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THE CHINESE
OUTRAGES |
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Harper’s
Weekly, April 24, 1886, page 259 (Editorial) |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Harper’s
Weekly, April 24, 1886, page 259 (Editorial) |
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