Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-27
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT
TTY


WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT
IT.
The United States District Court at San
Francisco has decided in the case of the
Cinnamon held in this city for enslaving
SIX Chinese women, that the men must 90
free, because under the laws as they exist
there can be no slavery in this country,
since there is no oliense defined by the
laws OF that character-at least with re-
gard to others than people of African de-
scent. the Chinese not being colored per-
sons within the meaning of the law 1t is
not possible, says the Court, to commit the
crime of enslaving, because no such rela-
ton is recognizable in our system as re-
formed since the war of the rebellion.
Ahstraetly, PROFESSIONALLY this is true, but
practically it is an error. As matter of
fact Chinese are enslayed That is to say,
both Chinese men and women are bought
and sold IN China and are brought here in
condition of involuntary seryitude. and
are 50 held in a land where the Courts de-
clare slavery to be an impossible crime
More than this, Chinese in California huy
white babies and hold them as slaves in
every sense Of the word This is the rea-
soning of the Court Slavery is not recog-
nized by our laws-everybody has the right
to come and go as he or she pleases in this
lgFa
with enslaving another he is charged with
doing that which it is impossible for him
to do under the law. For if it be true that
one buysa human being abroad, and brings
him or her into the United States, the
moment the foot of the slave presses Amer
lean soil, by the mystical operation of the
law that person becomes free. As fine
bit OF logic this is worthy the considera-
ton Of scholars, but as a matter of fact il is
the poorest consolation imaginable to the
slave.
The case Is on all tours with that of the
Indian who was incarcerated for an impos-
sible crime. His lawyer, on visiting him.
exclaimed, 1t can't be done They can
not imprison you! II is impossible!
There Is no law recognizing such crime"
IAN that may be very true" replied the
red man, but here am, in prison. all
ihe same So with the Chinese slaves
the law says there can be no such condi-
ton Of servitude, but all the same" it
does exist OF course, the reply to all this
Is, that the laws for restoring to his liberty
anyone unlawfully restrained are ample to
afford relief. The writ Of habeas corpus is
at the command of every one, citizen or
alien, aDd the Courts of the land stand
ready to give freedom to whomsoevcr is
Improperly held or restrained of personal
liberty. But we submit Are such laws
OF any value to these poor wretches who
have not the means of availing of them
1t Is well enough to say to such, the law
declares You are free. therefore YOU arc
free, when, in fact the victim of the man
dealers Is actually held against his or her
win, and is deprived of the exercise of his
or her liberty
What then are we TO conclude? There
can be no new law to meet the case of the
Chinese, because the Thirteenth Amend
ment TO the Constitution inhibits the Ma
tional or the State legislatures from recog
nizing a state of slavery No man who re-
sides in California, and is at all studious of
the customs of the Chinese, will venture 10
deny that a system of slavery actually ex-
lists among them. OF course, it is not
system such as existed in the old South.
but it is infinitely worse.
Not long ago We published paper in
which 1t was shown, by incontestible evil
deace, that men and women in China are
sold absolutely; that the masters have alb
so.ute disposal of the persons and even of
the hives OF these slaves; that the poscr-
fainaids or patriarch, of the Chinese fam
lily has the right to dispose of member
of the family for the benefit of the other
members; that the master who buys sucb
slave is his master in all that the term
slaye-master implies. He may make the
slave labor; he may forbid or command
his marriage; he may possess himself of
the result of such marriage by forcing the
:, children born Of it to labor for him. If
THE slave reyolts and escapes, the laws of
China require his recapture and return.
The master is not held accountable II, in
chastising his slave, he kills him. Not
only this, but the slave is taught that all
his future existence depends upon his alb
solute submission to this patriarchal law.
We proved by the testimony of eye-wit-
n esscs that in the streets of the cities of
China slave children, notably girls, are ex-
posed for sale on the highway, and he may
buy who wills; that many purchased per
sons are brought to this country, and are