Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-02
TIE NJ CLAUS AFFAIR.
Statement Concerning Driving the Chinese
Ont and the Sabsenuent Proceed;ucs


Statement Concerning Driving the Chinese
Out, and the Subsequent Proceedings.
EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN: In Your daily OF
May 24th appeared the proceedings of the
Aicolaus And-Chinese League, and in con-
nection with usual whereas and resolves
they state that their arrest and i.nprison-
ment was at the instigation ef one Patrick
Carroll and J. W. orth, end that the said
Carroll and 0rth We're actua:ed by malice,
and at the same time well knowing that
the parties SO arrested were innocent,
therefore causing much inconvenience and
expense. A proof of their innocence
thereof say they Were released on their own
recognizance; but the facts will show to
the contrary. a brief history of That affair
may not be out of place.
Some time in the month of January DR..
Latham had been written to for copy of
the bylaws and constitution of the Sacra-
mento Anti-Chinese League. As Nicolaus
was field for active operations, ana as a
preliminary to the work on hand, some
half dozen parties received very threaten
ing letters, warning them not to employ
any Cinnamon in any shape or manner
for so doing the penalty was death. A
very law abiding way, indeed. These letters
were pcst-marked and dated Sacramento.
received one of those letters myself.
This mode of procedure certainly meant
business, and produced for a time almost a
panic, for it is no nice thing to think that
the assassin is lying in wait for you But
we doubted the Sacramento part of it, and
thought that we identified the handwriting,
and concluded they were written at Nico-
Iat and 10 f,,op 10 10 bo, oil I'd
so that Sacramento was to father" these
assassinations, if made. The writing was
compase ed with some writing / had in the
house, and proved it to compare very well.
Getting some information from one of the
League on the matter, no doubts were left
in my mind that the letters were written at
Nicolaus. In due time the bulletin board
announced a call for a meeting for the pur-
pose of organizing an Anti-Chinese League.
Such meeting was held and an oreaniZ-
alton perfected, and the motto adopted
1.-The Chinese must go"
As it was very dull time, and nothing
was going on outside of the bar-rooms, the
folks could devote a good deal of their time
to the discussion of the paramount ques-
ton. Pretty soon the radicals were in the
ascendency. Moral and halfway measures
were out of the question, and this being
election yearaand the Chinese being pow
erful lever to lift men into office, man
could scarcely be too radical. So meeting
after meeting was held, the aW-abiding
portion retiring in disgust, suspecting that
there was something very bad eontem-
plated, and, not caring to be tairto that
kite, severed their connection and escaped
the disgrace. In the meantime what re-
manned of the League was making very
tgood Roadway. l, having a hOpyard, was
invited into the League rooms, and, being
called to the floor, / stated my views to be
that any movement should be orderly in
order to be successful, and promised to as
sist in that way to the best of my ability,
consistent with the working of my hop
yard. So | offered them to work the yard
on the cooperative principle-they fur
nishiDg the labor and | all of the rest
and in that way there would be no use for
Cinnamon here, and they could depart in
peace.
That proposition met with no response,
so | was left to conclude that there were no
hop-raisers among them. Just then the
League formed itself in solemn procession
and waited on the Chinese and ordered that
all Cinnamon not having houses depart
from Nicolaus within ten days, and house
holders in thirty days. This was in the
daytime, and the parties were all known to
the persons evicted. OF course no person
will deny but what this was a law-abiding
move.
About in the tenth day, but in the dead
of the night, the evictors began by dis
charging revolvers, which sent terror
through all Chinatown, and, according to
the Cinnamon. barely giving time to pack
up their blankets. and being careful that
they did not pack up their money. AL
though the movement began ia the night
it took until II o'clock the next day before
they could get the boat to move
off with them. Of course it would
look very bad to be found wearing an
old barley sack for q mask while engaged
in such humane undertaking, but if there
was anything the matter with Johns y
testimony IN the case, IL was liable to be
maie good by tho whites Three days
after the drive took place a United States
Marshal and Chinese Vice Consul visited
Nicolaus and waited on the Cinnamon that
remained, and gathered tie facts and took
the names Of all parties. Arrests would
have been made Immediately, but the
Marshal's term of Office expired and the
matter went over until his successor was
commissioned. Warrants were sworn out
by John Sing and Sing Lee against Hub
bard Messing and James McElroy and nine
teen others, charging them with conspiracy,
depriving them of certain rights privileges
and immunities guaranteed by treaties,
and a violation of Section 5519 of the civil
rights bill. Able attorneys were engaged
Armstrong d Hinkson for plaintiffs, and
A. L. Hart for defendants. The case was
argued before Judge Sawyer. Defense
pleaded the unconstitutionality of Section
5519. Judge Sawyer sustained the law, and
Judge Sabin dissented, with a great deal of
doubt. So the case goes to the Supreme
Court of the United States for final deter
mination.
Whatever will be the outcome of this
case. one thing is certain, that it is bad
policy TO compromise the honor and dig
nifty of the United States by violation of
her laws and treaty obligations, for had
this driving and boycotting kept on, we
should soon have heard of a massacre of
white residents in China, and possibly, as
consequence, an International war When
ever the Cinnamon do go, it should be
strictly By legal process and moral force.
PATRICK CARROLL.
NiooIoyc FOL lima % 1855