The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-04-01

m,o,,tsr 10 China. made known To him, and through
him To the Government OF tho United States, that 1t
was unwilling the American Minister should 90 10
Peking.
Tho views of the Chinese Government in this re-
spect were communicated 10 mo BY tho acting Gov
error General soon after my arrival al Macao as
the correspondence already transmitted by me 10 the
department will show al length.
| struggled against these objections until inteli-
gepce was officially commu nicaled to mo OF the APP
po,ntment OF Tsiyeng assimperal Commissioner,
and OF his being actually on his way ~ Canton.
To have left Macao after receiving this intelli-
gence would have subjected me TO the imputation OF
heeing FROM and, IL were, eyadlng meeting with
Tsiyengi and such an imputaton would have coosti.
uted serious difficulty OF not an insupersole one)
in the way Of successful negotiation at the North
Independently Of this consideration, deemed II Of
the highest importance 10 the interests Of the United
States TO be able 10 treat with Tsiyeng. IL would
have been vain 10 expect 10 meet with any other
Chinese statesman equally we'll disposed and equally
competent 10 conduct the negotiation IN behalf oil
China
At Canton, also, were other statesmen likely to be
associated With Tsyeng who Ia. the result sho~ed)
were better informed foreign affairs, and possessed
of better feelings towards the Unlted States than any
persons 10 be found at the North.
And though my instructions require me 10 employ
all proper efforts TO reach Picking yet going thher,
after all was but the means to an end that end be-
the United States in China on satisfactory footing
of advantage, confidence, friendship, and permanent
cy. To attain this end was the indispensable object
the matter VI choice, according 10 cir
eums,anoes.
Add TO which, that in the actual disposition Of the
Chinese Government on this subject To so TO PekiDg
ali with the free of that Government had
become materrequlIing negotiation, to be discussed
with some minister at some point on the coasl Tor u
is To be remembered that Pekng is inland city, and
that foreigner can obtain the means OF conveyance
IN China, subsistence on the roads, without The
consent of the Government
/ could not any where expect TO Ind negellaior
on this question more friendly Than Tsyeng.
With these reflections present 10 my mind, II only
needed TO consider further whether should endeayor
force my way to Picking, or at least, by demonsa-
ton of force at the mouth Of the PHI ho, attempt 10
intimidate the Imperial Government into concedDg TO
me free the Court. In regard to this II is TO
be observed, that, owing TO tho extraordinary delays
Of the ST. Louis her way here, had no means OF
making any serious demonstration OF force al the
North, prior to the time when Tsiyeng arrived at
Canton on his way to Macao, there to NEE, me and
negotiate treaty.
And with an Imperial Commissioner near at hs =,
ready and willing to treat would il have been eHpe-
dent even juffable, to enter upon acts of hos
Utility with China, in order If possible to make Pc
king the place Of negotiation
To 10 30 would be, already remarked, to sacrifice
Evsn the European law Of nations, with all its pro-
visions in behalf OF diplomatic minister, and the
serton OF the duty Of every Government TO receive
and negotiate with them, yet admits that the Govern
ment TO which minister is sent may well refuse 10
receive him at the Court, provided it appoints some
other convenient place and suitable person Tor
the negotiations. b. Nv, chap. 5, 65)
And felt well assured that the United States would
not sanction the performance Of acts Of hostility
against China, for the object of placing resident
minister at Peking, and su less for the object of
minister being received aud entertained for brief pc
rod the Court.
Such was the state Of the question when Tsiyeng
arrived at Macao and avowed his readiness at once 10
enter upon the negotiation Of treaty OF amity and
commerce satisfactory to the United States.
In the communication be had made to Mr.. Forbes
the subj ect of the legation, he had assumed that
no treaty could or would be made with the United
States, on the ground that the Imperial Government
had, of Its own motion, opened the ports to all
nations and conferred on them the same rights and
privileges which the English had obtained by treaty
all which had been repeated in the correspondence Of
Ching with myself.
abandoned, protesting its readiness make all
sonabe concessions 10 the United States and to as
sure these concessions by treaty.
At the same time, Tsyeng declared, either verbal
ly or In writing that if chose to proceed to Peking
he could not according to his instructions treat with
impedimenIs in the way of my proceeding to the
North, but, on the other hand that he was not au-
thorzed to afford me any facilities that if treated
with him here, China would deal with the United
States as sincere and trusting friend, but that if
insisted upon going to Peklng in the face of the
strong indisposrion of the Court, must take my
chance as to my reception there with the probability
of all the substantial objects Of my mission being lost
on question OF court ceremony, even if no worse
event ensued,--of possible coli.on or at least i'll
will, between the two Governments
These facts being clearly understood | could not
doubt as to my duty in the case.
The Interests Of the United States in China are
commercial, not political and 1t the primary pur
pose OF my mission to make satisfactory arrangements
tor the prosecution of commerce with this coun-
try, under new and mole favorable circumstances.
All this was now within my reach. To sacrifice it
to the risk of losing it altogether and to peril
our public peace as well as our commerce upon the
question OF being received at Peking, was proceed
ing which, it seemed to me- neither my Government
nor any portion of the people of the United States
would justify or approve.
For have never disguised from myself the serious
difficulties which | might encounter in forcing nv
way TO Peking; and, If voluntarily admitted there, the
dlfhcutes, almost equally serious, connected with The
question OF presentation al Court On the one hand,
had come to fixed resolution not TO perform the
acts OF proslration TO the Emperor nay, had acqulr-
ed so lIm conviction Of the servile as well as dola
rous character of the ceremony of that
mad determined not to entertain question on the
subject On the other hand, did not well see how
the United States could make China 20 change
the ceremonial of the Court. And for this reason, it
had always been an obec, of great solicude to dis
pose OF all the commercial questions by treaty, before
venurng on Picking
II 1t should be suggested that il would have been
better for me TO have proceeded to the North
without stopping at Macao, reply that this was i'm
practicable at the time Of my arrival, with the Bran
dywine alone, before the sou,herly monsoon bad Sc,
IN, and without any steamer; that if at any time
had gone to the North in the view of negotiating there
should have been wholly dependent on the Chinese
Tor The means of lodging and subssng on shore, and
even for TIE means OF landing the mouth of the Pin
no; that only at Macao could treat independently,
and that here, OF necessity must ali the pecunary and
other arrangements OF the mission be made, aud tho
supplies obla'aed for the squadron.
such are the considerations and the circumstances
which induced me TO consent to forego proceedinr to