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

latter informed Congress that “Lamb has been here at Algiers, and having
treated and spoken on certain points respecting peace and captives, went away
and has not returned.” 46 That Algerian official was no more than Sidi Hassan,
the Wakil Khardj, or minister of the marine. 47 In hierarchy, he was the second
important official in the state after the Dey. At the death of Dey Muhammed
Pasha in 1791, he was elected to succeed him to the Deyship. The
consequences of such a conduct emanating from the American government and
its leading diplomats abroad towards the rulers of Algiers were damaging to the
credibility of the USA and the consequences could not be better observed than
by the captives who were left at Algiers:
that he [Lamb] made the agreement and that the government of the
United States never ratified it, the consequences of which was no
confidence was placed in anything that was said in our behalf … are
facts as incontrovertible as they are lamentable. 48
In general, such an inconsiderate behavior left a negative imprint on
Algerian perceptions of the United States; and all Americans at Algiers felt it.
For the prisoners it was “better to say no, than to make promises that he was
not empowered to do; not to deceive the Dey and dishonor his country.” 49 In a
separate letter, O’Brien even warned: “in any future negotiations the Dey
would maintain that the Americans had made a bargain and not fulfilled it.” 50
Needless to say that deceitfulness was not of the kind of conduct that could
46 EN, 3:435. For the full text of the letter see Appendix 7.
وكيل ( Khardj 47 In American state papers series, no less than five different spellings are used for Wakil
Nickillange. Vikilharche, Mickelhadge, Micklassha, Vikilhadge, and ‏:(خرج
48 Cathcart, The Captives, pp. 40-1.
49 USDC, 2:750, From the American Captives to John Adams: Extract from our Journals in Algiers,
February 13, 1787.
50 PTJ, 11:322, From Richard O’Bryen, 28 April 1787.
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