Speech #490064344

I have. I confess. in my verdancy and feeble inability to grasp this higher order of statesmanship to which that committee has risen in reporting this measure. and in support of which they have for reasons best known to themselves failed to furnish any reasons in the shape of a committee report. been inclined to the belief that if perchance some portion of that committee had been so fortunate or unfortunate. as the case may be. to have resided west of the Mississippi River. and all had been so located as to have been less subject to the blandishments and plausible arguments of the able representatives of the Chinese Government in this city. that perhaps a somewhat different view might have been taken of this subject. It has been suggested elsewhere that by voting this indemnity we place our Government in more intimate relations and on a more friendly footing with the Chinese officials and will thus enable them to secure such modifications of our present treaties with China as will result in the near future in the absolute exclusion of Chinese immigrants in the future. On the contrary. Air. President. in my judgment the effect will be the very reverse. Let it once be understood that this Government is committed to the policy of promptly indemnifying out of the National Treasury for any and all property of Chinese subjects in this country that may be destroyed or lost at the hands of mobs. let it be understood that these alien subjects have not only all the rights of American citizens under like circumstances of appealing to the courts. State and Federal. but in addition can make rightful claim upon the Treasury of the United States. and then the Chinese Government will in my judgment be more loth than than ever before to consent to any arrangement that will tend to the exclusion of Chinese immigrants.to this country. It will be time enough to placate the Chinese officials after our own diplomatists. and those who for the present direct and control the political destinies of this Government. are educated to a realizing sense of the imminent peril to which our country is being rapidly subjected. not alone from a deluge of Oriental slaves. not alone from the blighting swarms of Asian migration. but from the still more dangerous redhanded anarchist and communistic elements pouring in upon us from the lowest. vilest. and criminally lawless classes of European life. It is our own people. our own statesmen. our own officials that should be brought to arealizing sense of impending dangers. their causes and the remedy. that should be stimulated to arouse themselves. shake off the dull lethargy of at least apparent ignorance in reference to the vital questions of the hour. and of positive inaction. vindicate their own intelligence. statesmanship. and patriotism by rising to a proper comprehension of the magnitude of the evils that confront us. and grasp with ability. energy. effectiveness. and power a subject than which none more important. none more seriously involving the prospective peace and prosperity of the country. the stability of American institutions. the security of life and property. the integrity of free labor. and the welfare of modern civilization on this continent. ever engaged the attention of the American people or challenged the prescience. ability. and patriotism of American statesmen.