Speech #500119472

How many Chinese subiects were in this nation on the Pacific coast at the date of that ratification? Two hundred thousand of them. and no question was raised by us. No point. no clause. no phrase was introduced to show that these our promises. not to our friends. did not cover. with our eyes open and in our actual condition of immigration. our obligation. What happened next? The treaty of 1868. or the Burlingame treaty. a treaty given us also by our desire. enlarged for our then present occasion the introduction of these laborers from China. and when it was found that this. although but a temporary motive seemed to justify it. yet introduced a foreign element. incapable of ingratiation with our race. with our Government. and when we desired a reconsideration under these proper and just necessities. as we regarded them. we were met in the same spirit. and there was no guard. no restriction in the freedom of their concession as to the abrogation of that treaty except a due protection of those who were here under our invitation. Mr. President. I have no occasion to find it necessary to yield anything on the question of opposition to the immigration of the Chinese. I heartily agreed in the position as it then arose in 1879 that we should be the masters again of the question of immigration from China. and on the highest considerations and without hesitation I espoused the measures that led to the exclusion. But not then and not nowv will my desire and my convictions that we should not entertain this foreign race as a part of our population lead me to flout our obligations by treaty. It became my duty to give advice to the President as to whether the bill that had then passed both Houses by great majorities was consistent with the duty of this Government to its treaties. its public faith. and its honor. and to show how quickly. even in the very minds and in the very votes a measure can be rushed upon a provocation and an excitement. of a public nature to be sure. but yet not as deliberative and as cool as it should be. when the Presidents veto was read in the House of Representatives. where the bill had passed 155 to 95. there was but a vote of 110 against 96 to pass the bill over the veto.