Speech #630379354

I do not believe that races which are not likely to assimilate and merge themselves can endure with safety to a nation as component parts of It. The Senator from South Carolina has Just referred to the wellknown racial prejudices and differences which exist between the black man and the white.man in the South. We have had two or three apprehensions of difficulty with: Asiatic countries. even since this administration began. consequent hpon their presence in numbers sufficiently large on the: Pacific coast to excite grave apprehension. and it is a matter of history that for many years American sentiment has been overwhelmingly against Chinese immigration to this country. Canada has had similar trouble with the inhabitants of the East Indies. who have sought to find an abiding place in the domain of that country. and the effort has resulted not only in vigorous opposition but In bloodshed. I am not in favor of the immigration into this country of men differing racially in such wise as that it is practically impossible. and. of course. highly improbable. that they shall ever merge themselves Into a composite nationality. Now. if the Senator asks me to draw the line between those races with whom we can not assimilate and those races with whom we can assimilate. he asks me a very difficult question. but. broadly speaking. the fundamental constitutional differences. intellectual and physical. between the Asiatic races. the African races. and the Caucasian races are such that I wish we could by some means and at some time. without giving too great offense to other nations. limit all Immigration into this country to members of the Caucasian race and exclude all othersor. perhaps I should say. to the white raceso as to distinguish it from the black and from the yellow racesnot because I have any prejudice of a personal character that forbids me getting along with people of those races In a way. but because. nationally speaking. I believe that the intrusion of .those races into America will constitute. if it does not already constitute. one of the gravest dangers that menace our future. Hence. so far as the racial question Is concerned. I think it is fundamentally different from the religious or political question. and of course that makes it necessary that I should also limit my contention that this country should continue to be the refuge of those who flee from religious and political persecution by Insisting that it should be the refuge of the white race. as distinguished from the Asiatic and the African races. who are the victims of such persecution.