Hammuda Pasha, Bey of Tunis, to Thomas Jefferson, 31 August 1805
From Hammuda Pasha, Bey of Tunis
Dal Bardo di Tunis,
Li 5 delle Luna Gemed Theni dell’anno dell’Egira 1220
E Li 31 del Mese di Agosto 1805
Era Cristiana
Mio Grande e Buono Amico
Non credeva certamente di dovere essere nella necessità di Scrivervi nel Senso attuale; ma giacchè una inaspettata combinazione così richiede, e che le da mè non mai provocate consequenze che Sono derivate da una male aproposito fattami querela, mi procurano questo Sommo e per mè Sempre nuovo piacere, mi limiterò a dirvi, che essendomi risoluto a Spedire un mio Ambasciatore presso la Vostra Persona, nella mira di Sempre più convincervi della mia buona Amicizia per Voi e la Vostra Nazione, E della alta Stima che vi professo particolarmente, ho consegnato al medemo un Compendio di quanto in ultimo luogo è Stato discusso, fra il Commodore Rodgers, il Console Generale Tobias Lear, e mè.
Dal medemo vi compiacerete rilevare che tanti dispiaceri provatisi in quest’occasione potevano benissimo evitarsi Senza L’umore troppo Marzziale del predetto Commodore Rodgers, molto imprudentemente Stato alimentato ed acceso dall’Incaricato d’affari, Giorgio Davis la condotta Equivoca del quale meritava da Voi esame, come a mè ha recato estrema maraviglia.
Il Testè Cittato mio Ambasciatore che Sarà latore della presente, è il mio fedele e Benemerito Servitore Soliman Mellemelli, che già Io aveva destinato per una Missone importante in Costantinopoli presio del Gran Sultano.
Egli è incaricato di presentarvi delli contrassegni di mia Stima che Spero che gradirete, con accoglierlo favorevolmente, e principalmente quando vi assicurerà della perfetta mia buona amicizia e del desiderio che io ho di continuarla, malgrado quanto Si è fatto e tentato, per immergerci in un Stato di Guerra.
Siccome malgrado la desterità del Sagace Console Lear, (il quale in virtu delli poteri da Voi confertigli ha trattato meco in quest’occasione,) non habbiamo potuto combinare in una maniera equalmente Vantaggiosa e reciproca, li diversi punti di querele e di pretese, messi in Campo dal Commodore Rodgers e dall’Incaricato Davis, per essere li medemi divenuti per colpa loro di natura tale che necessitave il vostro esame e la vostra decisione diretta, così Io ho munito il mio Ambasciatore delli miei poteri e delle mie Instruzioni per trattare con Voi e terminare ogni cosa a tenore delle medesme mie Instruzioni.
La principale pretesa Si è quella del Cambiamento e aggiunta di alcuni articoli del nostro Trattato di Pace Solennemente approvato e Ratificato dal Vostro Predecessore.
Io non Sò, ne ho potuto Capire come ciò habbiasi potuto pretendere; con usarmi ancora delle minaccie; quando da Voi non mi è mai Stato indirizzata ne Significata una Simile pretesa. Sicchè non conoscendo raggioni per fare un tale Cambiamento, [. . .] avendo Io piacere di alterare I nostri trattati, ho però proposto al Console Generale Lear, che Consentirei al Cambiamento ricercato, mediante che mi Sí accordasse un proporzionato Compenso.
Questo è uno delli punti principali per cui non Siamo pervenuti ad accordarci ed egli è Sopra di ciò, che Vi prego, mio Grande e Buono Amico, a dare intiero e pieno Credito a tutto quello che il mio Ambasciatore vi dirà in nome mio, assicurandovi che Sarà da mè approvato tutto quello che il medevo concluderà e Stabilirà con Voi a tenore e di Conformità agli datigli miei ordini ed Instruzioni.
Impaziente di ricevere li grati Vostri riscontri coll’avviso dell’arrivo felice presso di Voi del mio Ambasciatore, che nuovamente vi raccomando, Vi auguro del Cielo, mio Grande e Buono Amico, le più Compite felicità.
