VNU. JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, s o c ., SCI.. HUMAN.. N03E,2004

THE BEGINNING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AMERICA AND : HISTORICAL LESSONS

Vu Minh Giang**’

America is a powerful nation whose native country, in which he expressed a potentials and international influence are special concern about the information so great that every country, in its policy given by Pierre Poivre about agriculture in making process, has to take America and the South of Vietnam. He asked a son of its relationship with America as a factor Nguyen Anh (who later became King Gia into consideration. Under the current Long), Prince Canh, who was in rapid and highly intensive but extremely then to get him some Vietnamese rice complex internationalization and globalization, seeds [6]. This can be regarded as the there exists an idea that there is a danger earliest information about the concern of identifying Globalization with about Vietnam of the Americans. Americanization. This poses a serious In 1801 Thomas Jefferson was elected problem to us - scholars in East Asia, a the third president of the United States of region with different cultural traditions America. It has remained a wonder why a from others - to think over and exchange year after Jefferson was in power, a ideas to find out the best solutions that can commercial ship named Frame captained both cope with the common trend and by Jeremiah Brigg was sent to Vietnam to bring into play the advantages of the collect information and study sugar and traditional cultural values. Looking back coffee supplying sources for the American ovei' the first contacts between America market. and Vietnam is not only meaningful to The Frame landed port on historians but also useful to the current as May 218t 1803. Here Captain Brigg met well as the future knowledge. In this two warships of the Nguyen dynasty’s navy article, an attempt is made to look conducted by the French. They advised objectively at the nature of the first Brigg to go to Hue to have a formal contacts between Vietnam and America so interview with King . However, as to draw some historical lessons. the American captain then was arranged Hopefully, what will be discussed below to meet with the representative of the will, more or less, assist our thoughts in Nguyen dynasty, a few clergymen, and the current complex changing world. French navy’s officers who were under 1. The First Contacts between King Gia Long. After obtaining some Vietnam and America information, the Frame left Vietnam for According to the extant documents in Manila on June 10th 1803. It was the first America, in July 1787, Thomas Jefferson, American ship to arrive in Vietnam (4, p.3]. then representative of the United States of This event is mentioned in the Vietnamese America in France wrote a letter to his historical documents. [1, V.3, ppl34t 193]. It was not until 16 years later that the second American ship arrived in Vietnam. n Prof.Dr.Sc., Vietnam National University. Hanoi.

14 The beginning of the relationship between America and Vietnam: historical lessons 15

It was the Franklin conducted by Captain part of the picture of Vietnam and its John White. The Ship arrived in Vung Tau people in early 19,h century, J. White port on January F* 1819. J. White had a provided some comments that discouraged meeting with local officials and they Americans who had intentions to seek for promised to issue him permits to enter business opportunities in this distant, land. Saigon. Yet the captain waited without J. White appraised: “During the time I replies. A local official said that foreign was in this country , all that I learnt about ships needed permission from the dynasty it were villainy and turpitude. They to enter Saigon. Thus, J. White made a completely lacked honesty so they often decision to go to Hue to have a direct tried to play tricks on us and were experts formal talk with the King. Unfortunately, on finding tricks to hide their King Gia Long was then on holiday in the responsibilities. They can easily get all northern part of Vietnam (Bac Ha) so J. these with our open attitude and serious White’s plan was not successful. The way of doing business. All serious business captain decided to leave for Manila with affairs were, in the end, trifling things. the hope to find an interpreter then There was not any insurance to every returned to Vietnam. affair\ except for documentary contracts, After the arrival of the Franklin, there which were hardly ever had. They dared to were three more American ships (the use any tricks to swindle businessmen who Marmion, the Aurora and the Beverly) to get them annoyed for money. Apart from call at Vung Tau and Da Nang ports, yet these, the authorities greediness, shiftiness, none of them managed to achieve their cruelty , and anti-commercial character trade aims. These ships one after another should drive this land to be the least left for Manila and met J. White there. attractive place, even for the most After an interpreter was found, L. White adventurous businessmen ...” [3]. asked Captain John Brown to together Afterwards, a French who read the steer the Marmion back to Vietnam. The book suggested that J. White judged the two American ships arrived in Vung Tau local people with the view of a Rigid port on September 25th 1819. This time J. Puritan and never asked himself how he White was given permits to enter Saigon. had behaved to them. After collecting some goods, most of which 2. Diplomatic Efforts to Set up Trade were sugar and raw silk, the two ships left Relation on January 30th 1820. J. White arrived in Salem on August 30th 1820, It is likely that in the early days the after a twenty-month voyage. concern of the Americans about Vietnam was greater than that of Nguyen dynasty J. White wrote a book entitled A about them. Under the Gia Long regime Voyage to Cochin China published in (1802*1820), the dynasty had many Boston in 1823. The book had a great relations with the West, especially with influence on the attitudes of Americans, France so the presence of the American particularly those of the American ships had not drawn attention so far. businessmen towards Vietnam. Apart from Moreover, the lack of local customs made the vivid and detailed descriptions which the Americans suspect of the local people are of documental value about various and authorities. aspects of life, which helped readers have

