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

Appendix 12
A. Message from Madison Recommending War with Algiers (1815)
Congress will have seen, by the communication from the consul general of the
United States at Algiers, laid before them on the 17th November, 1812, the
hostile proceedings of the dey against that functionary. These have been
followed by acts of more overt and direct warfare against the citizens of the
United States trading in the Mediterranean, some of whom are still detained in
captivity, notwithstanding the attempts which have been made to ransom them,
and are treated with the rigour usual on the coast of Barbary.
The considerations which rendered it unnecessary-and unimportant to
commence hostile operations on the part of the United States, being now
terminated by the peace with Great Britain, which opens the prospect of an
active and valuable trade of their citizens within the range of the Algerine
cruisers, I recommend to Congress the expediency of an act declaring the
existence of a state of war between the United States and the dey of Algiers;
and of such provisions as may be requisite for a vigorous prosecution of it to a
successful issue.
B. Report, Relative to Protection of American Commerce against Algerine
Cruisers (1815)
The committee to whom has been referred the bill “for the protection of the
commerce of the United States against the Algerine cruisers,” with instructions
to inquire and report in detail the facts upon which the measure contemplated
by the bill is predicated, report:
That in the month of July, 1812, the dey of Algiers, taking offence, or
pretending to take offence, at the quality and quantity of a shipment of military
stores made by the United States in pursuance of the stipulation in the treaty of
1795, and refusing to receive the stores, extorted from the American consul
general at Algiers, by threat of personal imprisonment, and of reducing to
slavery all Americans in his power, a sum of money claimed as the arrearages
of treaty stipulations, and denied by the United States to be due; and then
compelled the consul and all citizens of the United States at Algiers abruptly to
quit his dominions. It further appears to the committee, that on the 25th of
August following, the American brig Edwin, of Salem, owned by Nathaniel
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