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THE FIRST UNITED STATES CONSUL

 

THOMAS BARCLAY

 

WHO WAS KILLED IN A DUEL

IN LISBON

AND BURIED IN THIS CEMETERY

ON JANUARY 21ST 1793

HE WAS BORN IN STRABANE, IRELAND

IN 1728

 

GEORGE WASHINGTON

 

MADE HIM CONSUL IN MOROCCO IN 1791

AT THE REQUEST OF

THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE

 

THOMAS JEFFERSON

 

 

  Thomas Barclay was born around 1728, in Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. By the time of his marriage in 1770 he had moved to Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. He went into business with William Mitchell. a fellow Irishman. Their business included the supply of various Irish fabrics, including Irish linnen, Irish sheeting and garlix linnen. However in response to the English parliament passing the Townsend Act in 1767, which imposed duty on imported goods from the American colonies, and stirred by the words of John Dickinson, Barclay and his partner, along with 300 other merchants in Philadelphia agreed to a 'non importation agreement' in 1769. The political foundation stones which would lead to the American Revolution had been set.

 

On 18th October 1770 a marriage license was granted for Thomas Barclay to marry Mary Hoops, the daughter of Adam Hoops. They were married in November. They had five children: Elizabeth Mease Barclay, Annette Laurelle Barclay, Robert Barclay, Thomas Barclay and Maria Isabella Barclay.

 

From 1771 Thomas became more and more an activist for the American colonist's cause. He got to know other leading politicians in the early United States, including Benjamin Franklin, whom he met in France. Thomas was elected to the Philadelphia correspondence committee. These committees were political entities which sought to organise opposition to the British parliament and then lent support to independence. In 1777 he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Navy Board and in 1781 he was appointed US Consul to France by the Continental Congress. Although his time in France was working with Benjamin Franklin, he was mainly concerned with arranging supplies for General George Washington's troops from Europe countries. In 1784 Thomas met John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in Paris, who were sent to negotiate treaties with maritime countries in Europe as well as Morocco. In 1785 Jefferson took over the helm in France from Franklin, and Barclay and he worked in close liaison. Jefferson suggested sending Barclay to negotiate a treaty with the Sultan of Morocco, Mohammed III. John Adams agreed in his letter to Jefferson dated, 23rd August 1785:

 

Grosvenor Square Aug. 23. 1785

Dear Sir

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     last night, I received your Favour of the 17.— if both Governments are possessed of the Contents of my letter of the 7th. by opening it in the Post Office, much good may those Contents do them. They both know they have deserved it. I hope it will convince them of their Error, and induce them to adopt more liberal Principles towards Us. I am for answering their Utmost Generosity with equal and indeed with greater Generosity. But I would not advise my Country to be the Bubble of her own Nobleness of Sentiment.

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    The Spirited Conduct of Ireland, I think will assist me, here. The News of the Reception in the Irish Parliament of the 20 Resolutions together with the Efforts in America towards a Navigation Act have raised my Hopes a good deal. But our States must mature their Plan and persevere in it, in order to effect the Work. in time, and with a Steady pursuit of our Purpose, I begin to think We shall prevail.

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    If Mr Barclay will undertake the Voyage, I am for looking no farther. We cannot find a Steadier, or more prudent Man. He should look out for some Clerk or Companion who can write French and understands Italian.

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   When Dr Price returns from his August Excursion to Some Watering Place, I will get him to make the Insurance upon Houdons Life, on the best Terms he can.

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Adieu / Yours sincerely

John Adams

 

 

Thomas Barclay arrived in Marrakech in June of 1786 after a gruelling overland journey and voyage from Cadiz to Mogador. Amazingly the draft treaty he carried was agreed to after only two audiences which speaks of his skills as a diplomat. Only two minor changes had to be made. The upshot of this treaty was that American ships were no longer in danger from Moroccan corsairs.

 

In 1791, George Washington, now American President, and Thomas Jefferson, now Secretary of State, despatched Barclay back to Morocco to re-confirm the treaty with the successor to Mohammed III. His instructions, in full, were:

 

Philadelphia May 13th. 1791

Sir

You are appointed by the President of the United States to go to the Court of Morocco for the purpose of obtaining from the new Emperor a recognition of our Treaty with his father. As it is thought best that you should go in some definite character, that of Consul has been adopted, and you consequently receive a Commission as Consul for the United States in the dominions of the Emperor of Morocco, which having been issued during the recess of the Senate will of course expire at the end of their next session. It has been thought best however not to insert this limitation in the Commission as being unnecessary, and it might perhaps embarrass.—Before the end of the next session of the Senate it is expected the objects of your mission will be accomplished.

