Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-03
THE CHINESE oUTRAGES.
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT ON
THE SUBJECT.
The Rock Springs Murders-Ques-
ton of Indemnity-Gener
ity Recommended.

ton of acknowledgements
ity Recommended.
WASHINGTON, March 2d.-The President |
sent the following message to Congress to- |
day:
To TIE Senate and House Of Representatives. 1t |
is made the constitutional duty of the President I
to recommend to the consideration of Congress, !
from time to time. such measures as he shall |
judge necessary and expedent. In no matters !
can the necessity of this be more evident than |
when the good faith of the United States under |!
the solemn obligation of treaties with Foreign |
Powers, is concerned. The question of the |
treatment of subjects of China sGjourning with !
in the jurisdiction OF the United States presents
such matter for urgent and earnest considera-
tion of the Executive and Congress. In my
first annual message, upon the assembling of
the present Congress, adverted to this ques-
tion. The President here quotes q passage from
his message upon the Chinese question, and
continues At the time wrote this, the
SHOCKING OCCURRENCES AT ROCK SPRINGS
In Wyoming Territory. were fresh in the minds
of all, and had been recently presented anew
to tue attention OF this Government by the Chi
nese Minister, i'll a note, which, while not uI-
naturally exhibiting some msconception of our
general system of administration in the Terri
tories while they yet are not in the exercise
of the full measure of that sovereign self-gov-
ernment pertaining to States of the Union pre-
sents in d truthful manner the main features of
the cruel outrage there perpetrated upon the
inoffensive subjects of China. In the investiga-
tion of the Rock Springs outbreak, and the
ascertainment OF the facts on which the Chi
nese Minister'S statements rest, the Chinese
representatives were aided by agents OF the
United States, and the reports submitted, having
been thus framed and recounted the facts with
in the knowledge of witnesses on both sides.
possess an important truthfnlness which could
not fail to give them an impressiveness. The
facts which so far are not controverted or
| affected by any exculpatory or mitigating testi
mony, show
THE MURDER OF 4 NUMBER OF CHINESE SUB
JECTs,
| In September last, at Rock Springs, the wound
| ing of many others, and the spOliaton of the
property of all, when the unhappy survivors
| had been driven from their habitations. There
is no allegation that the victims, by any lawless
| or disorderly act on their part, contributed to
| bring about the collision. On the contrary, it
appears that the law-abiding disposition of this
| people, who are sojourners in cur midst under
| the sanction of hospitality and express treaty
obligations, was made the pretext for the attack
upon them. This outrage upon law and treaty
engagements was committed by a lawless mob.
| None of the aggressors happily for the national
| good fame appear by the reports to have been
j citizens OF the United States. They were aliens,
| engaged in that remote district as mining
| laborers, who became excited against the Chi
nese laborers, as it would seem, because OF their
refusal to join them i'll strikes to secure higher
| wages. The oppression of Chinese subjects by
their rivals in competition for labor does not
differ in violence and all that is applied to other
| classes of native or alien laborers, who are
| EQUALLY UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE LAW,
And equally entitled to enjoy the benefits of the
assured public order. Was there no treaty in
existence, referring to the rights of Chinese sub
ects did they come hither as all other strangers
| who voluntarily resort to this land of freedom,
of selfgovernment and of laws, here peaceably
| to win their bread and live their liyes-there
I he N n hn
! to the same measure of protection from vio
lence, and the same free form for the redress of
| their grievances, as any other aliens. So far as
| the treaties between the United States and
| China stipulate for the treatment of Chinese
4 the subjects of the "mOst favored nation are
| treated. They create no new status tor them.
