Page 418 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

404.

convinced of our power, they will not fail to be governed by

that policy which the British. .will be inclined to carry

22
out in opposition to the interests & trade of the United States.11
(Although the English and Chinese concluded the Treaty of Nanking

in August 1842, the two sides planned further deliberations on

specific regulations. These negotiations resulted in the Treaty

of the Bogue, or Supplementary Treaty, of October 1843.) Af-

ter Kearny returned to Macao from Hong Kong, he again stressed

to the Secretary of the Navy his desire to secure American com­
mercial interests. Taking advantage of his relations with the

Governor-general, he postulated: "The good understanding which

happily exists between the local authorities of Canton and the

Americans and with myself, would seem to recommend this time a

propitious moment for the United States to enter upon some under­
23
standing in regard to commercial privileges with the Chinese.11

Assuming the Navy Department's approval, on October 8,
1
1842, Kearny wrote to Governor-general Ch i Kung that he had

knowledge of the Imperial Court's despatch of Commissioners to

1
Canton 1& that a commercial treaty is to be negotiated to operate
in favor of 'British merchants• exclusively. 11 The Commodore's

major point was to draw Imperial attention to "the commercial

interests of the United States, & he hopes that the importance of

their trade will receive consideration, & their citizens in that

matter be placed upon the same footing as the merchants of the

I
1
nation most favored. 1 In reply Ch i Kung assured Kearny that
"it shall not be permitted that the American merchants shall co;ne

22 1 1 s quadron Letters," East India Squadron, Sep. 23, 1842 .

23
11squadron Letters, 1 1 East India Squadron, Oct. 7, 1842.