Hamuda Bassà Bey
Editors’ Translation
From the Bardo of Tunis,
on the 5th of Jumuda al-Thani in the Hegira year 1220,
the 31st of the Month of August 1805
of the Christian Era
My Great and Good Friend
I certainly did not think I would be compelled to write you as I am now. An unexpected situation, however, requires it, and the consequences that I did not provoke and that derived from a complaint unjustly moved against me provide this highest and for me always new pleasure. I will confine myself to say that I have decided to send an envoy to you with the aim of making you ever more certain of the friendship I have for you and your nation and of the esteem I profess to you in particular. I have entrusted to the said ambassador a summary of what most recently has been discussed between Commodore Rodgers, Consul General Tobias Lear, and me.
You will be pleased to gather from him that many disappointments, which have arisen on this occasion, could have easily been avoided, but for the exceedingly martial disposition of said Commodore Rodgers, which the chargé d’affaires George Davis quite unwisely lighted and fanned, a reprehensible behavior that no less deserved your inquiry as it greatly marveled me.
The said ambassador who will be the bearer of this letter is my faithful and deserving servant Sulayman Melmelli, whom I had previously charged with an important mission to the Great Sultan in Constantinople.
His charge is to present you the expression of my esteem, which I hope you will accept by favorably receiving him, in particular since he will affirm my perfect good friendship and express my desire to continue in it, in spite of what has been done and undertaken to involve us in a state of war.
Notwithstanding the ability and acumen of Consul Lear (who, with the powers you conferred in him, has on this occasion negotiated with me) we have not been able to settle in an equally and reciprocally advantageous way the various points of complaints and claims leveled by Commodore Rodgers and the chargé d’affaires Davis. They are to be blamed if these requests have become of such a nature that they required your consideration and direct decision; thus, I have entrusted to my ambassador my mandate and instructions to negotiate with you and determine all affairs according to my said instructions.
The main demand is that some articles be changed and added to the peace treaty between us, solemnly approved and ratified by your predecessor.
I do not know, nor have been able to gather, how it has been possible that such a demand was made of me, and with the accompaniment of threats, when you had never communicated nor advanced any such pretense with me. Therefore, as I did not know of any reason to make such change nor did I desire to alter our treaties, I have answered to Consul General Lear that I would consent to the change that is being sought, as long as I were to receive some adequate compensation.
This is one of the main points on account of which we have not reached an agreement, and it is about this matter that I entreat you, my great and good friend, to give total and full credit to all that my ambassador will say in my name. I assure you that I will approve everything he will agree upon and decide with you in accordance with and conformity to the orders and instructions I have given him.
Impatiently awaiting to receive your reply attesting that my ambassador, whom I again recommend to you, has safely reached you, I wish from heaven, my great and good friend, every possible happiness.
Hamuda Bassà Bey
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Tunis); damaged; in a clerk’s hand, with Hammuda’s seal; at head of text: “Hamuda Bassà Bey, Principe delli Principi di Tunis, la Città la Ben Guardata, Il Soggiorno della Felicità Al Sigr Tomaso 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); endorsed by a clerk.
For the beginning of hostile exchanges between Hammuda and John Rodgers, see Hammuda’s letter of 17 July to TJ. Late in July, Rodgers sailed from Malta to Tunis with the Mediterranean squadron, taking with him Tobias Lear. George Davis had previously communicated to Lear and Rodgers that Hammuda refused to recognize Lear as a proper person with whom to negotiate and that Hammuda viewed a naval show of force as justification for a declaration of war, characterizations that the bey later claimed distorted his positions. With Davis acting as intermediary, Rodgers demanded that the bey forswear any intention to initiate hostilities, while Lear tried to convince Hammuda that TJ had authorized him to negotiate with all the Barbary states. Rodgers readied the squadron for war but also granted an extension of the time he had given the bey to produce a declaration of peaceable intent. Hammuda eventually disavowed any threats, promised to send an envoy to the United States, and invited Lear to settle any differences existing between the countries. In their negotiations, Lear sought changes to several articles of the countries’ 1797 treaty (nostri trattati). The Tunisians agreed that during the time of Sulayman Melmelli’s mission, American merchants would be placed on the same footing as those of Great Britain and France and that the bey would apply the same criteria in making use of American vessels as he did those of the European powers. They would leave in place, however, provisions related to the saluting of American naval vessels and the return of escaped slaves from Tunis found on board U.S. vessels. Hammuda also requested Davis’s removal as chargé d’affaires, and Davis himself rejected Lear’s suggestion that he might retain the position, preferring instead to return to the United States, where he could defend his conduct (, 6:200-9, 244-5, 257-8; , 10:265-75, 280-9).