Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-10-13
CHINESE mrsr SHY 4war.

-
he Chinese laboring classes, with ses'ot
# the great body of the poop Shosei
United States has been pr % ot the
experience of twenty " SNeh ,py nm
inee the Burlinrame s@rs, and 'eyerl
"a - ayary ,voya Greatly 'Sf 1858, ,te
nants Of tba 70 .ssfare. The govern
osolvo1 TOW ,4fecsSve c5antrles hsrve
.ogata ali : .oaffy and Sufficiently ,ab-
ionol sAese feNtures% prior coaven-
he :. ~rranseqRents which persisted
Il, .sAAfng'of Chinese gaborers ineo the
NtSea States. In the modification of
nEfcr conventions the treaty of Novem-
Der NJ, 1880, was concluded, whereby,
N the first article ,tkereof, it WIS agreed
that the United States should ut will
regulate, limit or suspend thecoming of
Chinese faborersito the United States,
but not absolutely prohibit it; and under
this article the act of congress approved
May z, 1882, and amended July 5, 1854,
suspended for ten years the coming of
Chinese lahorers to the United States,
and regulating the coming and going of
such Chinese aaborers as were at that
tinaerin the U1ited States. This view of
the Chinese government, so completely
in harmony with that of the United
States, was by my direction speedily
formulated in a treaty drafted between
the two nations, emhodying the prop
tositions presented by the Chinese for
eign office. Being submitted fur the
advice and consent of the senate, its
l,eontirmation last May was accompanied
by two amendments which that body
engrafted upon it, On the 18th day of
A
who was the plenipotentiary of his gov
eminent in the negotiation and conclu-
sion of the treaty, in note to the secre-
tary of state, gave his approval of these
amendments and they we're at once tele-
graphed to China, whittier the original
treaty las previously been sent after its
signature March IL.
s'On the 18th day of last month l APP
proved the senate bill to prohibit the
coming of Chinese laborers to the Uni
ted States. The bill was intended to
supplement the treaty, and was APP
proved in confident anticipation of an
early exchange of notifications of the
treaty and its amendments and procla-
nation of the same, upon which the
| legislation so approved was by its terms
to take effect. No information of any
definite action on the treaty by the Chi
nese government was received until the
| 2lst ultimo, the day the bill which l
| have just approved was presented to me,
| when telegram from our minister at
| Pekin to the secretary of state an
| bounced the refusal of the Chinese gov
! eminent to exchange notifications of the
| treaty unless further discussion shonld
| be had with a view to shorten the period
stimulated in TIE treaty for the exclusion
/ 1f fihIunGa lalN or,1 70 nhn fhn
conditions agreed upon
1t was, however, soon made evident
that the mercenary greed of the parties
| who were trading in the labor of this
| class of population was becoming too
| strong for just execution of the law,
and that the virtual defeat of the object
and intent of both law and treaty was
being fraudulently accomplished by
false pretenees and perjury, contrary to
the expressed wish and will of both gov
ernments. Such demonstrations of the
imperative and inefficient condition of
the treaty and law has produced deep
seated and increasing discomfort among
the people of the United States, and
| especially with those resident on the
Pacific coast. This had induced me to
omit no efforts to find an effectual rem
| edy for the evils complained of, and to
answer the earnest and popular demand
for an absolute exclusion of the Chinese
laborers, who have objects and purposes
unlike our own, and who are wholly dis
connected with American citizenship.
| ''The necessity for remedy has been
fully appreciated by that government,
and in August, 1886, our minister at PEI
kin received from the Chinese foreign
| Office communication announcing that
| China, of her own accord, proposed to
! establish n system of strict and absolute
| prohibition of her labOreTs under heavy
| penalties from coming to the United
| States, and likewise prohibit the return
| to the United States Of any Chinese la
| borer who shall at any time have gone
| back to China, in order, in the words of
| the communication, SHAT Chinese la
borers may be gradually reduced in
number, and the causes of danger
averted and lives preserved" 1t should
entitle any Chinese laborer who might
60 back to China to return again to the
| United States.
In note from the charge d'affairs adj
Interium Of China to the secretary Of
state, received on the 2jth ultimo,
third amendment is proposed, whereby
certificate, under which any departing
Chinese laborer alleging the possession
OF property in the United States wonld
be enabled to return to this country.
should be granted by the Chinese CON
sui instead of the United States collec-
tor, as had been provided by the treaty.
The obvious and necessary effect of the
last proposition would be practically to
place tne execution of the treaty beyond
the control of the United States. Arti-
Gle / of the treaty, proposed to be so
materially altered, had in the course Of
negotiations been settled in acauies-
cence with the request Of sne Chinese
plenilpotentiary and to his expressed sat
lstactlcn. Article 2 was wholly of Chi
hese origin, and to that alone owes its
presence in the treaty. The admitted
and paIamount right and duty of every
government to exclude from its borders
all elements of foreign population which
for any reason retard its prosperity or
are detrimental to the moral and physi-
cal health of its people must be regard
ed rs recognized canon of interna-
tional law and intercourse. China her
self has not descended from this doc
trine, but has, by the expressions to
which l have referred, led us confidently
to rely upon such action on her part in
o.r,- H. 4