Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 2Jefferson, Thomas
History
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 2
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
My last letters to you were of the 6th and 15th of August; since which,
I have been honored with yours of July the 24th, acknowledging the
receipt of mine of the 14th and 23d of February. I am anxious to hear
you have received that also of May the 4th, written from Marseilles.
According to the desires of Congress, expressed in their vote confirming
the appointments of Francisco Giuseppa and Girolamo Chiappi, their
agents in Morocco, I have written letters to these gentlemen, to begin a
correspondence with them. To the first, I have enclosed the ratification
of the treaty with the Emperor of Morocco, and shall send it either by
our agent at Marseilles, who is now here, or by the Count Daranda, who
sets out for Madrid in a few days, having relinquished his embassy here.
I shall proceed on the redemption of our captives at Algiers, as soon as
the commissioners of the treasury shall enable me, by placing the money
necessary under my orders. The prisoners redeemed by the religious order
of Mathurins, cost about four hundred dollars each, and the General of
the order told me, that they had never been able to redeem foreigners on
so good terms as their own countrymen. Supposing that their redemption,
clothing, feeding, and transportation should amount to five hundred
dollars each, there must be, at least, a sum of ten thousand dollars set
apart for this purpose. Till this is done, I shall take no other step
than the preparatory one, of destroying at Algiers all idea of our
intending to redeem the prisoners. This, the General of the Mathurins
told me, was indispensably necessary, and that it must not, on any
account, transpire, that the public would interest themselves for their
redemption. This was rendered the more necessary, by the declaration of
the Dey to the Spanish consul, that he should hold him responsible, at
the Spanish price, for our prisoners, even for such as should die. Three
of them have died of the plague. By authorizing me to redeem at the
prices usually paid by the European nations, Congress, I suppose, could
not mean the Spanish price, which is not only unusual but unprecedented,
and would make our vessels the first object with those pirates. I
shall pay no attention, therefore, to the Spanish price, unless further
instructed. Hard as it may seem, I should think it necessary, not to
let it be known even to the relations of the captives, that we mean to
redeem them.
I have the honor to inclose you a paper from the admiralty of
Guadaloupe, sent to me as a matter of form, and to be lodged, I suppose,
with our marine records. I enclose, also, a copy of a letter from the
Count de Florida Blanca to Mr. Carmichael, by which you will perceive,
they have referred the settlement of the claim of South Carolina for
the use of their frigate, to Mr. Gardoqui, and to the Delegates of South
Carolina in Congress.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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