The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-11
THE CHINESE QUESTION.


yesterday:
| To the Senate and House of Representatives.
1t is made the constitutional duty of the
President to recommend TO the consdera-
ton OF Congress, from time to time, such
measures as he judges necessary and expedi
eDt. in no matter can the necessity Of this
be more evident than when the good faith OF
the CHtteu States under the solemn obliga-
ton OF treaties with foreign powers is con-
cerncd. The question OF the treatment OF
the subjects of China soiourning within the
Z jurisdiction of the United States presents
such matter for the urgent and earnest con-
| sideration OF the executive and Congress In
my first annual message, upon the assem-
I bling of the present Congress, I ad7erted
! TO this question. At the time I wrote this,
the shocking occurrences at Rock Springs,
/ in Wyoming Territory, were fresh il the
minds OF all and had been recently presented
anew to the attention of this Government by
the Chinese Minister in 4 note which while
. not unnaturally exhibiting some misconcep-
I ton of our Federal system of administration
/ in the Territories while they as yet are not
/ in the exercise of the full measure OF thar
sovereign self-govcrnment pertaining TO the
J States of the Union. presents in truthful
! terms the main features of the cruel outrage
( there perpetrated upon inonensive subjects
Of China.
THE ROCK SPRINGS OUTRAGE.
In the investigation of the Rock Springs
outbreak and the ascertainment of the facts
/ on which the Chinese Minister'S statements
! rest. the Chinese representatives were aided
! by the agents of the United States and the
/ reports submitted. having been thus framed
and recounting facts within the knowledge of
witnesses on both sides possess an impartial
truthfulness which could not fail to give them
great impressiveneSs. The facts. which so
far are not controverted or affected by ex-
culpatory or mitigating testimony. show the
murder of number of Chinese subjects n
! September last at Rock Springs, the wound
ing of many others and the SpoliatiOn of the
property of all when the unhappy survivors
had been driven from their habtatiOns.
There Is no 0legat on that the victims, by
any l6wleSS or diSOrderly act on their part,
contributed 10 bring about n collision. On
the contrary. IT appears that the law-abiding
disposition of these people who were So
iOurncrs in our midst under the sanctio Of
hospitality and express treaty obi cations
was made the preteXt for the attack upon
, them. This outrage upon law and treaty en-
gagementS was committed by Il lawlesS mob
None of the aggrcsSors-h happily for the ma
uonal fame-appear by the reports to have
been citizens of the United States They were
aliens, engaged IN that remote district as
mining laborers, who became excited against
the Chinese laborers. as it would seem, he.
cause of their refusal to join them in strike
to secure higher wages. The oppression of
Chinese subjects by their rivals IN the COM
petition Tor labor does not dIder in violence
and illegality from that applied to other
classes of native or alien labor. All are
equally under the protection of the law. and
equally entitled to enjoy the benefits of as
sured public order.
TREATY RIGHTS.
Was there no treaty in existence referring
to the rights of Chinese subjects? Did they
come hithcr as all other strangers who vol
unfairly resort TO tn land of freedom. OF
Seif-gOvernment and of laws. here peaceably
to win their bread and live their lives there
can be no question that they would be en-
titled still to the same measure Of protection
from violence and the same free forum for
the redress Of their or eyancCs as anV other
alien. so far as the treaties between the
United States and China stipulate for the
treatment OF the Chinese subjects actually in
the United States as the citizens or subjects of
the most favored nation are treated, they
create no new status for them. They simply
recognize and conform to general and
existing rule, applicable to all aliens alike. for
none are favored above others by domestic
law and none by foreign treaties unless ii be
the Chinese themselves in some respects.
For. Ey the third article of the treaty of No
vember Il, 1850, between the United States
and China. il provides that: Article g. IL
Chinese labOrerS or Chinese of any other
class, either permanent or temporarily re-
ding in the territory of the United States,
meet with ill treatment at the hands
of any other persons the Government
of the United States Will exert all its
power to devise measures for their prOtec-
ton and to secure them the same rights.
privileges immuHities and exemptions as
may be enjoyed by the subjects OF the most
favored nation, and to which they are en-
titled 10y treaty." This article NAV be held to
constitute special privilege for Chinese
subjects in the United States as compared
with other aliens; not that ii creates any
peculiar rights which others do not share,
but because. in case of i'll treatment of the
Chinese in the United States. this Govern
ment is bound to exert all its power to de-
wise measures for their protect on" by Sc
curing to them the rights TO which, equally
with any and all other fore gncrS, they are
entitled.
WHAT CHINA WANTS
Whether il is now incumbent upon the Uni.
ted States to amend their general laws or de-
wise new measures in this regard. l do not
consider IN the present commun cation. but
cOntine myself 10 the part cular point raised
by the outrage and massacre at Rock Springs.
The note of the Chinese minister and the
documents which accompany it give. !
believe, an uneXaggerated statement of the
lamentable incident and present impress
svely the regretable circumstances that
the proceedings, i'll the name of just ce,
for the aScertanment of the crime and
fixing the respOns bility therefor were
a CHASTITY mOckery of justice. So long
as the Chinese minister, under his in.
structions, makes this the basis of an appeal
to the principles and convictions of man
kind, no exception can be taken. But when
he goes further and taking as his precedent
the action of the Chinese Government liz
past instances where the lives of American
citizens and their property in China have
been endangered, argues reciprocal ObliCa
ton on the part of the United States to in
cemnify the Chinese subjects who suffered al
Rock Springs, il became necessary TO meet
his argument and to deny most emphatically
the conclusions he seeks 10 draw as to the
existence of such liability and the right OF
the Chinese Government TO insist upon il.
INDEMNITY WANTED.
/ draw the attention of Congress to the lat /
ter part of the note of the Secretary of State
of February Is, lSs6. in reply TO the Chinese
Minister'S representations, and invite espe-
cial consideration of the cogent reasons by
which he reaches conclusions, that whilst the
United States Government IS under no obi.
CATION, whether by the express terms of its
treaties with China or the principles of inter-
national law, to indemnify these Chinese sub
jectS for losses caused by such means and
under the admitted circumstances, vet that
ure of the authorities Of Wyoming Territory
to bring TO justice the guilty parties
or to assure to the sufferers an inn
partial forum in which TO seek and
obtain compensation for the losses which
these subjects have incurred by lack
further the entire absence of provocation or
contribution on the part of the victims. the
executive may be induced to bring the mat
ter to the benevolent consideration of Con-
gress in order that that body. in its high
discretion. may direct Government aid of in
uocent and peaceful strangers. whose mai
treatment has brought scredit upon the
country with the distinct understanding that
such action is in no wise TO be held as a pre-
cedenL is wholly gratuitouS, and is resorted
to IN spirit of pure generosity toward those
who are otherwise helpless. The correspond
ence exchanged is herewith submitted for
the information of Congress.
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Executive Mansion, March l, 1886.
A Terrible jump.