Page 460 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

446.

totally unfamiliar with the concept. The Imperial Commissioner,

furthermore, added his own article to the treaty, thus making

1
Cushing s article of extraterritoriality acceptable.
1 1
Ch i-ying s article concerned smuggling and contraband,
especially opium. The Imperial government still worried about

the opium trade, which had not abated with the War. Although

the English authorities had issued a denunciation of the opium

trade, they had refused to include such a statement in any
1
treaty with the Chinese. Ch i-ying wanted the Americans offic­

ially to condemn trade in the drug as smuggling. Cushing will­
1 1
ingly consented to Ch i-ying s request, as the Secretary of

State•s instructions had advised him to acknowledge that the

American government would not sanction any breach of Chinese
92
commercial regulations by American citizens. Com. Lawrence

Kearny in 1842 had already conveyed his government's disapproval

of the opium trade and Cushing legalized this official position.

The United States would not countenance nor protect any Ameri­

can who traded elsewhere than the five designated ports or who

engaged in smuggling any opium or other contraband. Ch'i-ying,

pleased with Cushing•s position on opium, did not oppose extra-

93
. l't
·t
t erri oria l y.
Even as treaty negotiations continued, Cushing moved to
1
settle the affair of Hsu A-man's death. Ch i-ying offered no

92
Diplomatic Instructions: China, May 3, 1843.
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Arts. XXI and XXXIII of the Treaty concern extrater-
ritoriality and opium respectively. Diplomatic Despatches: China,
C. Cushing, Jul. 15, 1844.