Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-03-06
THE PRESIDENTS CHINESE
MESSAGE.

:
f sideratiOn of Congress- from time to
time, such measures as he shall Judge
necessary and expedient. In no matter
! can the necessity Of this be more eEi-
dent than when the good faith of the
{ United States under the solemn Obliga-
tons of treaties, with foreign powers, is
concerned. The question of the treat
ment OF the subjects of China sOiourn-
/ ing within The jurisdiction of the Uni ed
/ sta es presents such matter for the
URGENT and earnest consideration of the
I executive and the Congress. In my
/ first annual message upon the assem-
/ bling of the present Congress- / advert
/ ed 10 this question
The President here quotes the passage
( from his message upon the Chinese
question and continues:
At the time l wrote this, the shocking
/ occurrence at Rock Springs in WyOm-
ing Territory. were fresh in The minds
of all and had been recently presented
anew to the attention OF JGls govern
ment by the Chinese Minister iii a note
which vi lille not uuEaturaIly, exhibit
/ ing some miscOnceptiOn Of our federal
system of administration In the Terri
tories, while they, as yet, are not In the
exercise of tie full measure of that
sovereign self GOV eminent pertaining
Z
truthful terms the main features OF the
cruel outrage then perpe rated upon
the inOffensIVe subjects of China. In
the investigation of the Rock Springs
outbreak, and the ascerta.nment of the
facts on which the Chinese Munster
statements rest the Chinese Ieprese a
tives were aided by the agents o: the
United States, and the reports submit
ted, having been thus framed and re
counting facts within the knowledge of
Witnesses on both sides, possess an i'm
partial tfuth.u ness which cOu d not fail
TO give them great impressiV2ness. The
faCCS which so far are not cOntrOverJed
or affected by an eZculpa,ing Or miti-
eating testimony, show the murder If
q number OF Chinese subjec.s in Sep
TENDER, last at Rock Springs and the
WOuuding of many Others ana the spoil
alton of the property Of all when the
unhappy survivors had been driF en-
from their habitatiOns. There IS no
allegation that the victims, by any law
lessuess or diSOrdeily act on their part
contributed 10 bring aOOut collision.
On the contrary, it appears that the
Jaw abiding di pOsiIiCn Of these people
who were 5piOuTners in orr midst, un-
der the sanction of Hospitality and eX-
press treaty obligations, was made the
preteEt for the attack upon them. This
outrage upon law and treaty engage
ments, was committed by q laWlesS
mob. None OF the aggressOrs, happily
for the natl nal good fame, appear to
have bean citizens Of the United States
they were aliens engaged in that dis
Il let at mining, lab1rers who became
excited against the Chinese labOrers as /
it would seem because of their refusal
to Join them IN q strike to secure higher
wages. The oppression of Chinese sub !
iects by their rev ivuls in the competition
Tor labor does not differ in violence and
iilegalitY from tAab applied to other
classes OF native or allies or alien labor
and all are equally under the protec ion
of law and equally entitled to enjoy the
benefits Of assured public order. Was
there no treaty in existence referring to
the rights az Chinese sub ects? Did
they come hlther as all other strangers,
who voluntarily resort to this land of
freedom, OF self government and of
laws, here peaceably to win their bread
and live their lives. There can be no
question that they would be emit led
still to the same measure Of pEOtectiOn
from violence and the same free forum
for the redress of their grieVan res as !
any other aliens, o far as the treaties
between the United States and China
stiDulate for the treatment of Chinese
subjects actually in the United states as
their citizens or subjects of the ''mOst
favored nation" are treated. They
create no new status for them, they
SIMPLY recognize and confirm a general
existing rule apple. bic to all aliens
alike, for none are favored above others
by dome TIC law, and rome by foreign
treaties unless it be the Chinese, in some
respects. for by the third tiole of the
treaty OF November 18th, 1880, between
he United States and China, 1t pro-
vlded that:
Article 3. IF Chinese ab9rers, or
Chinese OF q ~ other class, now either
permanently CT tens oraTiiy residing in
the territory of The United States meet
with I'll treatment at the hands of any
other persons, the Government OF the
United States will exert all its power to
devise measures for their protection,
and to secure them the same rights, 4
privileges, immUnities and exemptions /
as may be enjoyed by the citizens or /
subjects of the most favored nation,
and to which they are entitled By treaty.
THIS article may be held to constitute !
a special privilege for Chinese subjects /
in the United States as compared with }
other aliens. Not that il creates any (
peculiar rights which others do not I
Share, but because in case of Ill treat |
ment of the Chinese in the UDited /
States, the Government is bound 10
''exert all its power to devise measures /
for their protection by securing 10 /
them the rights 10 which equally with /
any and all other foreigners, they are /
entitled. Whether it is now incumbent (
upon the United States to amend their !
general laws or devise new measures IN /
this regard, / do not consider ia the
present communication but cOntine
myself to the particular point raised by
the Outrages- and massacre at Rock !
Springs. The note Of the Chinese min /
lister and the documents which accom-
,,s,- s. r-7,-o rs EofFapa O n u-o,-orr