Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-06-16

tAN -Itiu Il WHICH, IN ne later laws
IT least. We Iai our snare. w. have
seen. too, mat the Chinese intellect.
the Chinese character, IS strong,
vigorous, patient and far-sigh ed
anu that as diplomats The statesmen
of China have held their own with
those Of every other nation N the
world. This people thus constituted
> have now reached 4 point where the
policy If four thousand Years Is mani,
feSt.v rever,et, and { INA. instead
Of standing upon the defensive, IS
upon the verge of, If she mas not
Already adopted, an aggressive pom
CIV.
The signs Of aggression are Meth
er few nor obscure. As aireaiv re-
marked, on her own coasts and III
nei.hborlng regions she has sup
planted the ENTERPRISE e z 'rN'>"'',e
and Americans. Tie process = uoH
being extended to our own country
and. If continued. viii soon cpn,it
tute upon the Pacific coast q power
too strong to be overcome by policy
or war. The Chinese Steam NavI,
CATION Company Is about to estab l-n
steam line direct to Havana. which
ut once will control the Chinese
trade with the Atlantic seaboard and
the Spanish main, aud provide 4
means for the easy transport nj
Chinese immigrants TO the Cm-" /
States, the West Indies ana ) .dta
America. One hundred and toltv
tho sand of these, 1t IS stated on
apparently good authority, have al
ready found Il place in Cuba. With
III the past few months, We have wit
Messed the Inau 5urailun, with the
steamer HorhuHg, OF direct trade III
Chinese steam vessels between Hong
Kong and San Francisco. The
opportunities afforded by a favor
able public opinion and thoughtless
governmental action, both in TINS
country and E Europe, have enabled
China to avail herself of the latest
and most improved resources, whaGh-
er for peaceful or warlIke purposes.
Hundreds of the best of her young
men have been educated in Caucas-
ian schools; the scientific works of
Europe and America have been
translated into her language for the
use of her officials. Armories have
been established on Chinese soil for
the manufacture of improved fire
arms for Chinese troops. China has
defeated the Russians III kashgar
with muskeIs from the arsenals OF
Europe, aud mounted krupp guns
on the esrthworks that guard the
inlets to the great rivers. And with
in the past few years she has equipped
navy which, with the single
exception of that o. Great Britain
carries heavier and more effective
ordnance then that of any other ma
ton in the world. And it is this
nation, possessed at the present time
Of population of upwards Of five
hundred millions, increasing at the
rate of one per cent. per annum or
one hundred millions III twenty
wears: it is this nation, hemmed III
On all sides, save that of the sen,
and whose soil has already reached
the limit of productiveness for It's
people; it is this nation, whose sway
has never permanently recede q
from any region over which II
has once been held; it is this nation
with which wa are now brought face
to face, and which we smite with
one hand, while with the other we
open wide the gates to its inflow
upon our territory.
Is it not time we sought to pro
tect ourselves against the influx OF
such a country, the possible asgres-
sions of such power? But in what
way shall the inflow be stopped and
its retiux be secured? Considered
with reference to the formalities and
technicalities of diplomacy, the sub
ject is perhaps not free from com
plexity. Examined with reference
to expediency, to the broad equities
which, with nations as with lnoivl-
duals, should be of controlling au-
thority. the case grows comparative
ly clear. Sweeping aside all senti
mentality and all technicalities
woven by diplomacy, or rather by
the lack of it, the most direct method
is the best. Chinese immigration
should be stopped by all the power
of the Government, and the elimina-
ton of the Chinese from our bor-
ders should be secured with the
least possible delay. And prelim
mary to these, such Legislation
should be had as will either de facto
or de jure abrogate our existing
treaty with China. Notwithstand
ing the high authority which has
pronounced that treaty as having
the force of provision of the Con
stitution, I for one must forcibly
dissent from such plea The para
graph which provides that treaties
made in accordance Herewith pro-
vides likewise that the laws shall be a
supreme law of the land. A law of
Congress, therefore, stands upon
the same level and has the same
force as a treaty with q foreign
power. From this it follows that
the latest manifestation of the leg
islative or treaty making power, as
the case may be, must prevail over
any previous action of converse
tenor, and a Federal statute con-
trary to provision of a treaty nee
essarily repeats the treaty itself.
This is sound law as we'll as common
sense. In order to secure a change
in the Constitution, the favorable
action of Congress and the consent
of three fourths of the Legislatures
of the States are required. When
such care was exercised to prevent
the hasty change of any of the pro-
visions of the organic law, it cannot
have been the intent of it's trainers
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