Page 133 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

119.

were "by nature inscrutable" and were moreover cunning,

malicious, inconstant and avaricious, the Chinese regarded

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the Americans more favorably. Although they could not
understand where the United States was situated, they became

favorably disposed to its trade representatives. The Chinese
noticed that they seemed to "resent the English barbarians

and revere China." Such an attitude naturally impressed the

Chinese, who resented British audacity. The Americans also
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received the compliments of being "trustworthy" and "reasonable."
1 1
Throughout the 1820 s and 1830 s the policy of neutrality

espoused by the American residents at Canton pleased the

Imperial government even more. In the burgeoning troubles the

Court had with the British, the fact that the Americans stood

alone weakened the English position. This neutrality rein-

forced the Chinese position, at least in Chinese eyes. The

Court singled them out for praise or material benefits in
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trade.

In practice the position taken by the Chinese and the

Americans had self-gratifying goals. Moreover their policies

were mutually beneficial. The best example of this occurred

during the opium crisis of 1839. When t0e English vacated

31
. 1
h.
Ear 1 Swis �er, C J.na' s Management of the American
Barbarians: A Study of Sino-American Relations, 1841-1861
(New Haven, 1951), pp. 11, 29-30.
32
wis
S . h er, Management of American Barbarians, pp. 44-47.
33
wis
S . h er, Management of American Barbarians, pp. xvi-xvii.