Chinese in America

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 1, 1873

Chinese in America.

The American churches raise large sums of money to send missionaries to China, but when the Chinese come to our own land, they show no interest in their welfare. These churches would rather pay money to have their work done by proxy, and at a convenient distance, than to engage in Christian effort when the opportunity is thrust upon them, and the heathen brought to their own doors. It has for years been the shame of America that the Chinese, the most quiet, patient, and industrious of our foreign-born population, are treated more like brutes than like men. The following, which we copy from the Independent, is a rebuke to the heathenism of America, and to the injustice which the laws of California do to that people.

“Let our people read the petition signed by the Chinamen of San Francisco to the city government, protesting against the proposition to clip the hair of the Chinese prisoners who happen to be arrested for living too compactly in their crowded quarters. They remind their enemies that there are treaty stipulations between America and the Chinese Empire: that foreign treaties were granted by the Chinese Government unwillingly, under force of arms; also, that the introduction of foreigners into the Chinese trade has thrown out of employment a vast fleet of junks, employing a larger number of men than all the Chinamen in California. They remind the authorities that four hundred thousand Europeans have been received into China, and ask why there should be such opposition to fifteen thousand or twenty thousand peaceful Chinese. ‘In the name of our country, in the name of justice and humanity, in the name of Christianity, as we understand it,’ the petitioners say, ‘we protest against such severe and discriminating enactments against our people, while living in this country under existing treaties.’ They then make the following proposition:—

“Finally, since our presence here is considered so detrimental to the country, and is so offensive to the American people, we propose and promise on our part to use all our influence to carry the proposition into effect. We propose a speedy and perfect abrogation and repeal of the present treaty relations between China and America, requiring the retirement of all Chinese people and trade from these United States, and the withdrawing of all American people and trade and commercial intercourse whatever from China. This, perhaps, will give to the American people the opportunity of preserving for a longer time their civil and religious institutions, which, it is said, the immigration of the Chinese is calculated to destroy. This arrangement will, also, to some extent, relieve the Chinese people and Government from the serious embarrassments which now disturb them, and enable them, by so much, to return to the traditional policy of their sages and statesmen, i. e., ‘Stay at home and mind our own business, and let all other people do the same.’ This is our proposition. Will American

people agree to it? Will the newspapers, which have lately said so many things against our residence in this country—will they now aid us in bringing about this, to us, desirable state of affairs? In the meantime, since we are now here under sacred treaty stipulations, we humbly pray we may be treated according to those stipulations, until such time as the treaty can be repealed and commercial intercourse and friendly relations come to an end.”

“That is a fair proposition, and the wit of it is sharp enough to pierce the tough hide of a Celtic Californian.”