The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 3, February, 1836Various
General
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. II., No. 3, February, 1836
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
The French government probably received with satisfaction, the account
that the Algerines were disposed to treat for peace. The Martignac
Ministry which had just come into power, were employing every means to
secure the tottering throne of Charles the Tenth against the efforts
of the Liberal party, and they were anxious for the adjustment of a
dispute, which occasioned an enormous addition to the budget of
expenses without any return whatever. Dignity, or rather the fear of
wounding the vanity of the nation, however forbade their seeming to
make any advances after the Dey's insulting rejection of the demands
first proposed to him. Great care was therefore taken to avoid any
appearance of direct communication with the Algerine government; but
the Admiral was instructed unofficially to hint, that if the Dey would
send an ambassador to Paris, the differences between the two countries
might be accommodated.
With these instructions Bézart returned to the African coast. During
his absence Admiral Collet worn down with disease had retired to
Toulon where he shortly after died; Admiral Botherel de la Bretonniere
who succeeded to the command, on learning the views of the Ministers,
instantly wrote a letter to the Dey in the sense enjoined by them, and
despatched the Captain with it to Algiers. He arrived there on the
11th of September 1828, but when it was known that he only bore a
communication from the Admiral, he was not suffered to proceed farther
than the landing place on the mole, where he was required to await the
answer. A Barbary Prince of a more pliable character than Hussein,
might probably have gratified the French Ministers by sending an
Ambassador to Paris, who would have figured in the pages of the
Moniteur as a supplicant for peace; but the Dey was made of stubborn
stuff. He had expected a direct communication from the French
government, and was indignant at being addressed instead, by one of
its officers not even an authorized agent; moreover the letter
contained a proposition that he should take a humiliating step,
without any assurance that it would be attended with favorable
results. Seeing at once through the whole manœuvre of the French
government, his reply was a peremptory order to Bézart instantly to
quit Algiers.
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