, 1886-04-08
4 Chinese Petit OF.

pared in San francisco, signed by |
500 citizens of California. and sent to |
the President and Congress, being
presented to the Senate on the 9th
of March, and referred to the Com
u,ittee on Foreign Relations:
The undersigned, residents and citi-
zens Of the State of California and
Of the Pacific Coast, irrespective of
political alliance, feeling aggrieved
by the outrages recently committed
in sundry places on the coast against
unoffending residents in contraven-
ton of law and treaty stipulation, as
we'll as of kindness, hospitality and
right. in that in Rock Springs, Eu-I
reka. Tacoma, Seattle and many other
places, parties claiming to represent
the universal sentiment on the coast,
have, by threats and violence, driven
from their several communities the
whole Chinese population without
distinction of age, sex, occupation or
character, do hereby submit this our
protest and memorial, and beg, there
fore, the consideration which the
enormity of the offenses committed
and the importance of the subject
matter presented demand.
Purposely emitting any discussion
of tie act restricting Chinese immi-
grafton, or of the manner in which it
has been executed by the constituted
authorities
We submit, first, that the perpe-
traitors of these outrages do not rep
resent the better part of the popula-
ton of this coast, and it is SANDER for
them to claim that public sentiment
justities or approves any such vio
lence, or any such unjust and unlaw-
full eiectment by threats and intimi-
datiOn as have been used in the late
riotOus proceedings in sundry towns
in this and other States and Terri
tOl les.
We submit, second, that these
threats and intimidations and riotous
and bloody acts, committed under
the light of the nineteenth century
civilization, in this Nation which
claims to be a leading nation in in
telligence, morality and culture,
shock our sense of national pride as
well as our sense of justice, homer
and right. The Scripture injunction
in regard to the stranger sojourning
among US" has been sanctioned and
reasserted by all modern civilization
to US it Is abhorent that in the name
of public sentiment such violations
of the laws of hospitality and human
ity, to say nothing of right and
plighted national treaty obligations,
should be repeated in one communi-
ty after another on our coast.
We submit, third, that such at
tempts to violently drive out residents
of any one nationality who have ae-
quir9d constitutional and legal
right to reside in the United States
is in violation OF the fundamental
principle on which our Government
was founded by our fathers. One of
the principles deep down in their
hearts was that this Nation should
be refuge for the oppressed of
every land. Shall it become instead
a land of oppression, persecution and
cruelty;
We submit, fourth, that the Chi
nese residing In this country up to
the time of the passage of the re-
str!ction act have as good constitu
tional right to be here as any foreign
born resident in the United States.
The treaty between the United
States and the Emperor of China,
commonly known as the Barlingame
treaty, expressly guarantees TO the
Chinese the same privileges as to
residence and trade as are granted to
the citizens of the most favored ma
tion," and the treaty of 1880 express
ly continues these privileges to those
Chinese In the country at the time
the treaty was signed. The Consti-
tuition of the United States expressly
states that the Constitution and the
treaties formed under it shall consti-
tute the supreme law of the land
The treaties formed under the Con
stitution are no less part of the su
preme law of the land than the
Constitution itself. We note with
peculiar and grateful qualification
the language used in the last message
10 congress, in which the President
recognizes the binding obligations of
the treaty and urges that "all the
power of this government should be
exerted to maintain the amplest good
faith toward China, in the treatment
of these men, and the infexible
sternness of the law in bringing the
wrong doers to justice should be in
sisted upon"
We submit, fifth, that the commu-
mites where these riotous acts occur
render themselves liable, according
to law for damages to life, property
and business injured or destroyed in
such riots. Besides, therefore, the
modification and outraged sense of
humanity, innocent citizens are by
these lawless proceedings in danger
of being heavily taxed to pay the
damages the injured Chinese may
lawfully and righteously demand.
We submit, sixth, that such high
handed, riotous and murderous pro,
ceedings, if not promptly checked
and summarily punished, will almost
assuredly arouse the Chinese people
in their own land to retaliation, and
encourage the authorities there in
their indisposition to bring to justice
those who violate the treaty rights of
American citizens residing in China.
Thus the lives and property of Amer
leans in that country are endangered,
and the mouths of our minister and
consuls, who seek redress, are
stopped.
We submit, seventh, that the press
generally on this coast has not been
outspoken and bold, as the circum
stances demanded, in its denunciation
of the foul crimes that have been
committed. Thus crimes that out
rage humanity have been condoned,
and the impression has been created
in other parts of our country that
even the best citizens on the coast
sympathize with and secretly ap-
prove the fearful deeds of the rioters.
In view of these considerations,
the UNDERSIGNED memnraiiStS feel