 

Lisbon being the most convenient port of correspondence between us and Morocco, sufficient authority will be given to Col: Humphreys, Resident for the United States at that place, over funds in Amsterdam for the objects of your mission. On him therefore you will draw for the sums herein allowed, or such parts of them as shall be necessary. To that port too you had better proceed in the first vessel which shall be going there, as it is expected you will get a ready passage from thence to Morocco.

 

On your arrival in Morocco sound your ground, and know how things stand at present. Your former voyage there having put you in possession of the characters through whom this may be done, who may best be used for approaching the Emperor and effecting your purpose, you are left to use your own knowledge to the best advantage.

 

The object being merely to obtain an acknowledgment of the Treaty, we rely that you will be able to do this, giving very moderate presents. As the amount of these will be drawn into precedent on future similar repetitions of them, it becomes important. Our distance, our seclusion from the ancient world, it’s politics and usages, our agricultural occupations and habits, our poverty, and lastly our determination to prefer war in all cases to tribute under any form and to any people whatever, will furnish you with topics for opposing and refusing high or dishonoring pretensions, to which may be added the advantages their people will derive from our commerce, and their Sovereign from the duties laid on whatever we extract from that country.

 

Keep us regularly informed of your proceedings and progress, by writing by every possible occasion, detailing to us particularly your conferences either private or public, and the persons with whom they are held.

 

We think that Francisco Chiappe has merited well of the United States by his care of their peace and interests. He has sent an account of disbursements for us amounting to 394 dollars. Do not recognise the account, because we are unwilling, by doing that, to give him a colour for presenting larger ones hereafter, for expences which it is impossible for us to scrutinize or controul. Let him understand that our laws oppose the application of public money so informally; but in your presents, treat him handsomely, so as not only to cover this demand, but go beyond it with a liberality which may fix him deeply in our interests. The place he holds near the Emperor renders his friendship peculiarly important. Let us have nothing further to do with his brothers or any other person. The money which would make one good friend, divided among several will produce no attachment.

 

The Emperor has intimated that he expects an Ambassador from us. Let him understand that this may be a custom of the old world, but it is not ours: that we never sent an Ambassador to any Nation.

 

You are to be allowed from the day of your departure till your return 166 ⅔ dollars a month for your time and expences, adding thereto your passage money and sea stores going and coming.

 

Remain in your post till the 1st. of April next, and as much longer as shall be necessary to accomplish the objects of your mission, unless you should receive instructions from hence to the contrary.

 

With your commission you will receive a Letter to the Emperor of Morocco, a cypher and a Letter to Col: Humphreys.—I have the honor to be with great esteem Sir

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Your most obedient & most humble servant

 

However, all was not well. Strife had broken out between the sons of Mohammed III for the throne and it was not safe for Barclay to proceed to Morocco. During the rest of 1791 and 1792 Thomas Barclay sent many letters to Jefferson informing him on the prevailing situation. For instance, from Gibraltar on 18th December 1791:

 

Gibraltar, 18 Dec. 1791. He wrote to TJ on the 12th [i.e., 13th] and expected to reach Tangier on the 12th but was unable to sail because of unfavorable weather conditions. Several letters from Morocco arrived three days ago that enable him to give an accurate account of recent events in that land.

 

Sometime before the late Emperor’s death on 11 Apr. 1790 he ordered Muley Slema, a younger son, to invest a sanctuary near Tetuan whither an older son, Muley Yezid, had fled to escape his father’s anger. After the Emperor died at Saffy, Muley Yezid left the sanctuary and was proclaimed his successor in the north as well as in the cities of Fez, Mequinez, and Morocco. To escape his brother’s wrath, Muley Slema took refuge in the sanctuary and remains there still.—Assuming the title of Mahomet El Mehedy El Yezid, the new Emperor appeared at Fez and Mequinez to put down a revolt against his rule and then returned to the north. When the people of the city of Morocco grew impatient at the Emperor’s absence, the governor of it proclaimed Muley Ischem, another son of the late Emperor, in his place. But Muley Ischem has since withdrawn from competion with his brother, lacking either civil or military ability, “and the only Event of Consequence that attended his momentary elevation, was the plundering of Morocco by the Mountaineers who appeared in Suport of his interest.”

