Wars with the Barbary Powers, Volume I Part 3
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Naval Documents related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers Volume I Part 3 of 4 Naval Operations including diplomatic background from 1785 through 1801 United States Government Printing Office Washington, 1939 Electronically published by American Naval Records Society Bolton Landing, New York 2011 AS A WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THIS PUBLICATION IS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. 342 NAVAL OPERATIONS FROM 1786 TO 1801 To William Eaton, U. 6. Consul, Tunis, from Secretary of State NQ3. DEPARTMENTOF STATE Philad* Jany 11% 1800 SIR, The Brig Sophia arrived with your dispatches the latter end of August, when the yellow fever had again obliged the public officers to remove from this city. New York was visited with the same dis- ease at the same time; and the inhabitants of both cities generally removed into the country; whereby business was suspended. We returned hither the beginning of November. Congress assembled in december, when the treaty 117 August 17971 between the United States and Tunis was laid before the Senate, with the alterations in the 11% 12%and 14'Q articles to which you and Mr Cathcart agreed. The Senate having given its advice and consent, the treaty has now been duly ratified by the President. One of the originals received from you is herewith returned, with the ratification in due form. The other destined by you to be returned, will be sent by the next safe conveyance. - A large ship is loading at New York with naval and military stores for Tunis; and the Agent informed me that she will be ready to sail the first week in February. The residue of the stipulated stores will be forwarded as fast as they can be provided: but some are of a nature dScult to procure, and it will take time to furnish them. They are not articles which are to be found on hand, like common merchandise, in our sea opt towns; the timber and planks especially, being of prescribed Lensions, must be cut and prepared for the particular service. However, that the Bey might receive an evidence that the United States will fulfill their stipula- tions, the large ship above mentioned has been directed to be loaded with such of the stores required as the City of New York could fur- nish; the lumber of dimensions as near as possible to those prescribed. Until the SophiaJ$ arrival, nothing could be done: because it was hoped and ex ected that the Bey would consent to substitute money for stores. TE~burthen of the latter is enormous. By a calculation made of their bulk, it appears that they will probably occupy the space of at least fifteen thousand barrels. Regularly, none could have been provided, until the treaty was finally ratified; and this could not take place until the Senate assembled in december. Under these circumstances, the Bey will see the impossibility of sending forward the regalia of maritime and military stores within the period which he proposed: and unless he is at all events determined to make war upon us, he will wait such a length of time as will render the providing and transporting of them practicable. He should also consider the danger we run of capture by some of the belhgerent powers; seeing the stores are contraband of war. From that cause alone, half of them may miscarry. Your letters of June lqt and 15@were received the lGth of October. the latter strongly enforces the necessity of forwarding the stores expeditiously: but it is hoped your apprehensions are too lively, that war will be the consequence of some delay. As the Bey would accept no gt~bstitufefor the stores, he will hardly forfeit them by war rather than wait a few months longer. I enclose a copy of CaptW Brien's list of stores, and of that which you forwarded. Comparing them, you will see the latter to be materially more burthensome, by the addi- tion of ten tons of cordage, and the greatly increased dimensions of the planks and timber. WARS WITH BARBARY POWERS The importance of sending a naval force into the Mediterranean, to shew to the Barbary powers our capacity to defend our commerce, and to annoy them, has repeatedly been urged; and probably the period is near at hand when this measure will be practicable. At the same time its efficacy may be questioned. The Danes and Swedes have long possessed a naval force vastly superior to what we can ex- hibit: yet the regencies have often broken their peace with them; and after a display of frigates and some fighting (as in the case of the Danea late1 with Tripoli) both of those nations have yielded to the humuliat- ing Lmands of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. Whence this contempt of those two maritime powers? Have these never been in earnest in joining battle mth the Corsairs? Or have they wanted spirit or con- duct? - The late spirited example of Portugal, when a single ship of the line destroyed two Tripolitan Corsairs and reduced the Bey to the very novel condition of purchasing peace of a Christian Power is encouraging; and should our dserences with France be settled by our Envoys now at Paris, and either of the Regencies break their peace with us, our whole naval force may be sent against them: and consist- smaller ships, brigs and Schooners, no fleet would be for service on the coast of Barbary: and by their according to the enclosed list, you will see they are sufficient to destroy the Corsairs of any one, or of all the three regencies together. - For you know from the proofs given by American seamen in our revolution war, that they are not sur awed in skill and bravery by the seamen of any nation on earth. Anlaltho it would be neither decent nor prudent for you to boast of our naval force; yet if the Bey should unfortunately manifest a hostile temper you can contrive without a direct communication from yourself, unless he should enquire to let him know the extent and quality of the naval force we can send into the Mediterranean. He knows and fears the prowess of the English: and he may be informed that we are their descendants ;and ship to ship and man to man, are in no thing inferior. - Your expressions are, that the Bey requests a cruizer of 18 or 20 guns, and demands a present of jewels. Neither was stipulated or expected by the United States. - The former we could certainly furnish, because of our own manufacture. The jewels can only be obtained in Europe - at present in England - the amount enormous. Your details of the commerce of Tunis are interesting. It would give employment to all her naval armament, if converted from corsairs to merchant vessels. And is it not possible to give to a Prince so enlightned as the present Bey, such ideas of the advantages of a peaceful commerce as to induce him to attempt the change? Besides, as the government is hereditary in his family, he will feel an interest in it, which can have no operation in the military elective regencies. In his letter to the President, the Bey e resses his desire that a solid and lucrative commerce ma be estab"E, hed between us. Our enterprising merchants would reaH dy commence it, were the assured of protection, and that monopolies of the exports of Ls kmgdom would not prevent their obtaining return car oes. If, for instance, the 250,000 hides, which you state to be annua7l y exported by a com- pany, with exclusive privileges, and which the subjects are compelled to sell to them, at eleven cents each (amount 27,500 dollars) were not under a monopoly, they might be exchanged with American mer- 344 NAVAL OPERATIONS FROM 1786 TO 1801 chants for commoditiesl pfobabl of the value of 250,000 dollars. Or suppose they gave Tms~ansugjects only 25 cents and the Bey 12% cents for each hide, his subjects would receive $125,000, and his revenue, instead of ten or fifteen thousand dollars, would on this single article be increased to upwards of $60,000. - Are these monopohes irrevocably fixed? It is not presumeable. And cannot a man of the Bey's good sense, and so ea er after gain be easily e htened on the subject; and will he not feef himself under strong and9 asting obliga- tions to the Consul and nation who shall place him in a condition so advantageous to himself and his subjects? If these ideas are not the freedom with which he converses with you, will enable you to close them. [SDA. Dip. Cor., Inst. to Min., 179%1800.] [15 January 18001 To the Bey of Tunis from Resident John Adams The PRESIDENTOF THE UNITEDSTATES OF AMERICA To HAMOWDAPACHA, BEY OF TUNIS,the well guarded city & abode of felicity. I have received your letter of the thirtieth of April 1799, answering to the 25th of the Moon Kaada, of the year of the Kegira 1213. and express to you my thanks for the attentions shown to my deputies Wdliam Eaton & James Leander Cathcart, who were charged to arrange anew with you some articles of the treaty of peace & friend- ship between us. It gives me pleasure also that you have received Mt Eaton for the Consul of the United States, and assured to him all the honours, distinctions & prerogatives which the Consuls of other nations enjoy. I persuade myself that by his wise & discreet deport- ment he will shew himself alike worthy of your regards & of my con- fidence.