The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-10-11
THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA.

The UNITED STATES AND CHINA.
1t appears that the government of
China is taking retaliatory measures,
so far as it can, against the United
States for passing the Chinese ex-
clusion act. An Imperial Celestial
conference was held on the 18th
September, ultimo, which is alluded
to as follows in the Japan Gazette:
1t is reported that His Majesty the
Emperor OF China held a conference on
the morning of the 14th inst. with his
PrIvy Council to consider q memorial
sent in by the Censor Su recommending
the dismissal of all Americans from the
Chinese service and also the confine-
ment OF American merchants and mis-
sionaries within Treaty Ports, in retalia-
ton for the treatment OF Chinese in the
United States. 1t is not easy to dis
cover that any other course than the one
which formed the subject matter of the
conference remains for China to adopt
as counter thrust for the humiliation
and indignity America has cast upon
her.
China is evidently standing upon
her dignity, but American trade and
connection with China is so com
paratiyeI y small that the dismissal
of Americans from the Chinese
service, and restriction of American
merchants and missionaries to treaty
ports, will be acts scarcely felt by
the United States, unless on the
ground of national dignity. Practi-
cally American merchants abroad,
In their individual capacity, cannot
be distinguished from Englishmen;
and the difficulty of discrimination
will be great barrier to the carry
ing out of the restrictive measures
proposed by China. Neither Amer
leans nor Britons carry around with
them certificates of birth, and gen
orally mans birthplace is where
he states it to be. Numerous in
stances have come under the cogni-
zance of the writer where Amer
leans abroad have passed for English
men and vice versa to suit circum-
stances; and, where consular inter
ference has been necessary, York
shiremen who never saw York
shire, have been granted British
protection. These matters abroad
are seldom severely scrutinized by
British consuls, and it depends en-
tirely upon the conscientious scru-
pies of the applicants.
So far, however, as Chinese action
in this matter is concerned, the
United States cannot justly com
plain of the restriction above men
toned; and it SO happens that Japan
supplies all the Oriental products
that are imported into the United
States-those, at least, that are
needed, although they may be all
classed as luXuries.
In the national point of view and
geographically, Japan is very much
nearer to the United States than
China; and Chinese edicts will fall
comparatively harmless upon Uncle
Sam. In any case the price of ex-
clusion from China would be very
small compared to the great benefit
of excluding from American shores
further importations' of what is
called in the Japan Gazette:
Filth and all that is foul and peculiar
to the Celestial character Wherever
Cinnamon gather together, much that is
abominable and bestial finds fertile soil. |
and with just as much certainty as that
morning will break there comes into ex- |
istence mighty engine of contamina-
ton that grows and grows despite its |
surroundings of civilization and decency
"a mundane, reeky hell framed by the |
civilization of the 10Th century, an in
cruous, unsightly state of affairs, but one |
never to be disassociated from the pre-
sence of Chinese In an alien country.
The United States was perfectly justified |
in adopting the measure she did to pre-
vent the Celestial octopus stretching its
vicious self over her territory. Justif-
cation in the highest existed. Chinese
immigration thither had assumed alarm
ing proportions and it was characterized
bv all those repulsive features ever as
ISOLATED with the Chinese element.
In similar restrictive measures