The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-24
Senator Miller, of New York, on the Chi.
nese Question.
Washington Letter to Albany Journal


The best argument have heard on the
subject of Chinese immigration, better than
any OF the speeches in Congress, because 1t
is the whole truth in nutshell, was.a very
informal one by your senior Senator in his
own parlor and in private conversation
Senator Miller said 1.-The matter is simply
this: The Chinese are race who
1000 years without ever having
made revolution toward liberty.
That is not the material with which |
wish 10 see any part of our country fill up
They do not comprehend nor affiliate with
the American system. The impression that
Eastern manufacturers U speak as one of
them) want cheap labor is entirely errone-
Gus. What they want is intelligent labor
labor that represents citizenship. that takes
stock in schools and Churches, and, if they
were actuated only by selfish motives, even
on that ground they would want class of
iaborers that are large consumers as well as
producers. The tendency in California is
toward a feudal system. The great land-Own-
ers there control more acres than any lord
In England. With Chinese labor this is
possible, but il would not be with Cauca-
sian labor. The overwhelming sentiment
IN Ca lfornia on this question means a pro-
test BY the great body of her citizenship
against this feudal despotism. Caucasian
laborers Jim our broad country will not be
contented to work in gangs on a great
owners land. An American citizens first
ambition is to own little land himself.
As fast as he gets the money he puts it into
sixty or l2O acres, and makes home of his
own, and represents in the commonwealth
wife and children by his
vote. The Chinese has no such sanctIty
in his life here. He represents a
cheaper civilization. He fills the place of a
man with better anchorage. The race is
1riv fr,sr .ar7fo u 10,
from the Pacific Coast, which would in
course of time become an integral part or
our responsible American citizenship-the
MODEST manhood of the world. Their pres
ence is. dong for California what African
importation did for the South-establishing
an aristocratic and very servile class.
While the religious denominations of the
East are denouncing the Chinese bill as
preventing by its operation the oppor-
tunity for Outstanding the Chinese.
they forget that it was the same old argu-
ment that was used by the apOIogiSts for
slavery-ihat II was a mercy to take the |
poor African out of his own jungles and
bring him here to enjoy the opportunity of
religious instruction, and though a slave to |
be converted man, with his eternal sal |
Walton secured TO him through his transfer |
They do not reflect that the moral deIeri- |
Grafton of that portion of our people coming |
in contact with race who may beOpDressed |
without redress-a race politically inferior |
is q greater evil, by the development of the |
worst traits in our fallen human nature, |
than rs compensated for By the alleged good |
received by the other party. 1T was 50 in.
the South; it is 50 to-day in California. The1
same class of sentimentalists. by their false |
alarm about freedom of conscience in relig- |
louS belief, prevented the stamping out
of MOrmOnism thirty years ago, when it |
was numerically weak. Had we done this |
duty then great trouble and danger now |
confronting us might have been averted If |
Congress had waited before taking any &C
ton I'LL million or two of Cinnamon were |
here on ouE shores, the question probably /
could only have been solved by a war of |
races. This is our own country, for which
our fathers have fought, and for which We in
this generation have fought. | want to see
1t reserved as a field for the fullest Ceveiop-
ment OF our institutions. l do not believe
any mixture of American and Mongolian
civilization can achieve this development, /
and therefore l do not wish Monaghan inn