VNIỈ. Journal t)f Science, Soc., Sri., Human.. N ịt3E. 2004 16 Vu Minh Giang

Although Brigg and J. White’s mission proposal did not comply with the essential in investigating the possibilities of formulas of veneration towards the King of establishing trade relations with Vietnam Vietnam. They even questioned the might be considered a failure, the us partner and after being explained that the representative agency in Batavia had a US President was the one who was elected different view. In 1826, the American by the people, they concluded that the Envoy John Shillaber sent a letter to the American President was not on the same native country to recommend greater rank or hierarchy with the Vietnamese expansion of the activities of trade ships in King [2]... Atlantic countries, which included Cochin History has shown us that the two China (the South of Vietnam). J. White mandarins sent by the Nguyen dynasty to sent a number of letters persuading the by negotiate with Edmund Roberts were then American President to delegate him Nguyen Tri Phuong and Ly Van Phuc. powers in negotiating trade agreements. After listening to the proposal and the The efforts made by the Envoy were credential from the u s President, they successful after Andrew Jackson was elected president of the United States in considered it inappropriate then, and 1929. A delegation led by Edmund without submitting to the King, they Roberts, which was directly sent by the replied that the Vietnamese King would President, brought the trade agreement not prohibit the trading activities unless across the Indian Ocean to Vietnam to sign these obeyed the defined law of the with the Nguyen dynasty. The warship country. So the American ships had to Peacock carried the delegation to Vung anchor at Tra Son bay (Da Nang) and were Lam (a place in Phu Yen) at the beginning not allowed to build houses on land. of January 1832. Representatives of the Edmunds delegation left Vietnam after local authorities went up to the ship and receiving the note [1, volume 11, p. 231]. asked carefully about the Americans’ According to the letter of Joseph intention. After a ten-day’s waiting, on Baslestier, the American Envoy to January 17th, the dynasty sent two Singapore to Forsyth, the secretary at the mandarins and an escort there to negotiate President’s office provided different with Edmund Roberts, yet after many days information. According to the news source of discussion it was still impossible for which Joseph Baslestier considered both sides to sign the agreement. Edmund reliable, the reason for the American Roberts assumed that the Nguyen dynasty failure in signing the trade agreement was fully responsible for the failure. with Vietnam was that the letter was sent According to him, the diplomatic procedures were far too complicated. to the King too late. After receiving the Besides, senior officials of the dynasty did letter, King Minh Mang invited the not have clear ideas and usually evaded delegation and the crew of the Peacock to direct questions from the American Hue but by the time the letter arrived at partner. The Vietnamese officials then the port, Edmund Roberts’ ship had were too hesitant and cautious and always already left. showed their suspicion. The major reason Perhaps Joseph Baslestier thought his for the disagreement of the Nguyen assessment was right so as soon as he was dynasty was, at last, the documentary appointed the Envoy to Singapore, he tried problems. They said that the words in the to persuade the President to continue the

V N V , Journal o f Science, Site.. Sci . Human . N .JE . 2004 The beginning of Che relationship between America and Vietnam: historical lessons 17

