, 1888-10-04
Cleveland Attaches His Sigma
ture to the Chinese Measure.
HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
The News Creates Considerable Excite.
mont M San Frsncisco-- Chinese
Advised to Retaiiate.

10 ersrutetcsrtsin treaty ssipuIations relat.
/ ing to China" approved the 9th day OF
May, 1882. IL seems to me that some sug-
| gestions and recommendations may pro-
perly accompany my approval OF this bill.
| Its object Is to more efiectually accom-.
plsh by legislation the exclusion from
this country OF Chinese laborers. The OK.
| pertinent OF blending the social habits and
! mutual race idiosyncracies OF the Chinese
iaborlng classes with those OF the great
body Of the people OF the United States has
I been proved by the experiments OF twenty
years, and ever since the Burlingamp
| treaty of 1868 10 he In every sense unwise,
| impoliic and Injurious to both nations.
| with the lapse OF time, the necessity Tor
| Its abandonment has grown in force, until
J those having In charge the government of
I the respective countries have resolved to
modify and sufficiently abrogate all those
| features of prior convention arrangements,
! which permitted the coming of Chinese
laborers to the United states.
L PREVIOUS TREATIES.
In modification Of prior conventions,
| the treaty Of November IL, lsso, was con-
cluded, whereby in the first article II was
agreed that the United States, should, at
| will, regulate, limit or suspend the COM
| lug OF Chinese laborers to the United
| States, but not absolutely prohibition and
under this article an act OF congress, ap'
| proved May o, 1882, and amended July 8,
\ 1854, suspended for ten years the coming of
Chinese laborers to the United States and
regulated the going and coming Of such
| Chinese lab0rers as were at that time in
| the United states. 1t was, however, soon
made evident that the mercenary greed of
| parties who were trading in the labor Of
this class OF the Chinese population was
proving too strong for tho Just execution
| OF the law, and that virtual defeat oi the
object and intent OF both the law and
| treaty was being fraudulently accomplished
I'll. 10.
the expressed will Of both governments.
CROWDED our COURTS.
TO such an extent has the successful vio-
lation OF the treaty and the laws enacted
| for its execution progressed that the courts
OF the Pacific coast baye been for some
time past overwhelmed by the examination
Of cases of Chinese laborers who are
| charged with having entered our pourts
under fraudulent certificates OF return; or
seek to establish by perjury claim of
prior residence, Such a demonstration of
| the Operative ana inefficient condition OF
| the treaty aud the law has produced deep
seated and unnecessary discomfort among
| the people OF the United States, and
especially with those resident On the Pacific
coast This has induced me to omit no
effort to find an eilectual remedy for the
evils complained Of aud to answer the
| earnest popular demand for the absolute
exclusion OF Chinese laborers, having oh.
| cts and purposes so unlike our own and
i.s,.,,iy Ass.sss,s.rs." ,-srtsa, sss-.f.an citV
,xs.esIp, aided by The presence In this
| c0siniry of sble and Intelligent diplomatic
| and consular officers Of the Chinese gov.
| ernpicnt, and the representations made
| from time to time by our minister In
| China, under Instructions OF the depart
| ment OF state. the actual condition Of
public sentiment and the status OF affairs
| In the United States, which has been fully
known to the government of China.
| THE CHINESE LABoRERs.
The necessity for q remedy has beon
| fully appreciated by that government and
| in Aiigust, 1Ss0, our minister at Pekin re-
ceivsd from the Chinese foreign office a
| comm unication announcing that China, of
| her own accord, proposed to establish IA
| sy stem OF strict absolute prohibition of
her hborers, under heavy penalties, from
| coming to the United States, and to like
| wise prohibit the return to the United
| States Of any Chinese laborer who had at
| any lime been back to China, "in order"
| in II words OF the communication, THAT
Chimse laborers may be gradually reduced
| in number and the causes OF danger avert
| ed aud lives preserved" 1t Is pertinent to
remWk that everywhere in the United
| Statei, laws for the collection of debts are
| equally available to all creditable creditors
without respect to race, sex, nationality or
| placcof residence, and equally with the
| eitzeOs Of the most favored nations and
i
| can b. had In any court of Justice in the
United States by a subject of China, wheth.
| er OF the laboring or any other class, aud
| no dtability accrues from non-residence
| OF a plaintiff, whose claim can be en-.
forced in the usual way by him or bis as
signes or attorney in our courts OF justice.
| la this respect IL cannot be alleged that
there exists the slightest discrimination
against Chinese subjects, and 1t Ia nota-
BILE fact that large trading firms and COM
panic. and individual merchants and trad.
| ers oithat nation are profitably established
at numerous points throughout the union,
in whose hands every claim transmitted by
absent Cinnamon of a just and lawful ma
ture oould be completely enforced.
| RIGHTS OF GovgRSMENrs.
The admitted and paramount right and
duty Of every government to exclude
| from Its borders all elements of foreign
population which, for any reason, might
reta-d its prosperity or are detrimental to
| the moral or physical health OF its people
mutt be regarded as a recognized canon of
| International law and intercourse. China
her,elf has not dissented from the doc
trim but has, by. expressions to which
| have referred, led us confidently to rely
upon such action ON her part in co-opera.
tiOn with the United States as would en-
force the exclusion OF Chinese laborers
| from our country. This corporation has
not, however, boen accorded to us. and
l thua rom tne uHcApeCteu anu uisap-
pointing refusal Of the Chinese government
to con arm the acts OF its authorized agents
and to carry into effect the International
| agreement, the main feature OF which was
| voluntarily presented by that government
for uur acceptance aud which has been tho
subject OF long and careful deliberation,
an emergency has arisen in which the gov
ernnp,nt OF the United States Ia called up.
on toact In self-defense by the exercise OF
I've LEI kislativs powers. The facts and cir.
| cuuiE aoces which I bave narrated have
led ME, In the performance Of what seems
to mt my official duty to Join congress In
dealing Ieglslatively with the question OF
tho etciusi0n Of Chinese laborerers.
JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS.
L Further attempts were made to adjust
| IL by the International agreement, but
whiIs thus exercising our undoubted right
| in the Interests of'Our people. and for the
general welfare OF our country, Justice and
fairness seem TO require that some trovis-
ion VI made by the act or Joint resolution
under which such Chinese lshorers rs shall
| actually have embarked on their return to
the United States, before the passage OF the
law this day approved. and are now on the
| way. may be permitted to land, provided
they haye duly and lawfully obtained and
shall present certificates heretofore issued
permitting them to return in accordance
| with the provisions of the existing law.
Nor should our recourse to Legislative
| measures OF exclusion cause us 10 retire
from the offer we have made to indemnify
such Chinese subjects ms have suffered
damage through violence In the remote
and comparatively unsettled portions
of our country at the hands oil
lswlsss men. Therefore / recommends,
- Al Itnht H.,