To James Madison from Josef Yznardy, 30 July 1806 (Abstract)
From Josef Yznardy, 30 July 1806 (Abstract)
§ From Josef Yznardy. 30 July 1806, Cádiz. “Referring to what I had the honor of addressing you on the 24th instant enclosing a Packet received from our Chargé d’affaires at Madrid: The object of the present will be to inform you that on the 25th. the United States Ship Constitution H, G. Campbell Commander arrived in this harbor from Algeriras, in consequence the necessary Steps on my part were given to obtain pratique, which against my hopes and to my admiration was denied, except performing forty days Quaranteen, to be counted from the day the Ship sailed from Gibraltar; allthough having been nine days (agreable to Capt. Campbell’s report) in Algeciras Bay, where they obtained pratique the moment they arrived from Gibraltar; the reason for such rigour here, is owing to the Royal order respecting arrivals from said quarter, advised you under date of the 24th. January last;1 that you may be duly informed that nothing on my part was wanting to obtain pratique for the Ship I take the liberty of enclosing you Copy of what has been acted in the business duly documented by the Board of Health;2 having given official information of the whole transaction to our Chargé D’affaires at Madrid that he may make a representation to obtain redress.
“Notwithstanding that Comodore Campbell continues valuing on Mr. Meade for every necessary for his Ship, I send alongside every day to offer him my Services, and to Know if he is in want of any thing.
“About a thousand Grenadiers of this Garrison marched yesterday for the Camp at St. Roque, orders are issued to complea⟨t⟩ all the Regiments in this kingdom out of the Militia; we have actualy in the Bay 17. Ships french and Spanish quite ready.
“New Commanders for the french Ships in this Bay, are arrived from France, and the former Ones have orders to retire and live where they please, with only One third of their pay.
“The Marroquís have declared War against the Turk⟨s⟩ sundry Vessels have been already taken loaded with wheat.
“Monsr. Perignon is arrived at Madrid encharged with a Spetial mission.”
Adds in a postscript: “Government Notes 49 a 52%.”
Adds in a second postscript: “3d. August. The U. S. Ship Constitution continues still in this Harbor. Between this & the gutt of Gibraltar about Sixteen or Twenty English Privateers are Cruizing.”
RC and enclosures (DNA: RG 59, CD, Cádiz, vol. 2). RC 2 pp.; in a clerk’s hand, signed by Yznardy; docketed by Wagner as received 9 Oct. For enclosures, see n. 2.
1. Yznardy evidently referred to Anthony Terry to JM, 20 Jan. 1806, to which Yznardy added a 24 Jan. postscript ( 11:209–10 and n.).
2. Yznardy enclosed copies of his 27 July 1806 letter to Francisco María Solano Ortiz de Rozas, governor of Cádiz (1 p.; in Spanish), and Solano’s 29 July 1806 reply (2 pp.; in Spanish). In the former, Yznardy stated that the board of health had ordered the Constitution into a forty-day quarantine despite Solano’s having approved its admission to port, and despite other ships from Gibraltar having obtained pratique at Cádiz much more quickly. Solano replied that his order admitting the Constitution had been merely conditional, depending on the port the ship had most recently visited; that upon learning that it was Gibraltar, the board of health had required the quarantine, which Solano had decreed should run from the date Capt. Hugh G. Campbell reported having left Gibraltar; that as far as Solano knew, all ships arriving at Cádiz from Gibraltar since the date of the royal order on the matter had performed the quarantine, but that there may have been additional communications about special circumstances of which he was not aware; and that he would aid Campbell as much as he could, in order to show his respect for the U.S. flag. Yznardy also enclosed a copy of his 27 July 1806 letter to Campbell (2 pp.), stating that Yznardy’s efforts to get the Constitution admitted to port had failed, that he had informed George W Erving of the situation and had written to Solano asking what the “real motives” for the delay were, that the port’s revenue officers had received word that a large quantity of prohibited goods had been loaded on the Constitution at Gibraltar without Campbell’s knowledge, and that Campbell would be well advised to remedy this situation. The remaining enclosures were copies of Yznardy’s agent, James McCann, writing for Yznardy to the board of health, 28 July 1806 (1 p.; in Spanish), requesting that the board provide Yznardy with official copies of its decision and other documentation of the matter to enable Yznardy to combat charges that he had failed to perform his duty; the board of health to Yznardy, 30 July 1806 (2 pp.; in Spanish), stating its belief that as a public minister, Yznardy did not need such papers to prove his competence and activity to the U.S. government, but that the board would nevertheless provide any information requested to document the same; and Yznardy to the board of health, 31 July 1806 (1 p.; in Spanish), explaining that the U.S. government did not question his performance, but his enemies had published accusations against him that needed to be addressed. He added that the board’s letter would suffice for that purpose.