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

that “Algiers and other Barbary States” will “undoubtedly, consider themselves
as principally intended to be injured by such counterfeits.” 42
The matter of the counterfeited passes could have stopped here had it
not been for a controversy which arose afterwards over the capture of
American vessels by Algerian corsairs. Was this information communicated to
the British Consul at Algiers Charles Logie? Did the latter inform the Dey
about it and instigated capture of American ships? Considering the formidable
hatred the American captives at Algiers vowed logie and later, formal
accusations of the American Ambassador to Spain against him, 43 the Dey of
Algiers might have been informed by Logie personally but not necessarily on
instructions from the British government. If it was the case, then, it could have
prompted more vigilance on the side of the Algerian corsairs. The corsairs had
just started making the difference between Great Britain’s ships, with which
they had a treaty, and American ships, unknown to them until the arrival of
Logie as consul to Algiers in May 1785. They had also to struggle for
recognizing regular passports from forged ones at a time they were completely
illiterate—or almost. The task was certainly arduous.
History, however, tells about one of those ironies where Christian
mutual understanding remains beyond any suspicion. As long as the forged
passports secured lucrative trade for Americans, Congress passed inquiry to
oblivion; but “a small box of tea and a piece of silk for Lady Temple’s use”
42 USDC, 6:32, From John Temple to John Jay, July 5, 1785.
43 Rojas, “‘Insults Unpunished’,” pp. 184-86; Barnby, Prisoners of Algiers, p. 71; SPPD, 10:282, D.
Humphreys, Esq. to the Secretary of State, Oct. 7, 1793.
173