United States, and assured to him all the honors, distinctions and prerogatives, which the Consuls of other nations enjoy. I persuade myself that by his wise and discreet deportment he will shew himself alike worthy of your regards and of my confidence. Nothing could be more grateful to me than the expression of your desire, that in consequence of these final arrangements, a commerce solid and lucrative, might be established; and that Almighty God would cause to reign, between our respective nations, a firm and durable peace. With respect to the time within which you required that the stipulated stores should be delivered, I have charged Mr. EATON to explain to you the impossibility of a compliance and will now only observe, that of the six months proposed for that purpose, four had elapsed when your letter and the Consul's dispatches arrived: and then a pestilence, raging in some of our principal cities, by causing the inhabitants to flee to the country, and suspending business, rendered delays unavoidable. But you may rest assured, that the engagements I have made with you, in behalf of the United States, will be performed with perfect good faith; and all the stipulated naval and military stores be delivered, with as much dispatch as the great distance of the United States, and the time necessary to procure the stores, render practicable. Your clear and eminent discernment will see the reasonableness of these observations; and your regard to justice will give them their due weight. With sentiments of high consideration, Iremain your good friend. Done at Philadelphia, the 15th day of January 1800, and of the Independence of the United States the twenty fourth year. By the President, JOHN ADAMS. TIMOTHY PICKERING, Secretary of State, SIR, To Mr. PICKERING, March 31st, 1800. ON the 24th instant I received your communications by the Sophia, and early the next morning went to the palace. After waiting some time in the antichamber, on account of the indisposition of the Bey, who had been nine days dangerously ill of a billious putrid fever, I was admitted to an audience ; passed the usual formalities and retired into the chamber of the Minister, (Sapitapa.) I stated to him that I had yesterday received interesting intelligence from the government of the United States, among which was a letter from the President to the Bey; and desired to be informed when, if the Bey's health would admit, I might make a formal communication ? "Do you take us to be dupes ?" said he. "You have at one time shewed us letters from your minister at Portugal, at another from your Consul general at Algiers; at another from your Consul at Leghorn : at one period your regalia were under convoy of two frigates; at another in quarantine at Lisbon; and then we are placed at our windows with our spyglasses looking for the arrival of vessels which sail in air. We are no longer to be amused. It is not necessary that you take the trouble of a formal communication. I now candidly advise you, (a measure which has long since been resolved upon,) that the Corsaires* now bound on a cruise have orders to bring in Americans and for this purpose, they are ordered to cruise off the coast of Spain and Portugal." I began an explanation on the inaccuracy of my former communications. He interrupted me, and repeated, that the measure was resolved, and that explanations were needless. * Three in number: two, the property of the Bey, of 26 guns each one of the Sapitapa, of 20 guns. I regretted that our countrymen should be set upon each other to shed blood. But, if there were no alternative; no explanation to be had : I could only lament the calamity with the sad consolation of having used my best efforts to avert it. I would how ever inform him, with as much candor as he appriz. ed me of the resolution, that I had, long since, placed my countrymen on their guard against this event: that our merchantmen were well armed and manned: that I would vouch for their defending themselves, for that they were not novices in war, and despised slavery. His attention was arrested. I changed my position, and took up the explanation. That the communications I had before made, were unofficial, predicated upon letters from our ministers and consuls, whose concern for the peace of their country induced them, perhaps, to place too implicit reliance upon incorrect information. This I now offered was direct from our government, including a letter from our President, addressed by his own hand to the prince of this Regency, accompanied by the treaty formally ratified, and assurances from the Prime Minister, that a large ship was now under way for Tunis, laden with naval and military stores; that these dispatches also authorized me to meet the demand of the Bey for jewels in a manner which, I hoped, would be satisfactory to him. "It is very well! This looks a little more like truth," said the minister: " but we will not arrest the cruise. If we make captures of Americans, we will send the Christians (meaning crews) to your house; your vessels to Porto Farina; and their car. goes we will safely store. They shall be held in sequestration a given number of days, in expectation of the arrival of your regalia so much talked about; on failure of which, they shall be good prize." I answered, that a step of this kind, if it went only to secure the falfilment of our obligations, would defeat its own object my countrymen would not yield to it without resistance: and that revenge and blood would be the inevitable consequence of attempting it. I desired, therefore, to prevent the eyils which might and most certainly would result to both countries from this project, that the Bey would see the President's letter, and hear my communications. He paused. An English gentleman, who was with me, and to whom we are obliged, urged the reasonableness of my desire. The minister, after recapitulating his detail of delays and infidelities, of which we are accused, said, "I will see my master tomorrow. The day after, if you come to Bardo (the palace) we will decide on something." 66 March 26th, eleven o'clock, A. M. An American ship, Camilla, Capt. Samuel Holmes, of Boston, last from Naples, came to anchor at the Goulette, addressed to Julius Cæsar Alberganty. At three, P. M. a message came from the minister, informing that the government had occasion for the Ameriean ship now at the Goulette." I replied that the message should be answered tomorrow. In the interim, I sent the Sapitapa a piece of superfine blue cloth, and half a piece of scarlet, which I had the day before received from Eugland, intended for my own use. This day was employed in rendering in Italian, the President's letter to the Bey, his ratification of the treaty, and such of the communications of the Secretary of State as related to the regalia of naval and military stores, and also an extract of a letter from Mr. Appleton, relative to the effect the last clause of the 12th article of the treaty had produced in the minds of our countrymen, masters of vessels, at Leghorn. 27th. 11, A. M. At the palace. Made the above communications to the Bey. He expressed great satisfaction seemed flattered with the President's letter; thanked God; and hoped the safe arrival of the ship; but observed," I see nothing here about the jewels." To which I thought proper to say: the President has directed me, as a further testimony of his friendly sentiments towards the Bashaw of Tunis, to procure a present of this kind also from England, but has limited the sum destined for the purpose, very much within the estimate annexed to the note given of the jewels. "To me," said the Bey, "the sum limited is of no import. I shall be satisfied, provided the articles come according to the note." He said nothing of the demand formerly started of a cruiser. And he gave leave for Capt. Holmes to take a cargo of wheat on his own account. CIRCULAR. Consulate of the United States, Tunis, 10th April, 1800. SIR, Having at length amicably adjusted the affairs of the United States with the Bey and Regency of Tunis, I desire you will communicate this agreeable intelligence to the masters of American vessels, and others interested, who may come within the limits of your Consulate. The principal minister of the Bey has pledged himself that the last clause of the 12th article of our treaty with this Regency, inserted by Joseph Etienne Famin, shall have the same effect with respect to American merchant vessels as the custom of all other nations at peace with Tunis has established with respect to their own, and no other. There is therefore now no danger to be apprehended from American vessels visiting this coast: perfect health prevails here. Iam, Sir, with esteem and regard, your most obedient Servant THOMAS APPLETON, ESQ. American Consul at Leghorn. |