negotiation to sign the trade agreement promote negotiation for signing the trade with Vietnam. Edmund Roberts again was agreement. Baslestiers delegation arrived assigned with the mission. Edmund in Da Nang on March 13th 1850. The Roberts’s delegation arrived in Tra Son person in charged of receiving the bay on May 15,h 1836. Again trouble delegation was Quang Nam’s provincial happened. Soon after arriving in Vietnam, mandarin. According to Baslestier s report, Edmund Roberts was seriously ill so when the Vietnamese mandarin refused to the representative of the Nguyen dynasty receive the American President’s letter as arrived he was not able to receive them. the President allowed his navy to kill Vietnamese people right in Vietnamese The Nguyen dynasty’s officials considered land. Baslestier warned the mandarin that it an offense. On the other hand, the his refusal to receive the letter would be American delegation asked the partner to an offence to the u s President, yet he kept reply to President Andrew Jackson within his attitude unchanged. The talk lasted for three days but the Hue dynasty could not three hours. Baslestier waited for three manage it as good interpreters were away more days to see if his partner would show on business. any commotion, but nothing happened. The result of the second negotiation The American delegation left Da Nang for was the same as the first one. The trade on March 16th [5]. Vietnamese agreement remained unsigned. historical documents describe the visit by Baslestier s delegation as a kind of 3. T h e Constitution Destroyer E v e n t expressing apology for what the American While the American Envoy to warship had done five years before. Since Singapore Joseph Baslestier was finding this event, there had been almost no solutions to the problems of signing the official American delegations to Vietnam. trade agreement with the Nguyen dynasty, 4. Bui Vien’s Visit to America a regretful event happened which strongly affected the relation between the two In 1858, French navy opened fire to countries. The American Constitution attack Da Nang port, marking the Destroyer steered by John Percival stopped beginning of the French conquest of by Da Nang bay to buy food and drinking Vietnam by force. The Nguyen dynasty did water on May 14th 1845 when they met not manage to fight against the invader. local guards who were tracing for a French Many major areas were occupied by the priest. John Percival promulgated to French. Many solutions were suggested to attack the guards to rescue the priest. The save the situation» one of which was to mandarins assigned by the dynasty to seek assistance from powerful nations. The solve the case were detained as hostages US, with its anti-colonialism policy, was [4, p.47]. According to historical documents, considered to be a nation that could help the event happened in 1844 and the two Vietnam then. The Nguyen dynasty sent mandarins were diplomats Nguyen Long Bui Vien to the u s in 1873 to ask for help. and Viceroy Nguyen Dang Giai [1, volume Bui Vien first went to the u s consulate in 25, p. 282]. After that, the relation Hong Kong and there he was welcomed by between the Nguyen dynasty and America the representative of the u s. Making use became intensive. President Zachary of this advantage, Bui Vien went straight Taylor immediately sent Baslestier as to Yokohama then to America. Thanks to special Envoy to deal with the case and to many friends’ help, he was able to meet

V' NU . Journal o f Sitenet '. Soc.. Sri., Human.. N ,JE . 2004 18 Vu Minh Giang

President Simpson Grant. The President necessity in negotiating with the Nguyen supported Vietnam's fight against dynasty. The event of the Destroyer colonialism, yet he could not promise Constitution attacking the Nguyen anything as Bui Vien did not bring with dynasty’s guards and detaining the him an official credential then. Bui Vien governors as hostages made the dynasty’s decided to return to Vietnam to ask for the trust in the Americans, which was very credential, but then we knew the u s little, become even less. government had changed their view. Close On the part of the Nguyen dynasty, the relationship with the French would bring understanding about the u s w as alm ost more benefits to the u s , which meant that nothing until the French attacked Da they could not assist Vietnam to fight Nang (1858). The Kings often considered against French colonialism. themselves civilized people and the 5. Historical Lessons American savage ones. They even did not show interest in their proposals- The It can be inferred from the above- mandarins often thought of the Americans mentioned events that the relationship as "cunning, machiavellian” so their between the u s and Vietnam had a reaction was very cautious. positive beginning, starting with Thomas Jefferson’s interest in Vietnam, the land Under difficulties because of that before that had been almost unknown continuous losses in fighting against the to the American. The u s government then, French colonialism» the Nguyen dynasty being attracted by the trade potential in gradually took on more practical views, Cochin China and through the activities of they even wanted to seek assistance from the US’s embassy in Singapore, had active the US, but the possibility of establishing steps in establishing trade relation with a friendly relation between the two Vietnam . countries had already gone. However, the differences in culture and The biggest historical lesson which can customs were a big barrier preventing the be drawn from the first contacts between relationship with the u s and Vietnam Vietnam and the u s is to give first priority from developing. Despite the fact that the to mutual understanding and to patiently US had made considerable efforts in find solutions to the disagreements and establishing the relationship, it lacked misunderstandings. Until this day, this understanding and patience which were of historical lesson still remains valid.

REFERENCES

1. Đợi Nam thực hành chinh biên, K hoa học Publishing House, 1963. 2. Edmund Roberts, Embassy to the Eastern Courts o f Cochin China. New York, 1837,p.5. 3. John White, A Voyage to Cochin China, Oxford University Press, 1972, p.247 4. Robert Hopkins Miller, The United States and Vietnam 1787-1941> National Defense University Press, Washington DC 1990, p.3. 5. Senate Documents 32n,i Congress. Vol.7. Doc. 18, (Report of Joseph Balesticr to Secretary of State) 25 September 1851, p.37. 6. The Papers from Thomas Jefferson, Princeton University Press, 1958, vol. 11, p.645.

V N V . Journal o f Science. Sot.. S c i. Hitman . N lriE , 2()(N