President: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. Vice-Presidents: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas C. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. I. E. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber, Esq.
Directors: Rev. George Moor, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. W. E. Ijams, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, E. P. Sanford, Esq., H. W. Severance, Esq.
Secretary: Rev. W. C. Pond. Treasurer: E. Palache, Esq.
A Rebuke and a Response.
The following communication is clipped from the San Francisco Chronicle. The club which expresses its mind after this sort, is a society of so-called (miscalled) “workingmen,” followers of Dennis Kearney. Bernal Heights is in the immediate vicinity of Bethany Church, of which Rev. W. C. Pond is the pastor. The production has marked peculiarities, not only in moral tone, but in grammar and rhetoric as well, and affords to our readers all the elements necessary for a correct and vivid picture of its authors:
“BERNAL HEIGHTS CLUB.
“The Bernal Heights Club met last evening, in Ewald’s Hall, J. Clancey in the chair. The following resolution was read and adopted:
“The Committee on Chinese, in the discharge of the duties assigned them, do submit the following, with the recommendation that the same may be communicated to the parties addressed, either through the public press or by letter, as follows: To the Rev. Pond, pastor of the Bethel[A] Congregational Church Society, and members of the aforesaid society: We, the members of the Bernal Heights Club, having been informed that you, and the members of your society, are devoting your energies in the endeavor to teach and instruct Chinese in the English or our language, in order to Christianize them, and bring them up to our standard in all their requirements (a futile undertaking), knowing as we do that they consider their theory of spiritual economy and their doctrines concerning the soul’s immortality, and such things, far superior to our own, and they treat us and all our endeavors to bring them over to the theory and belief with absolute contempt, should convince us, without doubt, of the fallacy, we take this method of expressing our disapprobation of the course that you are pursuing, in encouraging Chinese in this country. We do not object to your following the commands of our Divine Master. Where He enjoins you to go out to all the world and teach and preach, He did not command the whole world to come to you. He said go out to the world and preach. Therefore, if you must preach and teach Chinamen, go to China, and you will there find an opportunity to unburden your full load of Christianity for the heathen lepers. We tell you now, and we shall tell you again, in all earnestness and candor, that we shall and will handle this question without gloves, and that the Chinese must go. Our organization is perfecting to attain that end, and the beginning of the end is not yet. We tell you these facts in all friendship. Do not think that we array ourselves as enemies, but as friends of our race we will defend and protect you as far as we can, consistently with our obligation; but we tell you you must stop this Chinese business. If there is no other way to perpetuate Christianity in this country but through the medium of the Chinese, why, let Christianity slide; if you cannot get a society of your own race and kind to support you, without the help of Chinamen, quit the business you are at, and try something else. Do not think we have signaled out your especial case. Other similar Chinese Christian factories will receive their full share of attention in due time in their own districts. To expel the Chinese from our shores is a duty we owe to ourselves and to posterity, and we will not relent one particle until that end is attained; and, in our struggle to attain that end, we have a right to expect the sympathy of all. We have a sufficient guarantee to warrant us in asserting that every member of the Workingmen’s Party of California will do his duty in this regard.”
Justice to San Francisco demands that we append to this deliverance of the club the following editorial response, which appeared the same week in the Mission Mirror, a paper published in the section of the city in which Bethany Church and Bernal Heights are located: