In 1856 a diplomatic mission from the United States reached
Bangkok, seeking a revision of the existing treaty. The mission
was headed by Hon. Townsend Harris, who, it is interesting to
note, came from Sandy Hill, New York, the home of Mr. Mattoon and
Mr. Bush. The Siamese government was quite ready to negotiate, for
they had the recent experience to guide them and the English treaty
for a model; and a new treaty was speedily effected. Had Dr. House
been in Bangkok at this time, the Foreign Minister assured him
later that the Siamese government would have asked to have had him
appointed first consul under the new treaty.
In the same year a French embassy negotiated a treaty similar to
that of the English and American. In one point, however, the French
advanced a step. Sir John Bowring could secure the right for the
English to own lands or build houses only within twenty-four hours
of Bangkok (a very extensible limit, as time has shown), and Mr.
Harris accepted the same provision. The French, however, demanded
and secured the provision that “French missionaries may travel
to any part of the kingdom and build houses, churches, schools,
hospitals, etc.”; a privilege which immediately accrued to the
Americans by reason of the “favoured nation” clause in their treaty.
When the ratifications of the American treaty were exchanged, a
year later, King Mongkut issued the following memorandum:
“We now have embraced the best opportunity to have made and
exchanged the treaty of friendship and commerce with the
United States of America, and we shall be very glad to esteem
the President of the United States at present and in the
future as our respected friend, and esteem the United States
as united in close friendship, as we know that the government
of the United States must ever act with justice, and is not
often embroiled in difficulties with other nations.
“And if the treaty of friendship between the United States
and Siam has been (shall be?) long preserved in harmony and
peaceful manner it will ever be the occasion of the highest
praise among the Siamese people.
“(Signed) SUPREMUS REX SIAMENSIIUM,
“S. P. P. MONGKUT.”
The influence of the missionaries in bringing about the treaty
relation of Siam with the Western world has been testified by
several. The king himself sanctioned the following statement of
esteem towards the missionaries for their influence on the country:
“Many years ago the American missionaries came here. They
came before any Europeans, and they taught the Siamese
to speak and read the English language. The American
missionaries have always been just and upright men. They
have never meddled in the affairs of government, nor created
any difficulties with the Siamese. They have lived with
the Siamese just as if they belonged to the nation. The
government of Siam has great love and respect for them and
has no fear whatever concerning them. When there has been
a difficulty of any kind, the missionaries have many times
rendered valuable assistance. For this reason the Siamese
have loved and respected them for a long time. The Americans
have also taught the Siamese many things.”
In the same line spoke the Regent, during the regency over
Chulalonkorn, to United States Consul General Hon. George F. Seward:
“Siam has not been disciplined by English and French guns as
China has, but the country has been opened by missionaries.”
The recognition of the indirect influence of the missionaries in
facilitating the treaties was acknowledged by Dr. Wm. M. Wood, late
surgeon-general in the United States Navy, who accompanied Mr.
Harris on his diplomatic mission; stating in his book, _Fankwei_,
that the
“... unselfish kindness of the American missionaries, their
patience, sincerity and truthfulness, have won the confidence
and esteem of the natives, and in some degree transferred
those sentiments to the nation represented by the missions,
and prepared the way for the free intercourse now commencing.
It was very evident that much of the apprehension they felt
in taking upon themselves the responsibilities of a treaty
with us would be diminished if they could have the Rev. Mr.
Mattoon as the first United States Consul to set the treaty
in motion.”