both races, black and white, that we
fought long war, losing great mum.
! hcr of lives with an enormous waste of
treasure. This was n terrible sacrifice
he questioned if any nation ever made
greater one. 1t was to suppress slavery.
Having made these sacrifices to free the
negro it could not be expected that the
Americans would consent to the revival
of another form Of slavery in which the
Chinaman and not the negro was the
victim.
TIE SYSTEM OF IMMIGRATION.
AS he understood this question of Chin.
ese emigration the Chinese die not come
to the United States as the people of
other natiOns-of their own free will, TO
enjoy the benefits and the protection OF
the American government to have the
benefit of their industry, and accept the
responsibilities rs we'll as the benefits of
residence in America-but as dependents,
slaves of companies who brought them as
merchandise, held them in practical bon.
dage and enjoyed the fruits of their labor.
As consequence the Chinaman in Amer.
lea was not a member of our society, on
the same footing with other races, entitled
to all the benefits Of our laws, with
chances for improvement and prosperity
but the slave of q company. He felt
sure that the Chinese gentleman who
had honored him with this address and
who represented the fourishing Chinese
community of Penang wonld agree with
him that emigration to the United States
under those circumstances was not an
advantage to us. and was wrong to the
people who came under such degrading
conditions.
AMERICA AND CHINA.
This, in brief, said the General. with.
out going further into the question, was
the objection, to Chinese emigration or
the par: OF Americans, who had none
but the kindest feelings toward the Chi
nese people, and who would extend t.
them, if they chose to h.ake their home
with us, the Welcome they extended Ia
The rest &c the world lie mentioned
these views, not as bearing on the bill
to which allusion had been made in th,
address, because he knew nothing abou
it, but as giving in general way the
feelings of the American people TOWARD
the Chinese. He was only citizens o
the United States, without authority in
the councils or the government of the
country, and consequently the authors
of the address have overrated his innu.
ence in the settlement of the question
But it was one which, as an American
citizen, interested him greatly, and he
looked with pleasure to his visit to Chi
ma as enabling him to look into it ant
make up his mind. He never doubted
and no one could doubt that in the enc
no matter 1hat agitation might for tht
time being effect at home, the American
people would treat the Chinese with kint
ness and justice, and not deny to th,
free and deserving people of that coun
try tho asylum they offer 70 the zee. 0
the world. He begged again to thanl
the members of the Chinese commnnit,
for their address, the reception of whici
had given him an especial pleasure.