10th Feb.
Navigation led to extensive colonizing in the far distant times, when the Pheenicians founded trading centres in various localities on the shores of the Mediterranean. Mechanical employments increased population, and the surplus overflowed to other countries where the wealth of Nature awaited the gatherer. the Greeks spread themselves in a really wonderful way, to India on the east, and France on the west, In modern times navigation has extended the English race the world over. 'I'he Chinese are now following the example, and they are well-fitted to form the working classes and merchants of a great number of colonies beyond the seas. They have, however, not yet succeeded in founding a single bond fide self-governing colony; their aspirations are not in that direction. Content are they with citizenship and subordination, Domination over other races they have not sought, nor will they. They are a people who, when they go abroad, are willing to keep laws made by other races, and be ruled by officials whose language and mode of life differ toto colo from their own. Phon as to industrial capability there is no form of labour, skilled or unskilled, that seems foreign to them. As blacksmiths they are as competent as they are to become cooks. hey can be transformed into commercial clerks as easily as they can learn to do the heavy work of a sugar plantation. Nor do they shrink from mining by Iamplight far underground, or reefing sails on the yards of a pitching ship upon the stormy ocean. It seems to be a characteristic of the Chinese race to be universal competitors for all industries as they are in body fitted to endure all climates. Such is the race regarding which Congress at Washington has declared that it shall henceforth be excluded from the United States. What then are the Chinese to do? Whey increase too fast for all to be comfortably maintained at home. hey must Took abroad for new homes in near or instant islands or continents, 'I'he mere breadth of the interval between China and the new home is not very essential they may, if the way be open, become colonists wherever the conditions are favourable. The West Indies, for example, might receive a considerable number of sugar cultivators, for to this industry the Chinese of Canton and Fukien are well accustomed. 'I'he island of San Domingo would be very religi ble. It is divided into two republics, Phe negro population speak Spanish in the one and French in the other. San Domingo has a revenue of ten million dollars, and sugar is the staple. Hayti, which has only one third of the territory of the island, has eight millions and coffee is the staple. 'I'he laws in San Domingo are in Spanish only, while the laws in Hayti are in French only. The Haytians have a law that no foreigner shall hold land in their country, and this law is strictly carried out. There is a close feeling of kinship between the Haytians and the negroes of the States. Frederick Douglas was sent from Washington some years ago to obtain the consent of the Haytians to the conclusion of a treaty by which the Haytians should bind themselves to supply coal to the U.S. Navy. This was intended in case of war on the part of the United States with any of the South American republics. He failed through his too great sympathy with the Haytians. A young Consul has now been sent from Washington, in the hope that the plan may be more snecessfal in his hands than in those of an old man, nearly eighty, who is swayed by patriotic race sentiment. The Haytians deeply feel that the United States are not fair to their race. By conforming to the laws of the negro government of the republics Chinese emigrants might labour as they do at home in the production of sugar.
The negroes of San Domingo are an indolent people, averse to agriculture. They live in a poor way. Nature herself unasked, in a fertile tropical island such as San Domingo, supplies their wants by the casava root and fruits which grow abundantly. Donbtless the Chinese would, ceteris paribus, prefer Borneo or Sumatra, because they are nearer home. There is one thing, however, that would prove attractive to Chinese colonizing San Domingo has gold. The natives possessed it in the time of Columbus, The reader of Washington Irving's charming narrative will remember that after the first Spanish colony had built a fort and city they deserted it for another. A cacique told them of a favourable spot near the gold mines, and to it the Spaniards removed and built a new capital, Four years ago an English Company commenced mining for gold, and as they have not yet abandoned the enterprise it may be concluded that they pay their expenses, at least, or they would cease their outlay and go elsewhere.
Another region that is open to Chinese emigration is the eastern slope of the Andes, Suppose that Chinese would-be colonists were conveyed to Callao or Argnibo in Peru, and from thence proceeded east across the Andes, On the other side of this chain is a vast stretch of unoccupied fertile land, where, under the Brazilian government, emigrants would be welcomed. The country in that part of Brazil is highly spoken of for its fertility.
Certainly it would be worth while for China to organise emigration. This would prove in the-long run politically beneficial to the government. Emigra~ tion is as necessary for China now, and will continue to be so next century, as England finds it to be, and as England will continue to find it. If the United States persistently refuse permission for the Chinese to enter their country there is no reason why China should not seek other homes on the western continent, or in its tropical islands. 'The climate of San Domingo is good. Spanish is the language of the laws and the courts of judicature. But in an emigration scheme it would be important that emigrants should be required to take their wives with them. Family' life would improve their sobriety and acceptability in a new country. As a fact Chinese emigrants are married men. They would do better to take their wives than leave them with the inevit table and not always kind mother-in-law, Another bye-law should be abstinence from opium smoking. In foreign countries there are evil habits enough, without adding this one. might prove to be a measure fruitful in much good if Chinese emigration were conducted on- principles which would commend themselves to the foreign mind as adopted to promote the morality of the emigrants, and thus indirectly benefit the countries selected as most suitable by the supposed Chinese Board
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.