To John Jay from Étienne d’Audibert Caille, 21 April 1780
From Étienne d’Audibert Caille
A. Aranjuez le 21 Avril 1780
Monseigneur
Par ordre de S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc, J’ecrivis le 6 Septembre de l’annee derniere a Mgrs du Congres des Etats Unis de l’Amerique Septentrionale par voie de S. Exce M. le Docteur Franklin leur Plenipotentiaire a la Cour de France pour leur faire scavoir les intentions pacifiques de ce Souverain. N’ayant point encore reçu aucune reponse de leur part Je crains que ma lettre ne leur soit point parvenue, & J’en vois cy-joint (par prècaucion) une copie ouverte a votre Excellence, pour qui elle en fasse usage qu’elle trouvera apropos, apres etre mis au fait de son contenu. Je lui envois aussi une copie de deux manifests que s’y trouvent mentionnées, ainsi que de la traduction de la patente de Consul des Nations Etrangeres dont S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc a bien voulu m’honorer, & quelques exemplaires du certificat qu’il m’a chargé de donner aux Capitaines des Navires que navigueront sous son Pavillon. Je souhaite Monseigneur, que vous recevriez avec plaisir toutes ces pieces & Je prie Votre Excellence de m’honorer de sa reponse pour que Je puisse faire conster1 a S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc que Je me suis acquité de la Commission qu’il me donna de faire scavoir au Congréss que les Sujets des Susdits Etats unis peuvent venir trafiquer avec leur Pavillons dans les Ports de l’Empire de Maroc comme ils y venoient precedement sous Pavillon Anglois. Avant que J’eusse la commission d’ecrire au Congress J’avois deja ecrit a ce sujet a S. Exce Monsieur le Docteur Franklin & J’offris de m’interesser bien volontiers pour etablir une bonne harmonie entre S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc, & les Etats Unis Septentrionales.
Au cas que Monseigneurs du Congress soient egalement bien aises d’etre en paix avec S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc il conviendra de faire scavoir aux Capitaines des Navires armés en guerre par les Sujets des Etats Unis qu’ils devront laisser passer librement les navires que navigueront sous Pavillon de S. M. L’Empereur de Maroc, & qui seront munis d’un certificat egal aux susdits exemplaires.
Je serai probablement obligé de me dentenir ici encore quelques Jours; aussitot qu’on m’aura expedié Je me mettrai en Route pour Cadiz, d’où Je me rendrai a Salé, lieu de ma residence lorsque votre Excellence voudra me honorer de ses ordres elle pourra adresser ses lettres aux Srs. Paul Greppi Azarino & Compage Negociants à Cadiz qui auront soin de me les faire parvenir. Je suis avec un profond Respect, Monseigneur De votre Excellence, le tres humble & tres Obéisant Serviteur.
(Signé) D’Audibert Caille
S. Exe. Mgr Jay President du Congres des Etats Unis de l’Amerique Septentrionale
[Translation]
Aranjues, 21st April 1780.2
My Lord
By order of his Majesty the Emperor of Morocco, I wrote on the 6th of September, in the last year to the Lords of the Congress of the United States of north America, by way of his Excellency Doctr. Franklin, their Plenipotentiary at the Court of France, to inform them of the pacific Intentions of that Sovereign.
Not having yet received any answer on their part, I fear they have not received my Letter, and by way of Precaution send your Excellency herewith joined, an open Copy, that after perusing it you may make such use of it, as you may think proper. I also send you a copy of the two manifests therein mentioned as well as a Translation of the Patent of the Consuls for foreign nations, with which his majesty the Emperor has been pleased to honor me, and some copies of the Certificates which he ordered me to give to the Captains of Ships which sail under his Flag.
I wish my Lord that you may receive all these Papers with Pleasure, and I request your Excellency to honor me with an answer, that I may be able to convince His Majesty the Emperor of Morocco that I have executed the Commission he gave me to make known to Congress that the Subjects of the said United States might come and traffic under their own Flags, in the Ports of the Empire of Morocco, in the like manner as they formerly did under the English Flag.
Before I had the Commission to write to Congress, I had already written on this Subject to his Excellency Doctr. Franklin, and I offered to interest myself cheerfully in establishing a good Understanding between His Majesty the Emperor of Morocco and the northern United States.3
In case that the Lords of Congress should be equally well pleased to be at peace with his Majesty the Emperor of Morocco, it will be proper to instruct the Captains of American armed ships to let freely pass all Ships sailing under the Flag of his Majesty the Emperor, and will be provided with a Certificate similar to the within mentioned copies.
I shall probably be obliged to remain here some days—as soon as my Business shall be despatched I shall set out for Cadiz, and from thence go to Salé the place of my Residence.
Whenever your Excellency may be pleased to honor me with your orders, he may address his Letters to Messrs. Paul Greppi Azarino & Co. Merchants at Cadiz, who will take care to forward them to me. I am, with profound respect, &Ca
(Signed) D’audibert Caille.
His Excellency My Lord Jay late President of the Congress of the United States of North America—
Cs, in French, with English translation in the hand of William Carmichael, enclosed in JJ to the President of Congress, 30 Nov. (first letter), below, DNA: PCC, item 81, 1: 99–103, 136–39 (EJ: 3820); item 98, 239–45 (EJ: 11067). LbkCs, DNA: PCC, item 110, 1: 33–38 (EJ: 4143); CSmH; and NNC: JJ Lbk. 1.
1. In other copies, “conter.”
2. In a letter of 14 Apr. 1778 introducing himself to the American commissioners (, 26: 285–86), d’Audibert Caille described himself as a French merchant established at Salé. On his appointment to act as consul for nations not represented in Morocco, his correspondence with the American commissioners prior to JJ’s arrival, and a summary of the contacts that led to the treaty with Morocco signed when JJ was secretary for foreign affairs, see Priscilla H. Roberts and James N. Tull, “Moroccan Sultan Sidi Muhammad Ibn Abdallah’s Diplomatic Initiatives toward the United States, 1777–1786,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 143, no. 2 (June 1999): 243–46.
3. For d’Audibert Caille’s letter of 6 Sept. 1779 to Congress, his appointment by the emperor of Morocco, and a declaration made by the emperor to the consuls and Christian merchants in Moroccan ports of 20 Feb. 1778, see , 4: 170–74. Copies of JJ’s undated reply (c. May 1780) follow each text of d’Audibert Caille’s letter in JJ to the President of Congress, 30 Nov. (first letter), below. In it JJ applauded the emperor for his wise and liberal declaration, assured d’Audibert Caille that Congress would be pleased, and expressed his thanks. D’Audibert Caille subsequently met with Carmichael at Aranjuez but was unable to meet with JJ before he departed for Seville. See Car michael to JJ, 18 June 1780, ALS, NNC (EJ: 7538).