The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained: New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868 — John Shaqi
The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained: New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868Twain, Mark
History
The Treaty With China, its Provisions Explained: New York Tribune, Tuesday, August 28, 1868
Twain, Mark
China -- Foreign relations -- United States; United States -- Foreign relations -- China
Chinamen according to the usual form, and sometimes, where the
magistrate was particularly anxious to come at the truth, a chicken was
beheaded in open court and some yellow paper burned with awful solemnity
while the oath was administered--but the Chinaman testified only against
his own countrymen. Things are changed now, however, and he may testify
against whom he pleases. No one ever saw a Chinaman on a jury on
the Pacific coast. Hereafter they will be seen on juries, sitting in
judgment upon the crimes of men of all nationalities. Chinamen have
taken no part in elections, heretofore, further than to sweep out the
balloting stations, but the time is near at hand when they will vote
themselves; when they will be clerks and judges of election, and receive
and account for the votes of white men; when they will be eligible to
office and may run for Congress, if such be the will of God. We have
seen caricatures in San Francisco representing a white man asking a
Chinaman for his vote. It was fine irony then, but in a very little
while the same old lithograph, resurrected, will have as much point as
it ever had, only the subject of it will have become a solemn reality
instead of an ingenious flight of fancy. In that day, candidates will
have to possess other accomplishments besides being able to drink lager
beer and twirl a shillalah. They will have to smoke opium and eat with
chop-sticks. Influential additions will have to be made to election
tickets and transparencies, thus: “THE COUNTRY'S HOPE, THE PEOPLE'S
CHOICE--DONNERWETTER, O'SHAUGHNESSY, AND CHING-FOO” The children of
Chinese citizens will have the entry of the public schools on the same
footing as white children. Any one who is not blind, can see that the
first ninety words of Article 6 work a miracle which shames the most
dazzling achievements of him of the wonderful lamp. I am speaking as if
I believed the Chinamen would hasten to take out naturalization papers
under this treaty and become citizens. I do believe it. They are shrewd
and smart, and quick to see an advantage; that is one argument. If they
have any scruples about becoming citizens, the politicians who need
their votes will soon change their opinions. Article 6 does not confer
citizenship upon Chinamen--we have other laws which regulate that
matter. It simply gives them the privileges and immunities pertaining to
“residence,” in the same degree as they are enjoyed by the “subjects
of the most favored nation.” One of the chief privileges pertaining
to “residence” among us is that of taking the oath and becoming full
citizens after that residence has been extended to the legal and
customary period. Mr. Cushing says the Chinamen had a right to become
citizens before Article 6 was framed. They certainly have it now.
Prominent senators refused to touch the treaty or have anything to
do with it unless it threw the doors of citizenship open as freely to
Chinamen as to other foreigners. The entire Senate knew the broadest
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