Page 403 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

389.

the first principle of the rights of nations. II Concern-

ing the role of the United States in War, although Adams claimed

that he would "leave ,{I.:t.7 to your meditations, 11 there was little
86
doubt that he advocated American support for the English. Adams

spoke as a member of the Society, but his speech evoked a response

of outrage among many Americans, most of whom did not desire any

American involvement in China. His speech had little noticeable

effect on Washington, though it did serve Adams• purpose of

arousing greater interest in China. The real catalyst in

forcing the Administration to act was the conclusion of the

Treaty of Nanking in 1842. When President Tyler and especially

his Secretary of State Daniel Webster received news of this

Treaty, they realized that the United States must also change

the basis of its relationship with the Celestial Empire. The

American government must now act diplomatically to protect Ameri­

can commerce at Canton�

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some publications even refused to print Adams• speech.
Editors of the Chinese Repository pointedly stated they would
print the speech, although they strongly disagreed with its
argument that opium was not the cause of the war between Eng­
land and China. Chinese Repository, XI, 5 (May 1842), 274-89.