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
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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
And soon--perhaps within a year or two--there will doubtless be a
Chinese Envoy located permanently at Washington. The Consuls referred
to above will be appointed with all convenient dispatch. They will be
Americans, but will in all cases be men who are capable of feeling pity
for persecuted Chinamen, and will call to a strict account all who wrong
them. It affords me infinite satisfaction to call particular attention
to this Consul clause, and think of the howl that will go up from the
cooks, the railroad graders, and the cobble-stone artists of California,
when they read it. They can never beat and bang and set the dogs on
the Chinamen any more. These pastimes are lost to them forever. In San
Francisco, a large part of the most interesting local news in the daily
papers consists of gorgeous compliments to the “able and efficient”
Officer This and That for arresting Ah Foo, or Ching Wang, or Song Hi
for stealing a chicken; but when some white brute breaks an unoffending
Chinaman's head with a brick, the paper does not compliment any officer
for arresting the assaulter, for the simple reason that the officer does
not make the arrest; the shedding of Chinese blood only makes him laugh;
he considers it fun of the most entertaining description. I have seen
dogs almost tear helpless Chinamen to pieces in broad daylight in San
Francisco, and I have seen hod-carriers who help to make Presidents
stand around and enjoy the sport. I have seen troops of boys assault
a Chinaman with stones when he was walking quietly along about his
business, and send him bruised and bleeding home. I have seen Chinamen
abused and maltreated in all the mean, cowardly ways possible to the
invention of a degraded nature, but I never saw a policeman interfere in
the matter and I never saw a Chinaman righted in a court of justice
for wrongs thus done him. The California laws do not allow Chinamen
to testify against white men. California is one of the most liberal
and progressive States in the Union, and the best and worthiest of her
citizens will be glad to know that the days of persecuting Chinamen are
over, in California. It will be observed by Article 3 that the Chinese
consuls will be placed upon the same footing as those from Russia and
Great Britain, and that no mention is made of France. The authorities
got into trouble with a French consul in San Francisco, once, and, in
order to pacify Napoleon, the United States enlarged the privileges
of French consuls beyond those enjoyed by the consuls of all other
countries.
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