To John Jay from William Carmichael, 9[–26] December 1785
From William Carmichael
Madrid 9. Decemr. 1785
Sir
On the 7th. Ulto. 1 I had the Honor to write you,—Since which I have had an Opportunity of procuring very essential Information with respect to the negotiation between this Court & the Regency of Algiers.—Prudence dictates that I should not trust to this mode of Conveyance the means by which I have been able to obtain this Intelligence. I shall however not hesitate to inform you that all the offers made by Masserado2 as explained in my Letter of the 18th. of Octr. have been agreed to here,3 altho’ the actual negotiator is instructed to endeavour to diminish as much as possible the Sum demanded by the Regency; notwithstanding which, however, orders have been given by the Court to forward from Cadiz the Specie destined for the proposed Payments—In a Letter which I have now by me, but which I do not chuse to venture by the common conveyance, Congress will be informed of many details that it may be interesting to know. There is one Circumstance of which they ought to be particularly advised, & least my dispatches of the 28th. Octer. & 7th. ulto. should not have come to hand I beg leave to repeat that this peace will cost to this Court at least thirteen hundred thousand hard Dollars. At a period when advice is daily expected of the probable Conclusion of this Affair Mr. Lamb arrived here. This Gentleman brings me a Letter from their Excellencies John Adams & Thomas Jefferson Esqurs. desiring me to interest the Court of Spain in his favor if practicable. You, Sir, know the Difficulty of having access to the Minister during the time that the King & Royal Family are in Madrid. I have reasons which I hope will appear satisfactory to Congress for not making application by Letter to the Ct. de Florida Blanca to engage the Court to interest itself in favor of the Negotiation with which Mr. Lamb is charged, untill I can have viva voce the same Assurances repeated to me in the same strong manner as mentioned in my Letter of the 28th. October. In the meantime from what passed this day, I still flatter myself that we may rely on the good offices of this Court. Mr. Lamb appears exceedingly anxious to proceed in the execution of the object for which he left America. I feel a regret that he has met & must still probably meet with unavoidable detention. Whatever depends upon me will be employed to accelerate his departure & render his Mission successful. The Algerines in their last Cruize have not captured any of our Vessells. By my Letters of the 7th. ulto. Congress will be informed that their Cruizers will not again proceed to Sea untill the last of March. To the wisdom of that Body I submit the propriety of providing ample ways & means to ensure the success of the Treaty or to protect our Commerce. As soon as Mr. Lamb has it in his power to write with any degree of Certainty with Respect to the Affairs with which he is charged he will undoubtedly do it. I have had so little time to prepare myself for the Occasion which at present is offered me to convey my Letters to America, that I am constrained to employ Mr. Randall4 to copy this. As he is personally known to your family and as his feelings might be affected by any remark that I should make on his subject, I shall conclude with subscribing my self with great respect Sir Your most Obedt. Humble Sert
(Signed) Wm. Carmichael
P.S.
Not having time to enter into details ^to^ which circumstances which have intervened since the date of the above Letter have given rise, I shall confine myself merely to advise you that I have the Strongest Assurances of the Influence of this court in our favor. At the Same time, that Influence hath procured the admission of a Portuguese & Neapolitan negotiation to accommodate their Affairs with the Regency. This Day we have current reports of hostilities commenced by our Back Settlers agst the Spanish Forts on the Missisippi.5 These Reports come at a critical season. Mr Harrison6 who has copied the preceding Letter is now here in his way to England. I need not to Observe that if Congress should find it necessary to Appoint Consuls in Spain, that would be a kind of ingratittude on the part of the public not to notice a man whose Conduct has been as Disinterested as it has been perfectly agreable to all Classes of Men in this Country. Sir Yours &c &c &c.
WC
The Honble. John Jay Esq.
C, with postscript in the hand of WC, DNA: PCC, Misc., Diplomatic Despatches Received from William Carmichael, 1780–83, 1785, pp. 91–94 (EJ: 11689). C, without postscript, DNA: PCC, item 88, 2: 424–27. Endorsed: “… Read 4 April 1786”. 6: 301–2.
1. WC to JJ, 7 Nov. 1785, not found.
2. José de Mazzaredo, cited in H. G. Barnby, The Prisoners of Algiers: An Account of the Forgotten American-Algerian War (London, 1966), 39n.
3. WC to JJ, 28 Oct. 1785, not found.
4. Paul R. Randall, who served as secretary to the agents at Algiers. See JA to TJ, 2–5 Oct. 1785, 8: 572–73. On the negotiations, see the editorial note “The Barbary States: A Problem with No Ready Solution,” above.
5. On the expedition of Georgians led by Thomas Green against the Spanish post of Natchez, see 22: 505.
6. Richard Harrison, merchant and congressional agent in Cadiz.