The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-18
"a BRUTAL AND INFAMOUS ACT"


sderatlon as one which may most IN
necessarily work outrageous injustice and
cubron us without reason in Injurious
combinations. to our very serious detri-
ment with an entirely friendly foreign
power
When this act was passed the country
Al large paid little attention 10 IT, and
- is safe 20 say that not one voter in
bYndrod knew anything whatever Of it's
provisions. The presence OF Chinese IN
this country gave annoyance nowhere eN-
ccpt I'm spots on the Pacific coast. ana
even there many Of the employers OF labor
were favorable 20 their presence though
laborcrs in those departments Of labor
that brought them into competition win
the Chinese undoubtedly objected 20 them
our information is that there are not
! many Of these.
II is an undoubted fact, then. that al
though this statute was enacted as Ia"
Of Congress. there was no general de-
,non3 for it in the country at large ana
very small proportion Of the people
knew of it's provisions or purposes II
would be absurd however, TO claim there
fore that il was passed sWreptiuousiy
and bv fraud. as the free silver men al
loee that demoaeuzne act was passed
Both were passed at times when nothing
was happening to arouse the attention OF
the people 10 the character of their pro-
visions. and that is all that can be said
Of either.
The constitutionality Of this act was not
allowed 10 pass I'm the Supreme Court
without any serious challenge. The Chief
Justice and Justices Field and Brewer
entered very earnest diesents from the
orinion Of the majority. and Mr.. Justice
Field. I'm an opinion Of extraordinary
vieor and power denouuccs it as brutal
and inhuman" This is very unusual Ian
guaee to hear from such quarter as
applied 10 an act of the National Lesisla-
tire. but the circumstances Of the case
seem TO Justify #. There are more than
10000 Chinese in this country. who have
come here and settled for permanent resi-
dence under the permission and even in
vitation Of our laws. They have estab-
Iished homes. entered into all the GUS
tomary domestic associations and rela-
lions. and ordered their lives for perma-
nent residence i'm the places Of abode
that they have selected. This act orders
the whole of them 10 pick up bag and bag
gage and remove themselves from our
country on the instant on pain of being
seized by the officers Of the Government
and deported hence 10 China by physical
force.
Since the Supreme Court, the final arbi-
ter has decided that power to do this is
connded by the Constitution to Congress-
that question must be treated as ended.
But in ending it the court has closed one
Of the most interesting and important
chapters in constitutional discussion that
our Government has known At the be-
ginning of the Government, the Federal
party. strongly unctured with the SYM
pathies and ideas that had descended TO
its members from the feudal aristocracy
Of Europe, passed the famous Alien and
Sedition acts through Congress. The Alien
law conferred upon the President power
10 order out of the United States all
strangers and foreigners that he should
adjudse dangerous to the peace and safe
ty of the United States, or should have
reasonable grounds 10 suspect were con-
cerned in any reasonable Vaccinations
against the Government Of the United
States. within such time as should be
expressed in the order.
The Injustice and infamy Of this act
reused the moral sentiments Of the people
10 the highest pitch. il was denounced
by our foremost statesmen. Madison and
jefferson in the number, and by the Leg
isatures of Virginia and Massachusetts.
II had but a short life and was soon re-
pealed. and the country had supposed
that the discussion which is evoked had
forever settled the proposition that the
Congress OF the United States was wholly
without power to order away from this
country strangers who had once come
here under the permission and invitation
of our laws. Power TO say who might or
who might not come was of course, COM
coded on an hands TO Congress. But that
was a different thing from breaking a
man up i'm home which the laws had
once permitted him 20 acquire here and
casting him aduft upon the world dis
ISOLATED from home and friends.
As we have said, the constitutional
question must be considered closed 10y
the decision Of the court. But the moral
question involved i'm the act can never
be closed This is the land Of the free
and the home for the oppressed az all
nations. and those whom we have once
permitted 10 enter and take up their
abode with us are part Of AS for all time
to come That is the doctrine which has
made America what she u.s. and that doc
trine the American people viii never
abandon. This is an un-American act.
and should be repealed. Forbid Chinese
20 come here in the future if you choose.
but respect the rights of those who. under
your treaties and laws, have come here
20 accept that residence which those
treaties and those laws offered 90 them.
This is only common fairness and COM
mon justice.
UN-REPUBLiCAN STATE GOVERN
NyfrN.y'.