Early Relations hctzveen the United States and China. 127 



dollars a year, and an experienced physician and surgeon.^"' The 

 weakness of the old system had been clearly shown during the 

 Terranova afifair, when the consul's powers proved so inadequate. 

 During the troubles which followed the end of the East India 

 Company's regime, it was felt that some action must soon be 

 taken, especially since Grosvenor, the incumbent of the office, 

 was absent so much of the time. An American merchant in 

 Canton wrote the government in April, 1834, urging that a consul 

 be on the ground with extensive powers, and that a naval force 

 be sent to watch developments. In September he wrote again, 

 predicting hostilities between China and Great Britain, and urg- 

 ing more specifically that the United States send a representative 

 to the East to deal directly with the authorities, to insure treat- 

 ment as favorable as that accorded to England.^''* In June, 1837, 

 the Chinese Repository published an article proposing a consular 

 establishment for Eastern Asia with a consul-general at Canton, 

 and men under him at various Eastern trade centers, all with 

 adequate salaries.^"^ 



After hostilities had begun the needs of the situation were seen 

 to include more than a mere change in the consular establish- 

 ment. It was felt by all persons acquainted with conditions 

 that the United States must obtain for herself those underlying 

 privileges for which the war was being waged — larger freedom 

 of residence and of trade, greater security for the persons of 

 foreigners, and a mutual agreement as to tariff and port regula- 

 tions, all based on direct intercourse between officials of the two 

 nations and on a treaty whose fundamental principle should be 

 mutual equality. Pressure was brought to bear on the govern- 

 ment from various sources, urging action to this end. Even 

 before the war had begun, on April 23d, 1839, Gideon Nye 

 memoralized Congress, submitting "the expediency of appointing 

 a minister to the court of Peking, empowered to establish equit- 

 able relations, whereby his right of residence at the seat of 



'°^ Consular Letters, Canton, I. It has no date, but its early nature is 

 shown by the letters with which it is bound, and by the fact that it is 

 signed by Perkins and Company, I. S. Wilcocks, Philip Ammidon, John 

 Hart, Andrew Mather, William F. Magee, etc. 



^°^ Consular Letters, Canton, L April 20, 1834. Ibid., II, Sept. 23, 1834. 



'"'Ch. Rep., 6:69-82. (June, 1837.) 



