Thomas Jefferson Papers

Hammuda Pasha, Bey of Tunis, to Thomas Jefferson, 17 July 1805

From Hammuda Pasha, Bey of Tunis

Dal Bardo di Tunis Li 17 Luglio 1805
Dell’Egira Li 19 Rebia Teni Anno 1220

Mio Grande e Buono Amico

L’oggetto della presente, è d’informarvi della presa fatta da uno delli vosti Bastimenti di guerra tre mesi in circa fà di un Corsaro Tunisino con due prese. Le particolarità relative a questa Cattura le rilevarete dalli qui annessi documenti con quello di più che il vostro Incaricato d’affari Giorgio Davis, Spiegherà in sua particolare al vostro Ministro, dal quale verrete informato, che qualunque raggioni possonsi avere avute, o creduto di avere, non ve n’era nessuna per ritenere i detti Bastimenti, a meno che, come evidentemente me ne accorgo dal linguaggio improprio dell’attuale vostro Commodore, egli non habbia già presa la risoluzione di adottare delle misure ostili contro di mè e delli miei Sudditi. Nulla di meno, Io sono ben lontano di Supporre; che tal casa Sia da Voi autorizzata, essendo che quella buona fede per li Trattati e Sincera Amicizia che Io professo per Voi, e il Vostro Governo, e Sempre Stata da mè mantenuta ed osservata.

Lo Stile della Lettera del Vostro Commodore, mi averrebbe costretto a prendere quelle misure, che bramo d’evitare, Se non mi aveste assicurato, che il temerario, e precipitoso procetere di un Individuo, quale tenda ad impegnare ed immergere in un Stato di guerra, non può mai essere da Voi approvato.

Di questi genuini miei Sentimenti ne faccio prevenire oggi Stesso il Vostro Commodore, dal medemo Vostro Incaricato Davis, che col mio Consenso va a rendersi personalmente presso di lui, rendendolo, nella maniera la più Solenna, risponsabile di qualunque repentina ed ostile operazione, che inpregiudizio della Buona Amicizia felicemente fra di Noi esistente, potrebbe credersi autorizzato di intrapendere, avante che raggione sia intesa fra Voi e Mè, come ardentemente e Sinceramente Io desidero e Spero che Succederà.

Mi Lusingo per fine, ed attendo, che le più pronte misure Saranno prese per restituire le detti miei Bastimenti, e mi prevalgo di questa nuova occasione per augurarvi dal Cielo, Mio Grande e Buono Amico, le più compte felicità.

Hamuda Bassà Bey

Editors’ Translation

Bardo, Tunis, 17 July 1805
1220th Year from the Egira, 19 Rabi al-Thani

My Great and Good Friend,

The object of this letter is to inform you of the capture by one of your war vessels of a privateer from Tunis with two prizes that took place about three months ago. You will gather all details related to this capture from the enclosed documents, together with any additional elements that your chargé d’affaires, George Davis, will explain in his own letter to your secretary of state. He, in turn, will inform you that no matter what grounds existed, or were believed to exist, there was none to detain those ships—unless, as I clearly gather from the improper language of your current commodore, he has not already decided to adopt hostile measures against me and my subjects.

Nevertheless, I am very far from presuming that such a thing is authorized by you, since I have always kept and observed the good faith established by the treaties and the sincere friendship I profess for you and your government.

The tenor of your commodore’s letter would have forced me to take measures that I crave to avoid, had you not assured me that you would never approve anyone’s daring and precipitous behavior that aims at producing and maintaining a state of war.

I will have your commodore informed of these my sincere feelings by the same chargé Davis, who is going to visit him personally, with my consent. He will most solemnly invest him with the responsibility of any sudden and hostile operation he may believe himself authorized to undertake, thus jeopardizing the good friendship happily existing between us, before a parley has been arranged between us, as I fervently and sincerely desire and hope will happen.

Finally, I expect and await that measures will be taken most promptly to return my said vessels and I avail myself of this new opportunity to wish on you from heaven, my great and good friend, the most complete happiness.

Hamuda Bassà Bey

RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Tunis); in a clerk’s hand, with Hammuda’s seal; at head of text: “Hamuda Bassà Bey Principe delli Principi di Tunis, la Citta la Ben Guardata, Il Soggiorno della Felicità Al Sigr Tommaso Jefferson Presidente delli Stati Uniti di America” (Hammuda Pasha Bey, Prince of the Princes of Tunis, the City Well Guarded, the Abode of Happiness, to Signore Thomas Jefferson, President of the United States of America). Recorded in SJL as received 10 Nov. Enclosures not identified.

Corsaro Tunisino: in April, the Constitution intercepted a private xebec with Tunisian papers, which was accompanying two Neapolitan prizes to Tripoli. Captain John Rodgers ordered the privateer and prizes to Malta, where the vessels were detained for adjudication under suspicion that the war vessel was actually a repurposed Tripolitan cruiser and in any event was violating the American blockade of Tripoli. Hammuda insisted on the legitimacy of the xebec’s papers, copies of which may have been enclosed in the letter printed above, and demanded the return of the vessels. In a letter of 1 July, Rodgers, now acting as commander, or Commodore, of the U.S. naval force in the Mediterranean, complained that the bey’s subjects had “abused” the “respect and friendship” of the United States and insisted that the bey’s demands were “inadmissable.” Although the crews of the captured vessels were returned to Tunis, the United States claimed the vessels as rightful prizes (NDBW description begins Dudley W. Knox, ed., Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers, Washington, D.C., 1939-44, 6 vols. and Register of Officer Personnel and Ships’ Data, 1801-1807, Washington, D.C., 1945 description ends , 5:539; 6:1, 2, 48-9, 53-4, 109, 128-9, 146-7; Madison, Papers, Sec. of State Ser. description begins William T. Hutchinson, Robert A. Rutland, J. C. A. Stagg, and others, eds., The Papers of James Madison, Chicago and Charlottesville, 1962– : Sec. of State Ser., Pres. Ser., Ret. Ser. description ends , 10:83-7).

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