Speech #570039624

The Chinese were so unlike our own people in tradition. in religion. in habits and customs. that they would not assimilate with us. and their admission in such vast and increasing numbers became a great menace. and was deemed unwise. It was perfectly evident that the unrestricted admission of Chinese labor would inevitably result in a serious inundation of the labor markets. and the inevitable tendency would be to depress unduly the wages of American labor. The necessity for the treaty of 1880 was declared in the preamble: Whereas the Government of the United States. because of the constantly increasing immigration of Chinese laborers to the territory of the United States. and the embarrassments consequent upon such immigration. now desires to negotiate a modification of the existing treaties which shall not be in direct contravention of their spirit. The first article of the treaty was as follows: Whenever in the opinion of the Government of the United States the coming of Chinese laborers to the United States. or their residence therein. affects or threatens to affect the interests of that country. or to endanger the good order of the said country or of any locality withinthe territory thereof. the Government of China agrees that the Government of the United States may regulate. limit. or suspend such coming or residence. but may not absolutely prohibit it. On April 4. 1882. President Arthur. in returning to Congress a bill with respect to Chinese exclusion with his veto. because he believed the measure to be violative of the national faith. among other things said: Our intercourse with China is of recent date. Our first treaty with that power is not yet forty years old. It is only since we acquired California and established a great seatof commerce on the Pacific that we may be said to have broken down the barriers which fenced in that ancient monarchy.