 

The new Emperor held two audiences with foreign consuls at Tetuan shortly after leaving the sanctuary. On 21 Apr. 1790 he informed them that he intended to make war on all Christians except the English and the Russians and ordered the consuls of all other nations to leave in four months. Then on the following day he declared that he would remain at peace with all Christians except the Spaniards but added that peace with them was possible if they sent an ambassador to him, paid 250,000 dollars in duties on wheat that his father had allowed the Spanish consul general Mr. Salmon to export, and delivered 100 quintals of cochineal in accordance with a pledge made to the late Emperor. At the same time he put to death Attal, a Jewish financial agent for his father; the Talb Haudrania, a confidant of his father; L’Abbas, the commander of the force that had invested the sanctuary; Hassan, the Spanish vice-consul at Tetuan; and the Effendi—“and to shew his great detestation of the Spaniards, he ordered the hand of their great friend the Effendi to be nailed on the Door of the Consul’s house at Tangier, but the order was evaded and the hand nailed on a board that was placed near the [house].” Mr. Salmon arrived in the Bay of Tangier in a ship of war on 12 Aug. 1790, having been appointed Spanish minister to Morocco and bearing money and presents for the Emperor. After trying for six weeks to extract a pledge from the Emperor that he could return to his ship safely if peace negotiations between them failed, Salmon announced on 22 Sep. that he was sending ashore a boat “loaded with Some bulky items of Little value.” In the meantime, however, Salmon’s brother, the Spanish viceconsul, and the Fathers of Redemption residing in Tangier made their way to Salmon’s ship whereupon this ship and all Spanish vessels in the harbor set sail, driving one Moroccan cruiser ashore and capturing two others in full view of the Emperor. Salmon defended his actions by claiming that he already knew Spain had declared war on Morocco, but others allege that “Several people of great influence had been concerned in the Exportation of the wheat, and if the Duties had been actually paid by the Court of Spain, it would have brought about a restoration of property and other explanations of a very disagreeable nature.”—The Emperor immediately had the Basha of Tangier beheaded and replaced by Tahar Feunis. He then besieged Ceuta with 32,000 men but raised the siege on 17 Nov. after Spain disavowed Salmon’s conduct and restored the captured cruisers. Thereafter he journeyed to Rabat “where he renewed most of the treaties made by his father, and dispatched Benothman to Madrid as ambassador with propositions of establishing peace upon certain conditions.”—As a result of Benothman’s mission, Spain shipped 84,000 dollars worth of naval stores to Tangier in July 1791. But this fell so far below the Emperor’s expectations that he renewed the siege of Ceuta on 18 Aug., causing Benothman to remain in Spain as a pensioner of the king. The siege was raised on 14 Sep., after which the governors of Ceuta and Tetuan agreed to a boundary line “between the Ceuta and the foot of Abila, beyond which neither the Spaniards or Moors Should pass on any pretence whatever.” Six weeks ago, the governor of Teutan having complained that this line was improperly drawn, the Emperor ordered him to demand an explanation from the Spanish. Accompanied by a party of horsemen, the governor held a meeting with a party of Spaniards in the course of which he shot and beheaded Captain Mendoça, a Spanish officer who had served as interpreter during the original boundary negotiations. Consequently, it is now believed that Spain will support Muley Slema’s “pretentions to the Crown” with money and vessels, “and an apprehension of this happening has induced the Emperor to send Francisco Chiappe to Spain.”

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In 1792 Americans had been captiered in Algiers and there was a need for  someone to go and ransom them in person. John Paul Jones had been chosen for this task, but he died before he could even receive to communication to go. Barclay was the backup plan. As can be read in the letter above dated 13th May 1791, Barclay was reliant on contacts in Lisbon for funding. Unfortunately before this was forthcoming, and Thomas Barclay able to set out on his mission, he died.

 

So, Thomas Barclay died in Lisbon on 19th January 1793 and was buried in the British Cemetery on 21st January. The Burial Register records the facts: 'Thomas Barclay Esqre. Consul from the United States to Morocco aged 65.'