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

work, and for the first time, one reads that the Barbary States were perceived as
positive agents in international commercial relations, at least from a British
point of view, and that contrary to the views which present them today as
“agents of transnational harm.” 79 According to Sheffield, the Barbary corsairs
were advantageous to English commerce because they prey on the shipping of
weaker nations:
That the Barbary States are advantageous to the maritime powers is
obvious. If they were suppressed, the little states of Italy, etc. would
have much more of the carrying trade. The French never showed
themselves worse politicians than in encouraging the late armed
neutrality. . . . The armed neutrality would be as hurtful to the great
maritime powers as the Barbary States are useful. 80
The Barbary States’ value, therefore, laid in keeping down Americans’
commercial competition because the United States could protect its trade in the
Mediterranean contrary to Great Britain—and the other European powers—
which had a strong fleet and could use it against the corsairs:
It is not probable that the American States will have a very free trade in
the Mediterranean. It will not be for the interest of any of the great
maritime powers to protect them from the Barbary States. If they know
their own interests, they will not encourage the Americans to be carriers.
… The Americans cannot protect themselves from the latter; they cannot
pretend to a navy. 81
That view which put forward the impotence of the United States was also
conveyed by the British Consul at Algiers Charles Logie to the Dey. According
to Cathcart, Logie ‘‘had represented us to be a set of beings without strength or
79 Oded Löwenhiem, Predators and Parasites: Persistent Agents of Transnational Harm and Great
Power Authority (Detroit, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2006), p. 80.
80 As cited in Irwin, Diplomatic Relations, pp. 24-25.
81 Ibid.
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