Description:

Garfield James 1831 - 1881 A monumental document in the history of Chinese Americans: President Garfield directs Secretary of State James G. Blaine to affix the U.S. Seal to his "ratification of a treaty relating to Chinese immigration into the U.S. signed at Peking"
Rare Partly Printed Document Signed "James A. Garfield" as President, 1 page, 8" x 10". Washington, D.C., May 9, 1881. Mounting remnants at edge of docketed, otherwise blank integral leaf. Fine condition.



To his Secretary of State James G. Blaine. In full, "I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of State to cause the Seal of the United States to be affixed to the ratification of a treaty relating to Chinese immigration into the U.S. signed at Peking Nov, 17, 1880. dated this day, and signed by me; and for so doing this shall be his warrant."


Background of the "Chinese Immigration " Treaty


State efforts to restrict immigration ended when the Supreme Court ruled that the regulation of immigration was a federal, not a state, concern. The federal government took some steps to restrict unfavorable immigration with the Page Act of 1875, forbidding the entry of prostitutes and felons. The Burlingame Treaty of 1868 between China and the United States explicitly recognized the right of free migration. The Fifteen Passenger Act of 1879, which required that ships carry no more than fifteen Chinese passengers to the United States at a time, was vetoed by President Rutherford Hayes on the grounds that it violated the treaty.


To placate his critics, Hayes sent a commission led by [U.S. Minister] James Angell to China to negotiate a new treaty to on Chinese immigration. On November 17, 1880, the new treaty was signed at Peking … The treaty allowed for the regulation - but not the total exclusion - of Chinese immigration. Laborers who lived in the United States before the treaty was signed and all other Chinese were to be allowed to migrate freely, as before. The Angell Treaty also reaffirmed the 'most favored nation' status of Chinese residing in the United States, originally extended to Chinese in the Burlingame Treaty.


Article II of the Treaty: "Chinese subjects, whether proceeding to the United States as teachers, students, merchants or from curiosity, together with their body and household servants, and Chinese laborers who are now in the United States shall be allowed to go and come of their own free will and accord, and shall be accorded all the rights, privileges, immunities, and exemptions which are accorded to the citizens and subjects of the most favored nation."


President James A. Garfield and Secretary of State James G. Blaine


Five days after Garfield signed this authorization to Secretary of State James G. Blaine, on May 14, 1881, lawyer Charles J. Guiteau waited outside the State Department to speak to Blaine. He believed his campaign speeches had contributed to Garfield's November 2 1880, victory and he felt he deserved a diplomatic post . He introduced himself to Blaine. According to "American Series" on PBS.org, Guiteau was "bluntly told by Secretary of State James Blaine that he has 'no prospect whatever of receiving' the appointment. Blaine adds, 'Never bother me again about the Paris consulship so long as you live.' Four days later, an idea pops into Guiteau's mind as he lays in bed: 'If the President was out of the way every thing would go better.' By June 1, after praying and obsessing about this idea, Guiteau becomes convinced of 'the divinity of the inspiration' and decides that God is telling him to kill the president."


"The New York Times" reported on July 3, 1881, "President Garfield and Secretary Blaine drove from the Executive Mansion about 9 o'clock yesterday morning , to the depot of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad where the President was to join others on a trip to New-York and New-England. As he was walking through the passenger rooms, arm in arm with Mr. Blaine, two pistol-shots were fired in quick succession from behind, and the President sank to the floor, bleeding profusely from two wounds. The assassin was instantly seized, and proved to be Charles. J. Guiteau, a half-crazed, pettifogging lawyer, who has been an unsuccessful applicant for office under the Government, and who has led a precarious existence in several of the large cities in the country…"

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