Page 472 - Merchants and Mandarins China Trade Era

458.

determining the initial basis of its relations with China.

Lack of previous interest by both government and any other

group left the American mercantile community the major source

of information concerning China. (The only other American

residents in China, Protestant missionaries, had not yet begun

lobbying for their own interests.) When Cushing arrived in

China as the first A,.�erican diplomatic representative, he con­

sidered commercial interests as the United States' primary con­

cern in China. Therefore, he negotiated a basically commercial

treaty. The American government wanted neither Chinese terri­

tory nor responsibilities requiring constant naval vigilance.

Cushing concluded a treaty which reflected existing American

ties of commerce and amity with China.

In September 1844, a leading American merchant described

his impressions of the Treaty of Wang-hsia to Nathaniel Kinsman,

a partner in Wetmore & Co. and a former seacaptain in the East

India trade: "As to our commercial intercourse with China, it

seems now to be on as favorable a footing as it can be, & I hope

3
it will not be interfered with.11 The American government agreed
with the merchant's view of the Treaty. On January 16, 1845, one

month after Cushing's return from China, the Senate unanimously
' . 4
ratified the Treaty of Wang-nsia. Thus, Americans officially

opened a new era in relations between the United States and China.

3
Letter, W.H. Neal to N. Kinsman, Sep. 30, 1844, Salem,
Essex Institute, Kinsman Family MSS.

4
The Senate discussed and ratified the Treaty in execu­
tive session. U.S., Congress, Senate, Journal of Proceedings,
Jan. 16, 1845, 28th Cong., 2nd sess., 1844-45.