Year: 1870

The resolutions Of the Labor Con-


vention on Chinese emigration exem-


plify the difficulty of dealing with
the question. The convention is not


up to the point of declsing against
the free emigration of the Chinese
Either its own moral sense is against
this, or it thinks this will not be sup
ported by the the moral sense Of COM
munity. So it shOves by the matter
by form of declaration, which is of
no effect because it denounces that
which does not exist. 1t demands Of
Congress "the abrOgatiOn Of the treaty


between the United States aud China,


whereby Chinese are allowed to be
imported to our shOres.n There is no
such treaty. On the contrary, there
are stringent laws of the United States
to prevent the involuntary impOrta-
tiOn or emigration Of Chinese to this
country; and these laws are enforced.
The treaty provides simply for the free
admission of the citizens Of each coun-
try to the territory Of the other. 1t is
against this free emigration that the
Labor Convention must declare, if it
would make its declarations fit the
case.


We have very freely expressed our
repugnanee at this Chinese immigra-
tiOn. We do not desire that for the
mere sake of increasing our numbers,
and adding to what is called national
wealth, we should add to our commu-
nifty an element that will lower the
average quality of race, or the aver
age governing capacity, or introduce
q new antagOnism Of race, or lower
the condition OflabOr, or that is inca
pable of homogeneous assimilation
with the American people. But we
know that nothing short Of the pro-
hibition of the free immigration Of
the Chinese will prevent their coming,
and, therefore, we see that all the
declarations nullify themselves; for
they declare only against the compul-
sory emigration, and allow that the
voluntary immigration can not be for
bidden- And we also are aware Of the
difficulties involved in the fOrbidding
of free immigration, and of the great
change this would make in our ira
ditional policy Of holding out this
land as the refuge Of the oppressed of
all other lands, and of the difficulty of
making laws or arguments against
this immigration without running in
to the delicate question of other immi-
grafton.


Inasmuch as there are no declara-
tiOns against the voluntary emigra-
ton of the Chinese to America, and
inasmuch as those who assume to rep
resent the separate interests Of labor
ing men, and that this is peculiarly
an interest of labOrers, do not meet
the real question, we have pretty
much concluded that nothing will be
done, and that this migration will
have to take its course. five say that
the Chinaman who comes vOluntari-
ly may come, we must also allow that
he is free to make such agreements as
he may find necessary to enable him
to come. How shall we frame an
emigrant law to forbid any person
from coming who owes anything for
the means to Gomez such a law
would shut out a large portion Of the
emigration from Europe. Freedom
to contract debt is an essential part of
liberty. 1t is an important means in
all emigration to America, and it is
the common belief that the use of
credit is potent means of bettering
the condition of the American people.


As no party or class or association