dore Dale, determined the President to send into the Mediterranean a squadron of three Frigates and a sloop of war, under the command of that officer. Should war have been declared or hostilities commenced, this force will be immediately employed in the defence and protection of our commerce against the piracies of that Regency. It is hoped that the contagion will not have spread either to Tunis or Algiers; but should one or both of them have followed the perfidious example, their corsairs will be equally repelled and punished. The policy of exhibiting a naval force on the coast of Barbary, has long been urged by yourself and the other Consuls. The present moment is peculiarly favorable for the experiment, not only as it is a pro. vision against an immediate danger, but as we are now at peace and amity with all the rest of the world, and as the force employed would, if at home, be at nearly the same expense, with less advantage to our mariners. The President has therefore every reason to expect the utmost exertions of your prudence and address, in giving the measure an impression most advantageous to the character and interests of the United States. In effecting this object, the means must be left in a great degree to your knowl edge of the local and other circumstances, which cannot be understood at this distance. You will of course take due pains to satisfy the Bey, that the United States are desirous of maintaining peace with all nations, who are willing to live in peace, that they have given abundant evidence of their disposition to cultivate the friendship of the Barbary Regencies and of himself in particular, and that if the flag of the United States should be engaged in war with either of them, it will be a war of defence and necessity, not of choice or provocation. You will also give every friendly explanation and assurance, on this occasion, which may be requisite for the Consuls and Agents of other powers residing at Tu nis. You are authorised to inform the Bey of Tunis that a vessel is now preparing to take in the cargo, which will complete the regalia due to him, and that no time will be lost in getting her on her voyage. The jewels, to the amount of $10,000, have, as you know, been ordered to be prepared in London. On the 28th December last, Mr. King wrote: "I have concluded to take immediate measures to provide the jewels enumerated in the list furnished by Mr. EATON. Some of the articles can be soon prepared and sent others, including the arms and almost all the jewelry, will require a long time to be prepared." If they are essential to the preservation of peace and the benefits of the treaty with the Bey, they must be yielded to him. The demand is nevertheless deemed so extortionate, that the President expects from you every practicable exertion to get rid of it, or as much as circumstances will permit you to withhold. The articles, withdrawn from the present, may be preserved, to be applied on some future occasion, which may demand them. To MR. MADISON. Tunis, September 5th, 1801. THE inclosures, which I have the honor herewith to forward, will inform government, as accurately as I have the means, of our actual position and future prospects in regard to Tripoli, one circumstance only omitted, which is, a project in concert between the rightful Bashaw of Tripoli, now an exile in Tunis, and myself, to attack the usurper by land, while our operations are going on by sea. These two men are brothers; the younger is on the throne; having expelled the elder about eight or nine years ago. The subjects in general of the reigning Bashaw are very discontented, and ripe for revolt; they want nothing but confidence in the prospect of success. This confidence may be inspired by assurances of our determination to chas tise this Bashaw for his outrages against the United States. The Bey of Tunis, though prudence will keep him behind the curtain, I have strong reasons to believe, will cheerfully promote the scheme. He is in favor of the elder brother. The idea of dethroning our enemy, and placing a rightful Sovereign in his seat, makes a deeper impression on account of the lasting peace it will produce with that Regency, and the lesson of caution it will teach the other Barbary States. These are objects which, to me seem so clearly in our power that they ought to command exertions. To MR. MADISON. Tunis, Nov. 17th, 1801. THE manner in which the King of Denmark has been pleased to recognize my services the last summer, (inclosure B.) places me in somewhat of an embarrassed situation. I do not know, all things considered, whether the token of satisfaction his Majesty tenders me comes within the interdict of the construction of the constitution: I submit the question to government; and, in the mean time, have answered the board, (inclosure C.) (Inclosure B. of the preceding letter.) SIR, Copenhagen, July 11th, 1801. HIS Majesty, the King, having been informed of your kind proceedings towards his subjects, who last year had the misfortune of being made slaves by the Tunissians; as also of the service you have rendered the owners of six of the captured ships, by venturing to purchase them at the instances of the masters, and restoring since to the said owners, though upon a somewhat precarious security for getting reimbursed your expences; and of the friendly assistance which you have lent Commodore Koefoed as he addressed himself to you; has been most graciously pleased to order us to transmit you the gold box ornamented with the initials of his Royal name, which will be delivered to you along with this letter, and which you will please to accept, as a token of his Majesty's most high satisfaction with regard to the services you have rendered the nation. It is peculiarly pleasing for us, sir, to fulfil his Majesty's orders on this subject, as we entertain the highest sense of your very liberal and meritorious conduct; which suits entirely those relations of friendship and intimacy which subsist, and, we trust, will continue still increasing between both governments and it shall be our particular care to give orders to the Danish Consuls on the coast of Barbary that they shall avail themselves of every opportunity that may occur for being of any service to the interests of the government of the United States and of individuals of the American nation: which we are happy to learn has already been done by his Majesty's Consul at Tripoli. Captain Holck, of the navy, has been appointed his Majesty's Consul at Tunis; we beg leave, Sir, to recommend him to your friendly attentions, which he most assuredly will endeavor to secure by the ties of mutual esteem and confidence: and we must particularly request for him, that you, Sir, might be pleased to give him the advice and directions which a newly arrived stranger always, and especially in the country where you live, stands so much in need of. We are, with particular esteem, The Members of the Board for the affairs relating to the states on the coast of Barbary. (Signed) E. SCHIMELMAN STIEN BILLE." (Inclosure C.) American house at Tunis. GENTLEMEN, November 17th, 1801. THE expression by which his Danish Majesty has been most graciously pleased to signify his approbation of my conduct, during the short period I acted as his medium of communication with this Regency, and which was last evening put into my hands by his Consul Capt. Holck, does me dis-. tinguished honor; and impresses at the same time a deep sense of obligation: but, as an article of the constitution of the United States ordains that, "no person holding an office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince or foreign state" it is believed his Danish Majesty will be graciously pleased to allow me to submit for the decision of that body whether I may be permitted to hold this honorable testimonial of his satisfaction? If in exercising the duties of a Christian and a man, I may have been serviceable to some of his Danish Majesty's subjects, who had unfortunately fallen into slavery here, the simplest evidence of his contentment would have been an ample gratification : I certainly acted with no other view of recompense. I feel myself bound no less by the ties of sympathy and gratitude than by a consideration of the happy intelligence which subsists between the two governments, to tender Consul Holck, as well as every individual of the Danish nation, my best offices whenever they may be useful: the United States at this moment receive essential services from the friendly and judicious agency of his Danish Majesty's Consul, Mr. Nissen, at Tripoli. I shall transmit a copy of the letter I have had the honor to receive from you to the government of the |