Show TRADE WITH CHINA Report Upon I of a Committee Specially Appointed BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Of New York Effect of the Exclusion Act The Celestials Will Bide Their Opportunity Op-portunity for Retaliation Special to THE HERALD Examiner Dispatch NEW YORK Dec GA committee of the New York chamber of commerce has made a lengthy report upon our trade relations with China After quoting various opinions opin-ions upon the Chinese exclusion act of October 18SS the report continues With these expressions of opinion as to the Deject of the act and Its policy as a Introduc jiion we now proceed says the committee to give as briefly as possible a record of events that have led up to the present condition of our relations with the Chinese and the passage of the act referred to In Its present form in the autumn of 1838 Much of this rEm Is Irrevelant and official correspondence which neither new nor interestIng interest-Ing The Burilngame treaty is applauded The words of Senator Morton hailing Mr Burling ame as a banefactorof hlscountry aro quoted with apprval I Is at thi3 point that the committee com-mittee become more specific It 1 essential to observe that at the time of the approval otIs ot-Is treaty and its recognition as a beneficial act for this country the Chinese had been herein here-in great numbers for more than twenty years The record of their arrival as found In the report re-port of the joint special committee of Congress In 1670 shows that the whole number of Chinese in the United States at that time was about one iundred and fourteen thousand and I California fornia about ninety four thousand Another An-other witness makes It about four thousand less I also appears that the largest arrivals were 1 in the years from 1848 t 1851 In that period the arrivals were over fifty thousand and departures depar-tures about eight thousand leaving i the country coun-try at the beginning of 1855 about fortytwo thousand or nearly hal the whole number In California in 1870 twenty years later In 1869 the number had reached about seventy thousand or threefourths the number found in California In 1870 I 1 therefore there-fore obvious that the people of California and of the whole United States had had prior to the approval ap-proval of the Burlingame treaty ample opportunity opportu-nity to become familiar with the character of the Chinese Nevertheless the treaty was welcomed wel-comed which protected them In this country and encouraged their Immigration This reflection brings us to one of the most remarkable changes of public sentiment on the Pacific eoast which has probably ever char cterized the people The change was as sudden ijfcjlt was remarkable and as universal as It was Sudden Almost immediately after the confirmation con-firmation of the Burilngame treaty in 1SC9 I murmurs began be heard In California hostile tx aJof to the Chinese As early as December 221809 an appeal was made to Congress for legislation to restrict Chinese Immigration Each successive suc-cessive CongresS was appealed to but without effect until the Fortyfourth Congress in 1870 appointed a joint committee to take testimony ec liitn and passed a joint resolution calling on the President Presi-dent to open negotiations with the Chinese government gov-ernment for the purpose of modifying the provisions visions of the treaty between the two countries and restricting the same to commercial purposes Atthe same time the legislature of California appointed a special committee to investigate the subject and prepare a memorial to Congress It was IssuedJAugust 1877 as an dAdress to the people of the United States upon the social moral and political effect of Chinese Immigration ton This address contains evidence to prove that the Chinaman is a factor hostile to the prosperity progress and civilization of the American people The report of the joint committee of Congress Con-gress February 1677 which fills a large volume of nearly thirteen hundred pages contains similar evidence In greater detail showing the unfitness of the Chinese by their social and moral characteristics by their religion and by their peculiar and apparently inerradlcable desire de-sire to return to their native country dead or alive to form part of our population popula-tion to amalgamate or be absorbed i bgaveabb Into ito nsam other races have been Itpolnts out the fact that they come here as a rule without wives or children live apart from other races form no attachment t the soil or to our people and by their lack of family relations and rhtldn nresent no facilities for association with our people and no opportunities for growing grow-ing Into the conditions or habits which would tend to make them homogenous with us Furthermore Fur-thermore i was claimed by many witnesses that the Chinese were a festering mass of corruption cor-ruption in the body politic threatening to destroy rJo lb g 1 1 1 pE stroy the moral and physical health of the people peo-ple and that there were no other means of preventing pre-venting this result than for the government to intervene and by some modification of the jeatv with China check Chinese immigration T Evidence on ec other side was no less com jr plete showing the virtue Integrity cleanliness r industry skill peaceableness and in general desirableness of the Chinese as an industrial element of our population I must be acknowledged ac-knowledged that the witnesses on this side of the case were as a rle of the highest personal character men of great intelligence familiar by practical relations with the Chinese In various var-ious capacities and many of them men who had learned the character of the Chinese by long residence in China I Is also apparent that the conduct of the examination ex-amination was in a spirit of bitter hostility to the Chinese and with a determination rather to prove a case against them than to ascertain the tratb tratbThe