! They simply recognize and confirm the general
and existing rule applicable to all aliens alike
| for none are more favored above others by the
| domestic law, and none by foreign treaties, un-
/ less it be the Chinese themselves in some re-
| spects for by the third aItice-of the treaty of
| November II, 1880, between the United States
| and China. it is provided that If Chinese labor
| ers, or Chinese of any other Glass; now either
permanently or temporarily residing in the ter
ritory of the United States, shall meet with i'll
treatment at the hands of any other persons,
the Government of the United States shall exert
| ali its power to devise
MEASURES FOR THEIR PROTECTION,
| And to secure TO them the same rights privi-
| leges, immunities aid exemptions us may be
| enjoyed by citizens or subjects of the most fa-
| 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 II creates any peculiar rights which
the cthers do not share, but because, in case of
| the lil treatment of the Chinese in the United
States this Government is bound to exert al its
| power TO devise measures for their protection,
| by securing to them the rights to which, equally
! with any and all other foreigners, they are en-
| titled. Whether it is now incumbent upon the
devise new measures in this regard. | do not
consider in the present communication. but
continc myself 10 the particular point raised by
| the outrage aud massacre at Rock Spring.
The note CT the Chinese Minister, and ihe docu-
m nts which accompany il. give rs its belief an
unexagSerated statement of the lamentable in
cidert. aud PRESENT, impTessivcly, the regret
able circumstances that the proce. dings in the
name of justice for the aScertainment of the
| crime and fixing the responsibility therefor,
were CHASTITY mockery of justice. So long as
the Chinese Minister, under his instructions,
makes Ibis the basis OF appeal to tie princi-
pies and convictions of mankind, no except II
caI be taken.
CONCLUSIONS DENIED.
But when h. gnes further, and. taking as his
precedent the acton olsthe Chinese Govern
ment in past instances, where the lives of
American citizens, and their property III China,
have been endangered, and argues u reciprocal
obligation on the part OF the United States to
indemnity the Chinese subjects who suileci at
Rock Springs, il becomes necessary 10 meet his
argument, and to deny most empbaticaly the
conclusions he seeks to draw as 10 the existence
OF such liability. and the right OF the Chinese
Government to insist upon it, draw the at
tention of Congress to the latter Part o the note
of the Secretary of State OF February IS 1885, in
reply to the Chinese Minister'S representations
ana to invite special consideration of the cogent
reasons by which he reaches the conclusion that
whilst the United States Government is under
no obligation whether by the express terms of
Its treaty with China, or the pricipes of inter
national law,
To IaDEANiFy THESE CHINESE stBIrc4s
For The losses caused by such meaus and uIl Ter
admit circumstances, yet that in view of the
palpable and dscreditable failure of the author
tiles OF Wyoming Territory to bring to justice
the guilty parties. to insure the sufferers an
impartial forum in which to seek and obtain
compensation for the losses which those sub
jects have incurred by lack of police protection
and considering further, the entire absence OF
provocation or contribution on the part of the
Victims the Executive may be induced to bring
the matter to the benevolent consideration Of
Congress, in order that that body, in its high
discretion, may direct the bounty of the Gov
ernment i'll aid OF the innocent and peaceful
strangers. whose maltreatment has brought dis
credit upon the country, with the distinct un-
derstanding that such action is nowise to be
held as precedent, is wholly gratuitous and is
resolted TO in the spirit of pure generosity to-
ward those who are otherwise helpless The
correspondence exchanged is herewith submit
ted for the information of Congress.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, d. c..
March !. 1886.
cScfCtiS IctttF 10 tne CGfncSe
Minister.
WASHINGTON, March d.-Accompanying
the Presidents message on the Chinese
question, sent TO Congress to-day, is long
letter from Secretary Bayard to the Chinese
Minister, dated February 10, 1886 This
letter is an elaborate and important state
| ment of the position of the Administration
on the Chinese claims for damages After
quoting from the Presidents message on
the subject of the abuses of the Chinese, the
Secretary writes the Chinese Minister as
follows
Let me assure you. however that l but speak
the voice of the honest and true American citi-
zen throughout the country. and of the Govern
ment founded on their will, when / denounce
with feeling and Indignation the bloody out
RACES and shocking wrongs which were there
inflicted upon a body of your countrymen.
There is nothing to extenuate such offenses
against humanity and law, and not the least of
the outrages upon the good name Of the law
was the wretched trayesty of the forms of JUS
tice by certain local officer acting as Coroner
and pretending to give legal account of the
manner in which the victims met their death. |
II and 10