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

2. 1. An Aggressive Yankee in a Barbary Court
It is true the Turkish rulers of Algiers were haughty with foreign envoys,
cruel among themselves and with the non-Turkish native population
particularly but they were correct and courteous in their relations with the
Christian countries and their diplomatic agents. They were also as good and
thrifty accountants as the westerners themselves were, a fact which was often
misinterpreted as avariciousness by western writers, and in this particular
context the American ones. 76 Dey Muhammed Pasha, for example, after twenty
years of rule had accumulated a long diplomatic experience and good relations
with Europe that towards the end of his life the Algerian navy was on the verge
of extinction because of idleness. His long peaceful rule culminated in the
conclusion of peace treaties with almost all Christian nations—except for
catholic Portugal, some of the Italian city States, and of course Malta, who
were the traditional enemies of Algiers. 77
His diplomatic conduct was
indicative of an inclination towards the recognition and conclusion of a peace
treaty with the United States. 78
But when an ill-mannered and aggressive
76 Richard Parker, in his portrait of Dey Muhammed Ben Uthman found no ‘vice’ to reproach to him
except his “too much economizing. He never lets any means of increasing the state treasury escape
him, and he can never decide, even in the most important occasions, to let out money he has put in.”
For the full portrait see Parker, Uncle Sam in Barbary, pp. 24-29.
77 Lamb wrote: “They are at war with all nations, except France, England, Denmark, Holland, Spain,
Sweden, Venice, and the Emperor of Germany.” Note that from all nations one must deduct the eastern
half of Europe because it was part of the Ottoman Empire. This leaves us with an insignificant number
of small polities as indicated above. For quote see Lamb’s report in, USDC, 3:88.
78 When informed about George Washington by the American emissaries, the Dey expressed
admiration for his exploits; but said as he “never expected to see him, he hoped that Congress would do
him the favor to send him a full-length portrait, that he might hang it up in his palace.” Schuyler,
American Diplomacy, p. 206; for nasty comments see on the Dey’s statement see Ralph W. Page,
Dramatic Moments in American Diplomacy (Garden City/New York: Doubleday, Page & Company,
1918), pp. 106-7 and Oren, Power, Faith, and Fantasy, p. 25.
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