report as presented to Congress by Senator Sen-ator Sargent of California representing a majority lie r rh jority of the tjgnf committee Is adverse to the Chinese and recommends that immediate steps be taken t restrict the privileges granted by treaty On the other hand Senator Oliver P Morton chairman of the committee who heard g of tTg l ei patlenlv yeNx testimony in a fragmentary paper Intended as a basis for a minority report which was printed by order or the Senate after Mr Mortons death took strong ground in favor of maintaining the treaty He says The testi mony shows that the intellectual capacity of the Chinese is fully equal to that of white people Their ability to acquire mechanical arts and to Imitate every process and form of workmanship ranks very high and was declared by many witnesses nesses to be about that of white people and their general Intellectual power to understand and master any subject presented to the human understanding t be quite equal to that of any other race I His conclusions are briefly embodied in the following sentences As Americans charged with the administration of the laws by which equal rights and protection shall be extended to all races and conditions we cannot now safely take a new departure which in another form shall resurrect and reestablish those odious distinctions of race which brought upon us the late civil war and from which we fondly hoped Jfcat God In his providence had delivered us tore tor-e xsr I the Chinese in California were white people being In all other respects what there the-re I do not believe that the complaints and warfare against them would have enisled to any considerable extent Their difference in color I dress manners and religion have In my judg gigfs t meat more to do with this hostility than their alleged vices or any actual injury t the white people of California He further adds by way of suggestion of a remedy for their protection Complete protection can be given them only by allowing them to become citizens and acquire the rights of suffrage when their votes would become Important In elections and their persecutions solicitation perse-cutions in great part converted into kindly solcitation Then follows some more political history and individual opinion The vote of California against Chinese immigration 154033 to 840 and that of Nevada 17529 t 183 is recorded and the majority of voters In both cases are charged with prejudice and bigotry I is needless to say that the chamber through Its committee Is made t regret more than once the action of both houses of Congress and the President In excluding Chinese Nor Is that vote In California ever absent from their minds Perhaps the most eloquent Intent of the com mlttee Is the cutting passages In the following f But In the presense of these convictions representing repre-senting the sense of that part of the American people who have the best opportunity of knowing know-ing the effects of Chinese Immigration and who at an earlier day have expressed their views by an emphatic vote of 8 for and 254000 against Chinese Immigration there can be no question as to the propriety of terminating that emigration yrly g tion so i as it may be offensive to the important import-ant part of this nation which it most closely affects But with this acknowledgement our approval of tho antiChinese measures of the late administration ceases and we do not hesi Xte to express profound regret that it was wiflnd expedient to abandon the ordinary and exedent orna regular methods of international negotiation to secure desired results and to substitute forthem the arbitrary decrees of legislation Especially Is this aetion of our government to be regretted In view of the friendly attitude of the Chinese government which had entertained with ho ertt gljlo perfect I per-fect cordiality our objections to their laboring people in this country and had shown their willingness lingness to do whatever seemed necessary to remove fr move them But right here when to committee votes it I self on the vital point raised by Mr Hnntlngton towit How far has our trade with China been affected by the passage of the act it will be 1 tblh V seen that the excerpts hardly bear out the conclusion con-clusion The Examiner readers have these letters let-ters In all the fullness which the committee has permitted t see light and can judge for themselves The effect of this conduct on the part of the government concludes the chamber which cannot fail to de considered by the Chinese government and people as arbitrary discourteous nai mIOc ous and unfriendly Upon the relations of our people with the government and people of China those best qualified to decide seem t have an almost al-most unanimous opinion This opinion has already al-ready been expressed In extracts from American and foreign journals with this report introduced and they may be supplemented by numerous letters recently received by the chamber of commerce com-merce from merchants and missionaries In China These letters are submitted to the chamber herewith but from some of them a few brief extracts will be found pertinent From Canton August22 1889 A gentleman who has been a resident of that place for more than forty years writes The government of China has considered the treaty made by Secretary Bayard and the Chinese brnsig hit et minister in the most friendly spirit It only refused to ratify i owing to some additions made In the Senate t which the consent of the Chinese minister had not been given There 1 no doubt that a little diplomacy would have secured se-cured the acceptance of that treaty with very slight modifications He says further The = l 6e Chinese government has been very forbearing This however does not Imply that i does not feel the Indignity most keenly This people will bide their time From Shanghai August 1318SC The chamber cham-ber of commerce of Shanghai to which was submitted sub-mitted