Propositions of National Interest Rejected: Civil War and Chinese
At the beginning of the second term of President Grant's administration, the future of our country, in all its aspects appeared brighter than ever before, since the end of the Civil War. There seemed to be a steady improvement in the tone of public feeling after the irritations caused by the Civil War and the measures adopted for the restoration of the Union. The Government, in its dealings with the leaders in the insurrection, had been exceedingly lenient. Of the thousands of our citizens who consciously and willingly committed "treason against the United States," as defined by Article III, Section 3, Clause I, of the National Constitution, not one had been punished for that crime; and only Jefferson Davis, the acting head of the Confederacy, had been indicted, and he was released from jail (illegally) by President Johnson's proclamation of Amnesty on Christmas day, 1868, already mentioned, and has never been called to account.
There was, also, a gradual lightening of the burdens of taxation which the war had imposed. The amount was reduced by many millions annually, while the revenue had increased from $371,000,000 in 1869, to $430,000,000 in 1873. The exports showed an increased as compared with 1859, of more than twenty-five per cent., while there had not been an equal increase in the value of imports.
Emigration from Europe poured, in an immense volume, upon our shores that year (1873), reaching the unprecendented number of souls that came, of 473,000. Never before nor since have so many aliens come to the United States, adding vastly to our material wealth. Efforts have been made to ascertain the capital value of the average emigrant who comes here, as a producer. Dr. Edward Young, the chief of our National Bureau of Statistics, Commerce and Navigation, has computed it at $800, not counting the money the emigrant brings with him, which, he calculates, is spent by him in preparing to become a producer. If, then, we take the number of aliens who have come to our shores since the taking of the census in 1870, until now (1877), amounting, in round numbers, to say 2,000,000, we have an aggregate sum of $1,600,000,000 added to our wealth within the last seven years, by emigration alone. It is estimated by Dr. Young, that previous to 1870, there have been added to our wealth from the same source, $6,243,880,800; making a total increment from emigration alone of $7,843,880,800. It is estimated that sixty per cent. of all the emigrants who arrive are in the prime of life, and ready to enter at once into their several industrial pursuits.
Dr. Young, writing in 1875, says: "As regards nationality, more than one-half of those who have thus far arrived in the United States are British, and come from the United Kingdom, or from the British possessions of North America. These speak our language, and a large part are acquainted with our laws and institutions, and are soon associated with and absorbed into our body politic.
"The German element comes next, and embraces nearly two-thirds of the remainder, being at once an industrious and an intelligent people, a large proportion setting in rural districts, and developing the agricultural resources of the West and South; while the remainder, consisting largely of artisans and skilled workmen, find profitable employment in the cities and manufacturing towns.
"The influx of Scandinavians, who have already made extensive settlements in the northwestern States, constitutes a distinctive feature of the movement; and though but a few years since it received its first impetus, it is already large and rapidly increasing. Industrious, economical and temperate, their advent should be especially welcomed.
"Asiatic emigration [Chinese], whatever views may be entertained of its influence upon our industries and customs, has not yet reached such proportions as to excite alarm in the most apprehensive, and falls short of what has been represented, never having reached, in a single years, the number of 15,000; forming only about four per cent. of our total immigration. So small a number can easily be absorbed into our population of 40,000,000, and no injury result, if the movement be confined to voluntary immigration. A peculiarity of the Chinese immigration is the small number of females, not exceeding seven per cent. of the whole, a fact which seems to preclude a large increase of the pure race.
"The Latin nations contribute very little to our population, and the Sclavic still less; while to-day, as from time immemorial, the different branches of the great Teutonic trunk are swarming forth from the most populous regions, to aid in the progress of civilization.
"While a brief review of the ethnic derivation of the millions who have transferred their allegiance from the Old World to the New, exhibits a favorable result, other elements of their value to this country require consideration. The wide contrast between skilled and unskilled labor, between industry and laziness, between economical habits and unthrift, indicates a marked variation in the capital value of the immigrant to this country. The unskilled laborers, who at once engage in subduing the forests, or cultivating the prairies, are of far more value to the country than those who remain in the large cities."