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

United States must hold the high ground with that power which they ought to
hold.” 142 Monroe’s stated objective denotes a shift in American approach to
tribute. By plainly indicating that the targeted objective was to terminate “those
odious practices” (tribute and presents) and that it was not “the mere question
of the sum demanded that prevents a provision for it in the Treaty but the
recognition of the principle,” 143 the United States was in fact moving from the
realpolitics of the 1790s to a new approach based on principle. 144 While the
first favored negotiation of a treaty based on tribute as a transitory phase
pending the building of a navy, the second considered tribute incompatible with
American ideals of freedom once that naval power was acquired; hence, the
move to alter the prevailing corsairing practices by threats to use naval power,
and if necessary, limited use of that power.
The American objective was clearly set and it was two-fold: first, the
objective aimed at removing an already existing condition which was the
conclusion of a new treaty not including tribute and biennial presents; in its
second part, it aimed at creating a new condition which consisted of
establishing supremacy of American interests at Algiers at the detriment of
other powerful countries already having treaties with Algiers. In that view,
Monroe instructed the commissioners to obtain favorable treaty terms so that
142 WJMPPP, 5:379.
143 Ibid.
144 The term ‘realpolitics’ has its origin in the German word realpolitik; it describes politics that are
based on “pragmatism or practicality rather than on ethical or theoretical considerations.”
“Realpolitik,” Microsoft Encarta Premium Suite 2005. (Accessed 15 Nov. 2008).
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