various questions on the subject says I is our opinion that a regards Shanghai at any rate it 1 incorrectly stated that the Chinese Chi-nese officials discriminate between American and other foreign residents From Shanghai August 918S9 The head da01 J f master of J Johns college writes I do not think that trade interests in Shanghai are In any way affected by the exclusion act Among educated Chinese there is a strong feeling and the insult there Is deeply felt Frazer Li Cot merchants write from Shanghai Shang-hai Aug 7 1889 According to the best of our knowledge and ecf not true as reported in the press that American interests in China are suffering by reason of this law I any feelIng feel-Ing of hostility has been generated in the minds of Chinese offluials it has been caused by the rough and ready way hi which the act has been passed Rev Henry V Noyes now In this country but many years a resident of China and a careful care-ful observer writes August 3018b9 1 The antagonistic policy pursued by our Government Gov-ernment of late toward China i persisted in must In the end be Injurious to American interests inter-ests both commercial and missionary The Chinese are a longremembering as well as suffering people and they understand full well how t use the boycott principle ween they consider con-sider i expedient rn C Henry writes from Canton September Sep-tember 9 1880 There is a widespread feeling that the Chinese are sure to retaliate and i their rollcy of retaliation is not yet developed it is only because in their opinion the time has not yet come to inaugurate it They are not fi ei likely to forget that glaring ei Injustice A clergyman In Shanghai writes September 20 1889 Although the Americans were in greater favor than any other people previous to this obnoxious enactment our popularity has suffered and the officers are sure to discriminate discrimin-ate against our people to the advantage of other nations without of course giving reasons This is all In the many thousands of words of type the real Intelligence as to the alleged al-leged loss of trade this country has suffered by virtue of the act I will be observed that after all the Invective which the committee has heaped upon California it expressly disavows any open attack upon the restriction act In view of the facts her presented and of an opinion widely expressed concerning the effects of the arbitrary action of government in the the passage of the recent acts for the exclusion of Chinese laborers from the United States the committee on foreign commerce and revenue laws would now recommend that measures betaken be-taken by the government of the Uuited States I t reopen the negotiations which were unfortunately unfortu-nately interrupted and terminated by the actor Congress approved by President Cleveland October 1 1S8 I is believed by your committee com-mittee that the change in administration which has taken place since that act was passed will readily permit the renewal negotiations the point where they ceased in September 1883 and that the government of China will recognize and appreciate favorably a movement on the part of the government of the United States looking t a peaceful and friendly adjustment of all questions ques-tions in dispute and to the restoration of those cordial good feelings that have always till now marked the Intercourse of the two governments I Is not proposed nor even suggested that the government of the United States should open the way for a revival of Chinese Immigration in violation of convictions so long entertained and so earnestly expressed by our fellowcitizens of the Pacific states But it is reasonable to believe be-lieve from the tenor of the expressions of Chi nese officers and of our two representatives I Chinatbat i the Chinese government is frankly approached by the government of the United States it will respond in the same spirit and will Wli iNsr ii ne il willingly enter into negotiations for a treaty agreement which would be satisfactory to both hdOuUidaee gti tf ti governments and put an end to the bitterness which now seems to endanger welfare of American citizens whether missionaries or merchants In China and t threaten our commercial com-mercial relations with China which relatons Chia promise to become of vast importance t our people with the advancing culture and development of the Chinese empire In the words of Hon John A Kasson spoken during the debates In Congress in 1882 It is not a debased empire Its higher authorities are the peers of European and American statesmen We have here tLe representatives repre-sentatives of that people who are orderly who are seeking education who are in responsible places who are entitled to respect Let us be careful that we do not forfeit the friendship friend-ship of this great empire to be still greater in future when she shall have accepted more and more of the principles of progress which animates ani-mates us Let us take care that we do not forget for-get that friendship and let us assure that great government of the honesty and good faith of this government and of the people of the United Slates Signed Edward I Ammidown F B Thur ber Charles Watrouse Gustav Schwab S W Carey Committee James F Henry and G Waldo Smith both objected ob-jected t the adoption of the report without a chance for full discussion the latter especially warming up to an elaborate speech against Chinese immigration Members of the chamber however were not in a mood t listen 10 every argument and Mr Smith was choked off by loud calls of question Mr St John made an appeal for the striking out of political allusions particularly those t Mr Clevelands administration He claimed that It was not becoming to put a report on the records in which the late administration was alluded al-luded to in a manner that conveyed the idea of a slur The report was adopted In Its original form however by a viva voce vote orgnal |