Page 288 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

274.

Nevertheless, the Chinese refused to believe that the

English would actually resort to war. Even Houqua told his

friend Forbes he thought 11negotiations may be long pending 11

but no fighting. He claimed that 11the English will bully &

bluster--a little at first & afterwards make terms with China

& carry on the trade pretty much in the old way--" Houqua also

revealed his biased view of Chinese superiority by adding,
11 If they undertake to lay down the law for China they will

eventually fail & go home. 1194 Such statements revealed

the gross misunderstanding of the Chinese toward British

attitudes and capabilities. Even Houqua, presumably more aware

than most Chinese of Western thinking and actions, fell back

on traditional Chinese attitudes concerning the importance of

China's trade to the West. The Chinese had not understood the

full impact on the British of Lin Tse-hsU's actions in halting

the opium trade. Not familiar with concepts of nationhood

and honor, the Chinese assumed the crisis would pass and the

legal trade would resume. The Hong merchants also assumed

the illegal trade would return, but with less flagrant methods.

In addition to their misunderstanding was Lin's misjudgment

concerning the sovereignity of Chinese law. Elliot and the

English were determined never to submit themselves to the

jurisdiction of Imperial law. Lin, representing official

94
Journal of R.B. Forbes, May 9, 1840, Forbes Family MSS.
Houqua expressed the same feelings in letters he wrote to the
United States. Letters, Houqua to J.C. Green, May 31, 1840,
Houqua to J.P. Cushing, Jun. 1, 1840, Harvard Business School,
Baker Library, Houqua's Letterbook.