Item 003

THE CHINESE OUTRAGES

Harper’s Weekly, April 24, 1886, page 259 (Editorial)

An old American resident of Canton writes that the original emigration of Chinese to California was drawn chiefly from that province, and that the Americans living there might justly expect the severest retaliation for the barbarous treatment of the Chinese in this country, "were the Chinese people of the sort of brutes that their assailants on the Pacific slope of the United States are." The recent Pacific outrages were followed by pressing telegraphic appeals from the Consul-General of China and the guild of merchants at San Francisco to the Chinese authorities, and the American resident adds: "The Viceroy therefore very properly telegraphed to the Chinese Minister at Washington the grave aspect given to local affairs by the stern rebuff of the President, as telegraphed from London," which, he says, greatly shocked the residents.

The representations from San Francisco were to the effect that the riots were mainly the work of the "Irish," and the Viceroy of the province of Canton requested the British Consul there to send a telegram to her Majesty’s government "to try and make these numerous Irish subjects in San Francisco behave better." At the very moment of these wanton attacks upon the helpless Chinese who, unfortunately for themselves, have come to this country, the chief Chinese officers in the viceroyalty of Canton had just paid their annual subscriptions for the maintenance of the charitable medical relief society for Americans and English. The contrast in humanity and Christian charity is not favorable to the foreigners upon the Pacific slope who abuse the name and hospitality of America.

In presence of these crimes, a general massacre of Americans in China might be justly anticipated, and the attitude of our government in saying that it can do nothing puts it before the world in a ridiculously imbecile light. The resolutions of American legislatures in favor of Irish home rule show profound interest in the Irish vote in this country. But if it is oppression which stirs the legislators, why are they silent upon the wanton crimes against innocent foreigners, committed by those who pass for American citizens? There is no Chinese vote. But the Chinese are human beings, and there is such a thing as American honor.

Harper’s Weekly, April 24, 1886, page 259 (Editorial)

This site is brought to you by…