Page 470 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

456.

Chinese before either diplomat arrived at Macao. The merchants'

amity predisposed Cushing and Ch'i-ying to conclude their treaty

rapidly and easily.

Friendly relations developed between American traders

and Chinese Hong merchants because of a shared, single-minded
interest in commercial profit. From the earliest years of their

trade at Canton, Americans willingly obeyed the regulations and

restrictions of the ''Canton syste�' They furthermore sought co­

operation from the Hong merchants in building a successful trade

within this system. The Chinese compared American practices

with the aggressive and recalcitrant attitude of the English.
1
In the l820's and 1830 s the Hong merchants increasingly favored

transacting business with Americans at Canton. Serious economic

difficulties in the early 1820's had forced Americans in the

China trade to seek more efficient modes of business to remain

competitive. Consequently, they fostered closer financial ties

with the Hong merchants. The most successful American houses in

the China trade, Perkins & Co. and its successor Russell & Co.,

reaped rich profits from their special relationship with Chinese

merchants. Other major American commission houses at Canton

followed their associates' example. Friendship and trust between

Americans and Chinese subsequently grew stronger, as both groups
perceived that close ties were mutually beneficial.

Throughout their decades in China, American residents con­

comitantly created a favorable impression on the Chinese govern-

ment. Unlike the English, who had the support of an imperial gov-

ernment and navy, Americans had no alternative but to adhere