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

and neutrality of shipping—continued to prevail and became the guiding line of
early American diplomacy. By 1783, the American agents were assaulting
Europe in what they called ‘militia diplomacy’ 26 to obtain commercial treaties
but also military alliances but that time against Algiers particularly as will be
seen in chapter VI.
1. 2. ‘Militia Diplomacy’ or Beginning of American Aggressive Diplomacy
During the revolutionary period, two views of how to conduct foreign
policy were debated in Congress: the first view advocated aggressiveness in
international intercourse, the other, more cautious, proposed a moderate and
dignified conduct. Those opposing views were well expressed in Congress by
John Adams, for the former, and Benjamin Franklin for the latter, and were
followed by debates in Congress. 27 The majority of the delegates believed that
the United States should launch a campaign with the European countries to
obtain diplomatic recognition and military assistance. Although the general
circumstances were not encouraging, the most aggressive among the delegates
defended it enthusiastically and proposed sending agents abroad that would
attempt to be received in European courts regardless of the prospects of
success. 28 The delegates called that ‘militia diplomacy’; 29 a new brand
diplomacy that carried within it the seeds of aggressiveness and audacity.
26 Barnes, Foreign Service, p. 17-8.
27 John W. Foster, A Century of American Diplomacy: Being a Brief Review of the Foreign Relations of
the United States, 1776-1876 (Boston/New York: Houghton, Mifflin And Company, 1900), p. 9.
28 Ibid.
29 USRDC, 1:523.
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