Beschreibung:

JEFFERSON, Thomas. Autograph letter signed ("Thomas Jefferson"), as President, to Joseph H. Nicholson (1770-1817), Washington, 23 February 1803. 1 page, 4to, with autograph address leaf . AMERICA'S FIRST MIDDLE EASTERN WAR: JEFFERSON PROMISES ONLY A LIMITED CONFLICT AGAINST THE BARBARY PIRATES "It may be stated with truth, I believe, that the Secretary of the Navy has made his estimate on the present state of things in the Mediterranean, and the possible necessity of keeping that up, by sending a relieving squadron in place of the three frigates which are under orders to return. This could only be necessary in case our warfare there should become much more extensive, yet prudence required him to be prepared for that." The Maryland Congressman had written Jefferson the day before, alerting him to possible problems in passing "the Bill to reduce the Marine Corps" if it seemed that American forces would be stationed off North Africa for extended periods. Jefferson assures him he expects no expansion of hostilities, in spite of the bluster from the Barbary potentates: "There is not the smallest ground for believing that any of the Barbary powers thinks of breaking with us (for as to the demands some of them are making, there is never a moment when they are not demanding), the relieving squadron, in place of the three frigates ordered to return, will be the three small vessels which, with the Enterprise, will be employed there, under the protection of the two remaining frigates, and will be a much more effective force than the present one, against the Tripoltolitans alone." All this is in keeping, Jefferson notes, with his message to Congress in which he told them that ships in the Mediterranean would be reinforced "only in a moment when war with other powers was expected, that this apprehension had ceased already at the opening of Congress, and orders were given for the return of a part of the force, & a proposition made to Congress to furnish smaller vessels....Certainly neither economy nor prudence permits to keep in actual service all the force which might be necessary in the worst state of things; for then we ought to keep a large standing army." Jefferson closes with a caution: "this letter is not intended to be communicated to anybody, but is confidentially for yourself." In 1803, Tripoli captured the Philadelphia and used it to attack other American ships. Jefferson sent Stephen Decatur to destroy the vessel. While Tripoli stopped demanding tribute of American ships trading in the region, they did exact a $60,000 ransom from the U. S. to free captured sailors from the Constitution . The U. S. continued to pay bribes to the other Barbary states of Morocco, Algiers and Tunis until 1815.