Page 396 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

382.

future Canton trade was manifest in the Americans• memorial to

Congress. The signers wrote that, if the American government

did not wish to involve itself in matters at Canton, Congress

at least should despatch an agent with adequate commercial

knowledge. More importantly, the Americans requested that he

be accompanied by a naval force. Although the merchants pro­

posed naval co-operation with the English, they feared the
actions of the English fleet at Canton. In the memorial the

signers asked for "a sufficient naval force to protect our

commerce and our persons from being held responsible for the

acts of lawless traders and hostile operations of the British

or foreign fleet. " The signers also feared a paper

olockade which would impede American commerce. Voicing their

primary worry, the Americans desired naval assistance "to secure

participation in any privileges which this Government may here­

after be induced to cede to other powers. " At the end of May

1839 though, the Americans could not be certain as to future

events in China. Wnat did occur was a tremendous increase in

trade for American merchants, who acquired the absent English

merchants' business. At the same time, Com. Read with the U.S.S.

"Columbia" and U.S.S. "John Adams" lay a.t anchor at Macao. None

of the Americans sent any more proposals or requests to Congress.

They were content, for the present, with the situation as it was.

1
Although they approved of Com. Read s presence at Macao, they did
not want American naval vessels inside Chinese territorial water5.

As long as the "Canton system" continued to govern the foreign