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Ottoman Algeria in Western Diplomatic History with ... - Bibliothèque

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countries. 131 The latter, when they had commissioned Lamb to negotiate <strong>with</strong><br />

Algiers, <strong>in</strong>structed him “to use his own discretion” <strong>in</strong> carry<strong>in</strong>g negotiations:<br />

“Where alterations which, <strong>in</strong> your op<strong>in</strong>ion, shall not be of great importance,<br />

shall be urged by the other party, you are at liberty to agree to them.” 132 That<br />

was precisely what Lamb did. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the first <strong>Algeria</strong>n-American negotiations<br />

that took place <strong>in</strong> April 1786, an agreement was reached <strong>with</strong> the Dey for the<br />

redemption of captives. Nevertheless, after the m<strong>in</strong>isters had allowed Lamb<br />

some latitude <strong>in</strong> negotiations, they rejected that agreement argu<strong>in</strong>g that Lamb<br />

had gone beyond his prerogatives. Worse, they did not even th<strong>in</strong>k it worth to<br />

give the Dey official notification about it—after all it was them who <strong>in</strong>itiated<br />

negotiations. That switch <strong>in</strong> position turned out to be a thorny problem <strong>in</strong> future<br />

<strong>Algeria</strong>n-American relations. Hence, what orig<strong>in</strong>ally had started as a measure<br />

to overcome problems of communications was go<strong>in</strong>g to lead to last<strong>in</strong>g<br />

misunderstand<strong>in</strong>gs between Algiers and the United States. As a consequence,<br />

never aga<strong>in</strong> did the Deys trust American envoys; at best, they had always<br />

rema<strong>in</strong>ed suspicious about them. 133<br />

131 SJ, 3:536, March 11, 1785; USDC, 1:656, 659, From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, October 11,<br />

1785.<br />

132 USDC, 1:658, From Thomas Jefferson to John Jay, Commissions to Thomas Barclay and John<br />

Lamb, October 11, 1785.<br />

133 Parker, Uncle Sam <strong>in</strong> Barbary, p. 57.<br />

201

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