The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-03-01
THE CHINESE PROBLEM.

The passage by Congress of the anti
Chinese immigration bill, aud the agi,a-
ton of the Chinese question, haze awak-
ened powerful sentiment thougheut
the country, and it is probably at this
time the most prominent topic Of dis
custom before the American people Ii
must be a matter of surprise TO congress
men that the enactment of the anti
Chinese bill has stirred up so great an
opposition, and had they foreseen the
character of the resistance the measure
would receive, it is extremely doubtful
whether the bill could have passed
either branch Of Congress. The COM
bined influence of the religious press.
and of almost the unanimous secular
press. has enlightened the people az To-
the real character Of the measure, .and
recent expressions of eminent individ-
uals have augmented the force of the
public sentiment which so unmistakablv
demands of the President a veto Of the
bill Three prominent features of the
question are most frequent presented in
the general discussion OF the measure
The first is, that the bill passed by Con
gress is dishonorable 10 the Republic.
and must bring upon it some injury anu
disgrace Ex-President Woolsev. of
Tale College, one of our highest author
tiles, says that it ID palpable violation
Of well-establ,hed international law
and that il will break a treaty, from
some Of the provisions of which China
has long desired 10 he free The L nit
ed States" he says, has consular ju-
risdction in China. Al Americans are
Judged by the nited States Consuls.
and therefore tried by our own laws
This act is known as the ex-territorial
act. The moment the act restricting
Chinese immigration goes into effect, if
il ever does, the Chinese government will
complain that the treaty is broken
The ex-territorial act will then be no
longer Of force.
Prof Williams, Of Yale College, saws
that If Senator Blaine had studied the
report Of the Senator Morton committee
which went to California To investigate
the Chinese question, be would not
have fallen into some of the errors Of his
letter. The violation of the Treaty with
China which the bill involves. he de.
clares TO be very humi:ating To this
country; and with him join Thurlow
Weed and ether prominent men, among
whom is Joaquin Miller.
A second feature of the question is
that the anti-Chinese bill! is contrary to
The traditional principles of our govern
ment, and strikes blow at the progress
Of the worlds civilization. As Mr..
Weed saws, il has been our pride and
boast for full century that America
offered an asylum to the oppressed of
all nations. We have constantly, dill
gently, and even ostent att ouslv invited
and encouraged immigration. And now
We wanIoulv break our treaty with
China. We have profcssed that we
have established u social system that
will assimilate every element that il
touches, and retain power to exert an
influence upon the civilization of the
world. We now propose 10 abandon
our position and admit that we dare not
receive immigrants from certain quar-
tiers Of the globe The doors Of China
have long been closed TO our civiliza.
ton, but now there are in this country
many thousands of representatives of
that people, vigilant to observe and
most apt 10 learn our ways. who will
soon return TO China and bear with them
the influence of our civilization. j Oh
quln Miller. in his letter against the
antl-Chlnese bill, SAYS: Can the L nited
States afford TO fear these patient and
simple people They will not harm us.
They are not strikers, rioters and bur
ners of cities But there is something
more in this than the selfish question of
our security The Chinaman who
returns home carries something more
than our gold TO his land he takes with
him and disseminates there all the art
civilization, freedom or truth which he
found here These are the real mission
aries to China The bill must not he
come law
ExPresident Woolsey saws that the
effect of the bill will is to drive from
our schools the Chinese students who
are being trained for stations of infu
ence in their own country. The senti.
ment of the nation is that our civiliza- .
tion need not fear the presence among
us OF the representatives of any people |