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

the mouth of hell, if the Devil was to turn Catholic so as to make a good market
for codfish” as he wrote James Monroe on Aug 27, 1796. 98 The diplomats were
not at rest of the “madness and sinful temerity” of American shippers. 99 With
the first news of a treaty being concluded, the American consul at Alicante,
probably on instructions from Donaldson, freighted a ship and dispatched it to
Algiers in order to load it with wheat. 100 Donaldson, who concluded a treaty
with hollow words, wanted to make solid profits immediately. At a time the
treaty was unsure, pending the arrival of payments, he asked the Dey for a
permit to load a cargo of wheat which of course was refused to him: “settle the
affairs of your nation first, and then it will be time enough to talk about
commercial affairs” the Dey told Cathcart and added for the intention of
Donaldson: “Tell him we have no wheat to spare, when we have any we will let
him have it.” 101 Repelled by the Dey, the ship nonetheless sailed to Oran
where the American representatives “made a contract with the Bacries for a
cargo of grain.” 102
3. 2. Perfidious Americans
Financing the treaty proved to be an even more complex and hardy task
than peace itself. A Message from the President of the United States to
Congress Relative to Algiers dated January 9, 1797 detailed the payment
98 Cantor, “A Connecticut Yankee in a Barbary Court,” p. 103.
99 Ibid., p. 102.
100 This activity was widely spread among consuls who also acted for their personal account as
merchants. Because of their meager revenues, they engage in export activities hence the importance of
obtaining the favor of the Deys through presents and intrigues.
101 Cathcart, The Captives, p. 224.
102 Ibid.; also see Cathcart to O’Brien, October 25, 1796 in Cathcart, “Diplomatic Journal and Letter
Book,” pp. 354-55.
324