To George Washington from Timothy Pickering, 12 August 1796
From Timothy Pickering
Department of State Augt 12. 1796.
Sir,
This week I received letters from Colo. Humphreys dated the 4th and 8th of June. The latter covered an edict of the government of Portugal for opening a free port at Junguara, just at the Entrance of the harbour of Lisbon. Colo. Humphreys embraced this occasion to compliment the Minister on the liberal policy of the government, and to express his hopes that the subject of the free admission of flour from America, would not escape its attention.1 But it is so apparently for the interest of the Portuguese to refuse it, I entertain but the slightest expectation of the indulgence. From the information given me by the Chevalier Freire, there is a vast number of mills in the environs of Lisbon, abundantly sufficient to supply every part of the kingdom depending on that port with fresh flour, of which the proprietors would be injured in proportion to the quantity of American flour admitted. They receive great quantities of wheat from Morocco, and generally cheaper than from America. It is in this trade that some American Vessels have probably been taken by the Moors: for at the present time they have gone to the ports in possession of Muley Isham, the rival prince to the reigning emperor, who considering the former as a rebel, has doubtless ordered his cruisers to take any vessels trading to the rebel ports.2 Colo. Humphreys long ago warned the Americans of the danger: but tempted by the high freights they were willing to run the risque. And by the news paper accounts it seems that some have been captured.3
Colo. Humphreys’ letter of the 4th of June covered the copy of a letter from the Dey of Algiers to the President of the United States, of which I have now the honor to inclose a copy.4 By this it seems clear that the Dey has at length divested himself of his extreme impatience; and that we may entertain, on good grounds, hopes of a happy termination of the Algerine affairs. The letter was brought to Alicant by Mr Cathcart, who was there performing quarantine. Cathcart was one of the American Captives, and the Dey’s head Christian Clerk. He had the Dey’s orders to come to America in a vessel obtained at Algiers, & was furnished with a passport for one year, commencing the first of May, within which time, the Dey told him the terms of the treaty could certainly be fulfilled. The Dey expects the frigate destined for him should be coppered. This I had always contemplated. Indeed it has seemed to me that good policy required that she should be a very complete vessel, to ensure a permanent as well as present satisfaction: for if the one furnished should become shortly defective, we should undoubtedly be obliged to give him a second.5
Yesterday I received some packets from Mr Monroe but they were only duplicates of those of the 25th of March and 2d of May.6 I have the honor to be with the highest respect, Sir, your most obt servt
Timothy Pickering.
ALS, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, Domestic Letters; LB, DNA: RG 59, GW’s Correspondence with His Secretaries of State.
1. Pickering described a letter from David Humphreys, U.S. minister to Portugal and charge d’affaires to the Barbary States (but nominated as U.S. minister to Spain on 19 May), that is dated 7 June. Humphreys wrote Pickering on 8 June about military operations in Europe (both DNA: RG 59, Despatches from U.S. Ministers to Spain). The letter from Humphreys dated 4 June has not been identified.
2. Mawlay Sulayman Ibn Muhammed then reigned as sultan of Morocco (see James Simpson to GW, 24 Sept. 1795, and notes 1 and 3 to that document). For the civil war in Morocco, see Giuseppe Chiappe to GW, 12 Dec. 1794; see also Humphreys to GW, 3 Feb. 1795, n.1.
3. Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia) for 9 Aug. reported that “a Moorish cruizer” had detained the General Washington, taken “a few small articles,” and allowed the ship to proceed only after the captain signed “a declaration of having received no injury.” The captain’s mate learned that the cruiser previously had captured “the brig Emmeline, of Boston” and “that two frigates were cruizing to the westward, and had taken 14 American and British vessels. It appeared … that they took none but such as were loaded with grain.”
4. Pickering enclosed Hassan Bashaw, Dey of Algiers, to GW, dated 5 May: “Whereas Peace and harmony has been settled between our two Nations through the medium of the two Agents of the United States, Joseph Donaldson and Joel Barlow, and as eight months have elapsed without one article of their agreement being complied with, we have thought it expedient to dispatch James Lea[nde]r Cathcart, formerly our christian Secretary, with a note of such articles as is required in this Regency; likewise with a form of a mediterranean passport in order that you may furnish your Consul here with such as fast as possible; for further intelligence I refer you to your Consul resident here and to the said James Lea[nde]r Cathcart, and I pray whatever they may inform you of to forward our negotiation may be fully credited and that said Cathcart may be dispatched with such part of the articles specified in our negotiation, as are ready with all possible expedition, for which purpose we have granted said Cathcart a mediterranean passport for one year, commencing the date thereof from the first of may in the year of your Lord 1796” (copy, DNA: RG 59, Miscellaneous Letters; the original document is in DNA: RG 59, Consular Despatches, Algiers).
5. For the promised frigate, see GW to the Dey of Algiers, 13 June; see also James McHenry to GW, 7 July, and GW to McHenry, 13 July.
6. For this correspondence from James Monroe, U.S. minister to France, see Pickering’s second letter to GW on 21 July, and n.1 to that document, and GW’s second letter to Pickering, 27 July, and n.5 to that document.
GW replied to Pickering from Mount Vernon on Tuesday, 16 Aug.: “As I propose to commence my journey to Philadelphia tomorrow, the intention of this letter is only to acknowledge the Receipt of yours of the 12th instant, enclosing a translation of that from the Dey of Algiers to the President of the United States.
Although I begin my journey to morrow, I am unable to say when I shall conclude it. So constant, & excessive have the Rains been in this quarter, that, according to my information, the Roads in many places are almost impassible; but patience & perseverence will, I expect take me to Philadelphia by Monday or Tuesday next … P.S. Be so good as to have the enclosed letter decyphered against my arrival” (ALS, MWiW-C: Gates W. McGarrah Collection of Presidential Autographs). For the enclosure mentioned in the postscript, see James Monroe to GW, 24 March; see also GW to Monroe, 25 August.