Page 381 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

367.

American residents and their trade, the Americans did not al­

ways feel the presence of naval vessels to be in their best

interest. As with their attitude toward American consuls at

Canton, the merchants desired as little action on their part

as possible. The merchants approved the naval visits as an

indication to the Chinese of the prestige and strength of the

United States. But, quite satisfied with the "Canton system,"

American residents did not care to disturb their relations
1
with the Chinese. They therefore tolerated the Navy s policy

of protecting Americans abroad, but they did not want any

interference by the Navy in their commercial enterprise at

Canton.

So throughout the 1820's and 1830's American naval

vessels occasionally stopped in China as they cruised the

Pacific Ocean. Between the departure of the U.S.S. "Congress"

in autumn 1820 and the opium crisis in spring 1839, American

naval commanders visited China.four times. The second Ameri-
can warship to anchor outside Canton was the U.S.S. "Vincennes"

captained by William B. Finch. This sloop-of-war was part of
1
11
the Pacific Squadron, established in the early 1820 s for
11
the protection of American commercial and whaling interests

in the Pacific Ocean. With its headquarters at the South

American ports of Valparaiso (Chile) and Callao (Peru), the

Squadron basically cruised between the coasts of South America
53
and the Pacific Northwest and the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands.

53
commanders of the Pacific Squadron included Charles
Stewart and Isaac Hull, who had commanded the U.S.S. "Constitution. 1 1
Paullin, Diplomatic Negotiations of .A.merican Naval Officers, p. 332.
The Squadron especially kept.watch over Honolulu, wher� diffic�l­
ties constantly arose over disputes among merchants, m1ss1onar1es
and seamen.