Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-25

''treat the obnoxious stipulations as at an end.
Both propositions-the bill that we passed
and the substitute that we reiected-aSsum ed
alike the full right to abrogate the Treaty.
Whether it were better to abrogate it after
last years joint resolution. or to inform
the Emperor of China directly. that il he
would not consent to the change "'we would
make it anyhow" must be relcgated for de
cision to the schools of taste and etiquette.
The first proposition resting on our clear
constitutional power. seemed To me Il better
mode of proceeding than to ask the Emperor
OF China To consent 10 modification and in
forming him at the same time that, whether
he consented or not, we would on next New
Years day, treat "the obnoxious stipulations
rs at end" As to the power of Congress to
do Just what has been done, no one will en-
terrain doubt who examines the whole ques-
tion. An admirable summary of the right
and power is found in an opinion delivered
by that eminent iurist. Benjamin X. Curtis,
when he was Il judge of the United States
Supreme Court. Judge Curtis said
ut cannot be admitted that the only meth
cd of escape from a treaty is by the consent
of the other party to it or n declaration of
war. To refuse to execute treaty for rca-
sons which approve themselves to the con-
scientious judgment of nation is matter
of the utmost gravity; INT the pOt"eJ IN do 50
is a pret0gdfire Of Ichich no nation c0H he
dep,ired rithoW deeDiy afectiag IFS Mde-
psndence. That the people of the United
States have deprived their Government OF
this power do not believe. That it must
reside somewhere, and be applicable 10 at
cases am convinced. 0ad / feel no dONLtthaf
II belongs TO congress-
.Serenfh. great deal has been said about
the danger to our trade if China should re-
sort to the same form of retaliation. The
natural and pertinent retaliation is to restrict
American immigration 10 China. Against
that we will enter no protest. and should have
no right to do so. The talk about China
closing her ports to our trade is made only
by those who do not understand the question
Last year the total amount of our exports to
all Chinese ports outside of Hong-ko was
but S692 900. | have called iIOng-ko a
Chinese port, but every child knows that il is
under British control and if we were AT war
with China to-day Hong Kong would he a.
open to us a. Liverpool. TO speak of China
furnishing H. by suspcnding trade is only the
suggestion of dense ignorance. We pay
China an immense balance in coin. and
probably We always shall do it. But if the
trade question had the importance which
some have enormously attributed to it. |
would not seek tr continuance by permitting
Il VICIOUS immigration o1 nlntSe I OOIlts.
The Bristol merchants cried out that COM
mcrcc would be ruined if England persisted
in destroying the slave trade But history
does not record that England sacrificed her
honor by yielding to the cry.
Eighh. The attempt made from different
quarters and with different motives to justify
maltreatmcnt of the negro in the South on
the same ground that we refuse to receive the
Chinese is signaly illogical If the negro pop
ulation of this country. domicilcd here for
two centuries. have no more rights under
our government and no more ground for al,-
peal to our protection than the Coolies who
are still in China, then allegiance and nation
atty and ''thc flag" are worse than meaning
less. Observe that this discussion s not in
regard to the Chinese now on our Shorcs-tor
they are entitled to legal protcction-but in
regard to the countless hordes who may come
upon us if we leave the way open. The very
class of gentleman who make this argument
are the same who refused to permit the Chi
nese to be naturalzed and to acquire sut-
frage. In Republic with suffrage so gen
eral, it is impossible to have with safety a
prescribed and distranchised race | main
tain that those who voted that the Chinese
should not be naturalized voted in effect that
they ought not to come here
Ninth. The enlightened religious scnti-
ment of the Pacific coast views with profound
alarm the tendency and effect of unrestricted
Chinese immigration. The pastors and
delegates of the Congregational churches OF
California year since expressed their
conviction" that 'thc Burlingame Treaty
ought to be SO modified by the GeHerai Cor
ernmeat as to restrict Chinese immigration
Rev. $. V. Blakeslee editor of the ablest re-
ligious paper on the Pacific coast, spoke thu.
in an official address;
Moreover, wealthy English and American
companies have organized great moncy-mak
ing plans for bringing millions-it is true
even millions-of these Chinese into oul
State, and into all parts of the Union; and
they have sent out cmissaries into China tc
induce the people. by every true and false
story. to migrate here. Already two hUndieo
aud fHy MoHSdHd have come, of whom on,
hundred Thousand remain
The tendency of all this is tremendous,
toward evil; toward vice and abomination
toward all opposed to the true spirit of Amer
icanism, and is very dangerous to our moral
ity, to our stability, and to our success as 4
people and nation. Millions more of these
Chinese must come if not prevented by an,
legal. or moral, or mobocratic restraint. in
creasing intellectually by numbers the evils
already existing; while spirit of race preju
dces and clanship jealousies and a conflict OF
interests must be developed, portending pos
sible evil beyond all description.
In regard to the process of converting ant
Outstanding this people IA missionary who
has been in the field since 1919, testifies thai
not one in a thousand have even nominal,
protessed change from hcathensm and thai
of this small number nearly oie-hal had beer
taught in missionary schools in China The
same missionary says, las they come in still
larger numbers they will more cflcctuall,
support each other in their national PECULIAR
ties and vices, become still more confirmed il
heather immoralitics, with an influence il
every respect incidentally bad" Under wha
possible sense of duty any American can fee
that he promotes Christianity by the process,
of handing California over to heathenism. j,
more than am able to discover.
Tenth, This Chinese question connects it
self intimately and inseparably with the Labor
question. Their immigration is encourage
by some openly. by many secretly, bccaus,
their labor is cheap. The experiment is ,
most dangerous one. In a republic where tn,
man who works, carries ballot in his hands
it will not do for capitalized wealth to legis
late for cheap labor. We do not want chea,
labor; we do not want dear labor We wan
nj tl in at NJ tt,t hi Al.