Aug. 3d.
Dear Mother—
I wrote you Wednesday last, when I arrived—I have the letter in my pocket yet—forgot to mail it. I wrote my other mother at the same time. I have both letters in my pocket. I am always particular to write to my friends. Don’t scold. I have met many friends, & have been very, very busy. I have not seen [Capt. Duncan, or ]the Beaches, but [have Dan & ]Jack Van Nostrand.
I have [worked hard on an ]article for the [Tribune, concerning ]the Chinese [Treaty, & I ]promised to send it down to-day. It isn’t finished. If I don’t finish it to-day I shall not finish it at all.1 I did not come east to work, except on the book. I expect to go to Hartford tomorrow, & begin.2
I wish I could go immediately West, & comply with your kind invitation, but I suppose it will be impossible to do it before 1st October. Written contracts are pretty binding, you know.
Dan says you were in Elmira a short time ago. I wish I could have arrived soon enough to see you. Cannot you come East now? You haven’t got anything to do.
I knew that dog would die. I knew perfectly well you had invoked a fatal disaster for him when you gave him my name. He received all my sins along with the name, perhaps, & no dog could survive that.
Remember me most kindly, to all the family, & herewith know that I hold you to an extension of your invitation, to take effect two months hence. Whereupon, you will please stand ready to trot out your fatted calf.3
[closing and signature cut away]
Explanatory Notes | Textual Commentary
recognized China’s right to unmolested
dominion over her own territories, with China conceding her control
over inland trade and navigation; granted China the right to appoint
consuls to American ports; insured freedom from persecution or
followers of foregin religions in either country; allowed
unrestricted voluntary migration between China and the United
States; and admitted reciprocal rights of travel and residence.
(Tsai, 28) In his impassioned analysis, Clemens expressed a strong belief that the
treaty would help to prevent persecution of Chinese immigrants, since a
Chinese consul could “call to a strict account all who wrong
them”: It affords me infinite satisfaction to call
particular attention to this Consul clause, and think of the howl
that will go up from the cooks, the railroad graders, and the
cobble-stone artists of California, when they read it. They can
never beat and bang and set the dogs on the Chinamen any more. These
pastimes are lost to them forever. In San Francisco, a large part of
the most interesting local news in the daily papers consists of
gorgeous compliments to the “able and
efficient” Officer This and That for arresting Ah Foo, or
Ching Wang, or Song Hi for stealing a chicken; but when some white
brute breaks an unoffending Chinaman’s head with a brick,
the paper does not compliment any officer for arresting the
assaulter, for the simple reason that the officer does not make the
arrest; the shedding of Chinese blood only makes him laugh; he
considers it fun of the most entertaining description.... I have
seen Chinamen abused and maltreated in all the mean, cowardly ways
possible to the invention of a degraded nature, but I never saw a
policeman interfere in the matter and I never saw a Chinaman righted
in a court of justice for wrongs thus done him. (SLC 1868 [MT00746]) Clemens also understood the purpose of making emigration easier: Chinamen work hard, and with tireless perseverance;
other foreigners get out of work, and labor exchanges must look out
for them. Chinamen look out for themselves, and are never idle a
week at a time; they make excellent cooks, washers, ironers, and
house servants.... The Chinamen, able to work for half wages, will
take their rough manual labor off the hands of ... white men. (SLC 1868 [MT00746])
Your favors have been received & your telegraph, today.
How are you? Glad to hear of your safe arrival Expected to see you
tonight, but not neccessary to discomode yourself. I replied
“I shall be in N.Y. on Monday” to your
dispatch— Now what I wish to say is we are just bringing
out Richardson’s “Grant” Book will make its appearance tomorrow—Therefore we do not need
to press this business unless you wish it. I thought perhaps you
would prefer to send your manuscript up by Express to me, let me
look it over—& see you on Monday in N.Y.
& arrange things there. I should then be able to express
an opinion as to the thing, & whether any alterations
would suggest themselves to my mind. I mean of course minor ones such as arrangements of chapters,
styles &c.— I could talk with you more
knowingly as to our future steps &c— Having
seen you there, you would probably find it neccessary to come to
Hartford soon after & stay perhaps a few days with us.
(Bliss to SLC, 29 July 68, CU-MARK) Clemens probably did not send his manuscript, and he did postpone the
trip. Bliss and Clemens could have met in New York anytime between 3 and
7 August, when Clemens evidently traveled to Hartford (SLC 1868 [MT00747]).
Source text(s):
Previous publication:
L2, 237–239; MTMF, 34–35.
Provenance:see Huntington Library, p. 512. □
Emendations and textual notes:
westminster hotel, cor. of . . . york • [cut away] | [ cor. o ] [cut away]
Capt. Duncan, or • Cap[ ] |or [cut away]
have Dan & • hav[ ] |& [cut away]
worked hard on an • worke[ ] |an [cut away; possibly ‘long’ instead of ‘hard’]
Tribune, concerning • Tri[b ] |cerning [cut away]
Treaty, & I • [Ty, ] |I [cut away]