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

the peace treaty; for the second, however, they had to device a strategy. For
Mediterranean markets and passports, which were assuredly the obsession of
Americans, the British had to have recourse to their influence in the region and
one may not wave away the possibility that Great Britain had already a plan
which it intended to execute with the indirect help of the Dey of Algiers.
Indeed as early as 1783, Franklin wrote Livingstone, the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs, pointing out at the possibility that Great Britain might be
plotting against American shipping. The letter was prompted by intelligence
brought to the knowledge of Franklin by one Salva, an agent to the Austrian
court, 91 in which the latter warned against an “imminent danger to which the
vessels of your nation were exposed.” 92 According to Salva, Algerian corsairs
attempted to capture two American vessels that were leaving the port of
Marseille and imputed it to
Some secret enemies, (whom I know) having giving [sic] information to
this regency of their departure, … the politics of certain European
powers do not restrain them from paying tribute to enjoy peace; they
make use of these human harpies as a terror to the belligerent nations,
whose commerce they chain to the car of Algerine piracy. 93
Based on Salva’s allegation, Franklin thought it “not improbable, that those
rovers [Algerine] may be privately encouraged by the English to fall upon us,
and to prevent our interference in the carrying trade.” 94
Similarly, Ralph Izard,
a delegate to Congress, wrote Jefferson that “it is said that Great Britain has
91 Austria, a small state, had been bound to Algiers by a treaty since 1727 according to which it paid
annual tribute to the Dey. Tribute seemed not to be appreciated by that Salva who was writing
clandestinely to Franklin since Austria had not yet recognized the USA.
92 DCAR, 4:95, M. Salva to B. Franklin, April 1, 1783.
93 Ibid., 4:96.
94 Ibid., 4:149, Franklin to Robert R. Livingston, July 22, 1783.
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