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

edemption of the remaining captives for the same amount, and an annual
tribute not exceeding $25,000. 11 The negotiations were assigned to Paul Jones,
and were considered so confidential and secret that all papers were made out in
Jefferson’s own handwriting. 12
The commission, including a summary of
events that had occurred since 1785 as well as new instructions, is too long to
be detailed here but two points are worth mentioning: first, Jones was
instructed not to redeem prisoners before obtaining a peace treaty and was
authorized to spend a sum on the treaty less than that voted by Congress! One
of the instructions of the commission specified: “we should be pleased with
10,000 dollars, contented with 15,000, think 20,000 a very hard bargain, yet go
as far as 25,000, if it be impossible to get it for less; but not a copper further,
this being fixed by law as the utmost limit.” 13 This is to say that Jefferson cared
more about expense than about his captured countrymen, an attitude for which
he was severely criticized and which he attempted to justify throughout the
commission to Jones. 14 Second, for annual tribute Jones was instructed to not
agree to provide any maritime stores:
11 ASP/FA, 1:136, Message from the President of the United States, Relative to Prisoners at Algiers,
May 8, 1792.
12 SPPD, 10:261-69, To Admiral John Paul Jones, June 1, 1792.
13 At this point one may just note that Jefferson had never proved to be a good constable neither with
Algiers nor at his own estate Monticello. The proof is that at his death, his debts were so large that
almost all his slaves (230 minus 5) were sold at auction to satisfy his creditors. For more about
Jefferson and slavery see Nash, The Forgotten Fifth, pp. 106-117.
14 One may note here too that originally a section on slavery was intended to be included in this work
but research has proved it to be useless since slavery was not at issue in relations with Algiers.
Enslavement in itself was not the problem as were expenses. In their writings, the leading American
politicians used the terms ‘captives’ and ‘prisoners’ to refer to Americans held at Algiers but never
‘slaves’ probably because as they practiced it on a much larger scale they could not use it as an
argument. The term ‘hostage’ does not appear either. For an idea about their approach to slavery see
David Barton’s articles “The Founding Fathers and Slavery” and “George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, & Slavery in Virginia” (2001) at http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=99
(Retrieved 6 March 2008).
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