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

direct, to the ministers of these United States and others at foreign
courts, and in foreign countries. 112
The Department of Foreign Affairs, like its forerunner the CFA, was
submitted to the direct authority of Congress; it had to inform and report back
to Congress on all matters relating to foreign affairs. It functioned much like a
‘transit agency’ for official correspondence between Congress, on the one
hand, and ‘all foreigners,’ American ministers accredited at foreign courts, and
ministers of foreign powers, on the other. This explains in part the huge
diplomatic correspondence preserved in the files of the Continental Congress,
and which actually forms the official diplomatic documents of the USA for the
period 1776-1789. The DFA remained in place until it was superseded by the
present Department of State in 1790. 113
3. 2. Structural Difficulties impeding Algerian-American Relations
In matters of organization and responsibilities, American foreign policy
was at the opposite end from its counterpart in Algiers. At Algiers, diplomatic
matters were the exclusive prerogative of the Deys and were limited to
audiences with foreign consuls and envoys; they usually ended in ‘verbal’
orders given by the Dey should he come to whatsoever decision. In April 1786,
for example, Dey Muhammed Pasha met with the American special envoy John
Lamb in no less than four lengthy meetings, but it seems that Cathcart wrote in
112 SJ, 2:581, January 10, 1781.
113 During this period, two secretaries conducted foreign affairs: Robert R. Livingstone (1781-1783)
and John Jay (1784-1790). Barnes, Foreign Service, p. 7-8.
195