Year: 1879

wrapped up for US in the future if we do
not build wall of exclusiveness against
the Chinese, as they formerly did against
the civilized world His attitude is too
grotesque and his feigned terror too
transparent to excite on the part of sem
sible, rejecting people, any other feelings
than those of mirthfulness; while they
cannot but deplore that, with such shin
ing talents as he possesses, he should be
led into such a fantastic and miserable
crusade.


Mr.. Blaine shows that he is not sincere
If that is too harsh a term, certainly
not consistent-in basing his opposition
to the treaty on the ground that we are
having, or at least have had, under it,
nothing but profigate, cunningly de-
vised cody immigration from China
What he wants is virtual nonintercourse
with that country. 1t is not simply a lot
of degraded Chinese-duped and en-
thralled by contract-that he objects to !;
he despises the entire population of the
Celestial Kingdom, and 20 foolish pridel)
vaunts himself on the superiority of his
stock He says: California is capable
OF maintaining vast population of An
glo.Saxon freemen, if we do not surrend-
er it to Chinese coolies" Again: "The
only question we have to regard is,
whether on the whole we will devote that
interesting and important section of the
United States to be the home and the
refuge of our own people and our own
blood, or whether we will continue to
leave it open, not to the competition of
other nations like ourselves Ga sop to
lrishmen, Germans, etc. but to those
who, degraded themselves, will inevitably
degrade u.s." There is nothing reasona-
bic or manly, or even plausible in this;
it is narrow, conceited, selfish, ,anti-human,
anti Christian.


THE SPIRIT OF CASTE.


Against this hateful spirit of caste 1
have earnestly protested for the last fifty
years wherever it has developed itself,
especially in the case of another class,
FOR many generations still more contemn-
ed, degraded and oppressed; and the
time has fully come to deal with it as an
offence to God and a curse to the world
wherever it seeks to bear away. The
Chinese are our fellow men, and are en-
titled to every consideration that our
common humanity may justly claim. In
numbers they constitute one-third of
mankind Of existing kingdoms theirs
is the Oldest the most peaceable, and
apparently the most stable. Education
is widely diffused among them, and they
are remarkably ingenious, industrious,
thrifty and we'll behaved people. Such
of them as are seeking to better their
condition, being among the poorest clas-
ses, by coming to these shores. we should
receive with hospitality and kindness
If properly treated, they cannot fail to
be serViceable to ourselves or to improve
their own condition. 1t is for them to
determine what they shall eat, what they
shall drink, and wherewithal they shall
be clothed; to adhere to their own GUS
toms and follow their own tastes as they
shall choose to make their own con-
tracts and maintain their own rights to
worship God according to the dictates of
their own consciences, or their ideas of
religious duty. Such of them as may be
in a filthy and squalid state we must en-
deavor to assist to higher plane; and if
we would see them become converts to
Christianity, we must show them its puri-
flying and elevating power by our deal
ings with them. To assert that they are
incapable of being converted is as much
at variance with facts as to limit the
saving power of our religion to those of
"our own blood" as Mr.. Blaine egotistic-
ally terms it, The same assertion was
formerly made in disparagement of our
colored population. But it was false in



other. 1t is pitiable to see how determ-
ined Mr.. Blaine is to depict the Chinese
as so utterly vile in their
habits and morals as to be incapable of
and too loathsome to be
endured. He knows that there is large
portion of them who are neat in their
persons, courteous in their department.
excellent in character, and trustw orthy
in an eminent degree, but he makes no
exceptions. And if there were none to
be made, still the Christian obligation
would rest upon us to try to extricat9
them from the miry pit. to the extent of
the means that we happily possess
no such thought enters into
the mind of Mr.. Blaine, and he would
leave them to their miserable fate as
unconcernedly as though they belonged
to the brute creation. And as the eli
max of his speech and also of his assur-
ance he declares, 1--WE have this day to
choose whether we will have for the Pa
cifc Coast the civilization of Christ or the
civilization of Confucius." Has he for
gotten that, long before the advent of
Christ, it was from the lips of Confucius
came that Golden Rule which we are
taught in the Gospel to follow as the
rule of life in all our dealings with our
fellow men, and which carried into paac-
tice will insure peace, happiness and
prosperity not only to the dwellers on
the Pacific Coast, but to all people on the
face of the whole earth.


This is not personal controversy with
Mr.. Blaine, but plea for human broth
erhood as against all caste assumptions
and clannish distinctions; and l take my
leave of him, earnestly hoping that he
may be led to see and regret the great
mistake of his public career. Very truly
yonrs, WIN. LLOYD GARRISON.


BosToN, Feb. 25, 1879.