The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-04-05


leader of the Republican party, that man Q
wonderful power and might, who ruled th
party in the Senate and controlled an,
mastered it in the country; when he wen
to California to investigate this great ques
| ton, and returned and made his report t,
the Senate, he said, care you going to take
a step century backward Are you going
/ to adopt in America the very principles
which in all the light of your civilization
you have iabored to break down in China 2,
That was the argument that he addressed
/ to the Senate in the memorable report whict
he made.
/ say It would be going back upon the
/ history of this country tn undertake now tc
declare that W. will exclude these people
/ Exclude them if you will, but do not do il
upon false ground.
| What is the evidence as to what these
people are? Sir, their civilization, their
magnificent position in arts, in science, in
poll tics, in everything that makes a nation
great, had been attained by them hundreds
| of years before your nationality ever had
/ an existence.
| Now, should we turn our backs against
/ the oldest people in the world because they
are yelIow-skinned and almond-eyed /
| thoughtwe had civilization like our religion
that found no limit save that which the
grand charity and noble dispensation of the
Master of the Universe gave it; that, like the
sunshine and the air, it went wherever the
human race went and planted the cross by
the side of the human footstep, whether in
savage or civilized land. Applause
Mr.. Speaker, we must respect our treaty
obligations with this people. Here are
treaties which they never asked US to make,
hr4f fvyhf fal1 x1yoo "A -,
and implored them to make. They never
wanted Cinnamon to come to this country.
They never desired that the Chinese should
emigrate. They never sought treaty rela-
tions with us, but we sought treaty rela-
tions with them. We sought them against
a prejudice which at one time we thought
we should never be able to overcome,
because it had existed among that people
for centuries, extending back across the
ages to the time of Confucius and far be-
yond the time of Confucius the august en-
pire extends until its origin is lost in the
twilight of fable.
This people never asked You to make
treaties with them. You sought them you
sent your plenipotentiaries; you asked that
their ports should be opened Eng
land, aiding you, waged a war. 1t is
very memorable fact that almost all China
men come t0 this country from the port of
Hong Kong, an English port and you pro-
pose to establish restrictions in violation
not only of the treaties you have made with
the Chinese, but those you have made with
England.
l desire, Mr.. Speaker, for my time is brief,
to call attention to the language of the treaty.
The first section of this treaty provides:
Whenever in the opinion of the Government
of the United States the coming of Chinese
laborers to the United States, or their residence
therein, affects threatens to affect the inter
ests of that country, or to endanger the good
order of the said county of any locality within
the territory thereof, the Government of China
agrees that the Government of the United
States may regulate, limit or suspend such
coming or residence, but may not absolutely
prohibit it.
Lsay that no people ever treated you with
such liberality as the Chinese Government.
When you made your first treaty with the
Chinese in 1858, the Chinese Government
assented not only to your carrying your cit
izens there, but also your religion. In
article of the Burlingame treaty it is de-
clared--
The United States of America and the Empe-
ror OF China cordially recognize the inherent
and inalienable right of man to change his home
and allegiance, and also the mutual advantage
of the free migration and emigration of their
citizens and subjects respectively from the one
county to the other for the purposes of curiosi-
ty, of trade, or as permanent residence. The
high contracting pa7tie therefor join in pro-
batting any other than entirely voluntary
emigration for these purposes. They conse-
qnently agree to pass laws making it a penal
ofense for citizen of the Uuited St tes
chinese subjects to take Chinese subjects
ei her 10 the United States or to any foreign
country, or for a Chimes subject or citizen of
the United States to take citizens of the United
States TO China or to any other foreign country
without their free and voluntary consent re
spectively.
That was the stipulation of the Burlin-
game treaty. Again it is declared, in
article 1
The twenty-ninth article of the treaty of the
18th of June, 1858, having stipulated Tor the ex-
emption of Christian citizens of the United
States and Chinese converts from prosecutions
IN China on account of their faith, it is further
agreed that ci zens of the United States in China
OF every religious persuasion, and Chinese sub
jects in the United States shall enjoy entire
liberty of conscience, and shall be exempt from
all disability or persecution on account of their
religious faith or worship in either country.
Is there any enlightened American rep
resentative here who will say that that was
not treaty of amity and concord which
should be kept in good faith? Tie Chinese
Government assented to every proposition
that you made in Burlingame treaty.
Your minister came back after its ratifca-
ton, receiving the honors of the country.
And now, after the passage of your bill of
1880, the Chinese Government again treated
with you giving you the right to interdict
the immigration into this country of
Chinese who were diseased, who were lepers,
who were criminals. In this way, the Bur-
lingame treaty was amended in 1880. In
1881 China agreed to still further amend
the first article of which have read.
Gentlemen talk about this people not be-
ing civilized, not being Christianized,
about their not keeping good faith. But
when under the very terms of the treaty
which you had demanded they should make
with you there had been imported into this
country from seventy-ive thousand to one
hundred thousand Of their people, who were
on the Pacific coast, you approached that
government as late as 1881 and said "We
want you to agree to treaty by which the
United States shall have power By legisla-
tion to regulate and even to suspend this
immigration" What did the Chinese Gov
ernment do? 1t met yonr proposition broad
ly; it conceded the right to regulate aud
even to suspend but not absolutely to pro-
hibit Chinese immigration. Did ever
people act more literally toward another
than China has acted toward the Govern
ment of the United States? Did ever peo-
pie assent to your representations more cor
daily and more kindly? But now you pro-
pose to requite this treatment by saying
that you will not give protection even to
the Chinese who are here-that you want
them to be returned.
Mr. Page. never said anything about
sending them back
Mr.. Hooker. Well, your laws have said
something about it. Let me read from
them. 1t was said by the gentleman from
California in the course of his speech that
these Chinese congregated about the cities
and towns in districts exclusively confined
to themselves. Why, sir, this only affords
another evidence Of the docility aud teacha-
bility of this people. Why did they do
that I read from the laws of California in
reference to this people.
Mr.. Page. What year
Mr. Hooker. think the law was enae-
ted in 1851; at any rate you will find it on
page 1916 Of the third volume Of the Code
and Statutes of California. It reads in this
way:
The board Of trustees or other legislative alI-