Page 277 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

263.

Elliot. Forbes spoke for the other Americans in emphasizing

the differences separating the position of the English from

that of the Americans. He said that the English wanted to

leave Canton, because they consider their national dignity
11

hurt--but the fact is they have a large stock of Tea in Eng­
land & expect the Queen to pay for their opium & if they

leave it will be a gain to the bulk of them, now our case is

very different, we as Americans have no interest in the opium

except as agents. . � & we have no stock of Tea at home &

many ships on the way-- 11 Commercial interests overrode the

American worry over their "national dignity. 11 Like Forbes,

they came to China to trade and would not "rashly leave the
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country."

By May 21 opium deliveries had been completed and the

residents were officially released from detention. (Actually,

as soon as the English began to surrender the drug in April,

Lin gradually loosened his restrictions around the Factories.)

Elliot left Canton for Macao, where most of the English and

Parsee merchants had already gone. The Superintendent asked

for the Americans' support in accompanying the English to

Macao. Consul Snow likewise felt the American residents

should leave Canton to pressure the Chinese into making a
11
1
solemn pledge of safety to ithe foreigners 7 person and prop­
erty.11 But the American merchants refused to cooperate.

81
Journal of R.B. Forbes, Apr. 11, 1839, Forbes Family
MSS.