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

if there is a probability of a war, Congress would probably prefer joining
in the war, rather than to treat with nations who so barbarously and
inhumanly commence hostilities against others who have done them no
injury. 139
Before long, the chilling answer of de Castries fell:
When our treaty with Algiers shall expire, we shall desire to renew it,
and even may flatter ourselves to be able to do it without any difficulty.
But should any occur that must be surmounted, the King is accustomed
to use no foreign interventions to establish or preserve the good
understanding which it suits him to maintain with the Barbary
Powers. 140
De Castries answer which was intended for the American commissioners meant
in short: mind your business! It appears that the French government did not
receive well the proposal of the commissioners regarding a military adventure
against Algiers undoubtedly because France already considered Algiers an
exclusively French game preserve.
b) A Prospect for Blockading Algiers: Not content with that bold
belligerence, the Americans relaunched the offensive with the French
government about a year later but with Jefferson as assault leader. While
negotiations with Algiers were still in the making, Jefferson was already
nourishing a plan for attacking it. In May 1786, following one of those bullying
visits to Vergennes, he wanted to make sure that the English would not
“administ[er] aid to the Algerines,” a probability which Vergennes discarded
139 USDC, 1:569, The Commissioners to the Count de Vergennes, March 28, 1785.
140 Ibid., 1:572-74, Count de Vergennes to the Commissioners, April 28, 1785, Enclosure: Copy of the
Letter from M. Marshal de Castries to the Count de Vergennes, Translation, April 24, 1785. In USDC,
1: 572 the letter of Vergennes was mistakenly dated April 28, 1784.
286