Speech #450112649

China executed that treaty with a knowledge. we are bound to presume. as we are bound to presume that everybody knows the law. that Congress could put an end to that provision in the treaty. that so far as we are concerned we could put an end to it. There is nothing. therefore. of bullying in exercising that power which China knew we possessed and which China know that we would exercise if it were our interest to exercise it. But when you come to say to the government of Chiina. as this amendment proposes. "if you do not agree to put an end to that provision of the treaty. then we will put an end to it. then we will prohibit the migration of your citizens or subjects ." and when we come to speak in the language of this amendment to the Chinese government that the immigration of Chinese here is a pernicious evil that we want to get rid of. while we say not a word about there being any pernicious evil to China in the migration of Americans to the free ports of China. I do think that we are offering something very nearly like an insult to that government. I think that the proposition of the Senator from Now York would be far more offensive to that government than the plain and simple exercise of our undoubted constitutional right to pass thi4bill.