Year: 1877

WASHINGTON. Dec 14.--The Attorney Gen.
erai, by direction OF the President, has given
considerable attention to the question Of pro-
tecting the Chinese In California. The discus
sion OF this matter occupied considerable
time in the Cabinet to-day, but no action was
taken upon 1t.


The difficulty which the Attorney General
finds Is that there is no authority Tor the
United States to interfere unless the state
should ask for aid. Under the present circum,
stances this is not to be expected, as polltlcal
influences In both parties In California are
arrayed against the Chinese. The SIX COM
panes, and those to whom ON they, nave ap, R
The issuance of an order to the District Attor-
zley at San Francisco directing him to enforce
United States laws This, they, assert, should
be done as matter Of good faith M Iowa toward q
our treaty with that power. They urge, also,
that I'M this case it Is not only competent for
the government, but obligatory upon 1t, to
see that its faith is kept with that foreign


TO this view OF the question the Attorney
General Ia not quite ready to assent. He
holds that although the treaty guarantees
protection to the Chinese who are here, Con-
Rress has thus far failed to authorize the
general government to interfere In States In
order to carry the treaty into effect.


The government authorities have received
information from some OF the most prominent
capitalists OF California that the leading





mercial interests and all connected with the
leading enterprises Of the State--are united
against the present persecution OF the
Chinese. They also report that the danger
of terrible scenes of riot, bloodshed and dis
astrous conhagration in San Francisco is
greater than is generally supposed outside Of
California. and that the necessity for precau-
Monary measures is, therefore, very great.
They also represent that such movement
against the Chinese as is contemplated would
evidently lead to retaliation in China, and
probably result In the loss OF many American
lives, and surely cause a disastrous check to
our commerce with that country. Should the
latter occur, 1t would prove o severe blow to
the material interests OF California, and one
which would not be of q temporary charac-
ter


The Attorney General is of opinion that
this matter should be referred TO Congress,
and special message from the President on
the subject has been talked of. One of the
principal difficulties In the way Of dealing
with the subject in this manner, aside from
the necessary delay, is found in the fact that
Senator Sargent Is vice president of an asso-
citation which has adopted resolution de-
the United States. The President and all the
members Of his Cabinet are anxious to use
every means which they can constitutiOnally
command to prevent the threatened out
break. The class of people engaged In the
attempt to create disorder Is chiefly confined
to the foreign laboring element, aided by
roughs and the lower classes of the San Fran
cisco population. The fact that the Chinese
have completely armed themselves has held
the roughs In check, but matters are believed
here to be In a much worse condition than
has been reported, and news at any time of
horrible scenes In San Francisco would not
create surprise in Washington.