The  Algerincs,  influenced,  as  was  supposed,  by  British  agents,
but  more  probably  by  the  hope  of  plunder,  had  taken  advantage
of  our  war  with  Great  Britain  to  capture  some  of  our  merchant-
men, and  enslave  their  crews.  That  war  having  ended,  a  squa-
dron was  sent  to  the  Mediterranean,  under  command  of  Com-
modore Decatur.  He  captured  an  Algerine  frigate  of  forty-nine
guns  after  a  short  action — in  which  the  celebrated  llais  Ham-
mida  was  killed, — and  a  brig  of  twenty-two  guns.  He  arrived
before  Algiers  on  the  22d  of  June,  1815,  and  at  once  demanded

o

a  treaty.  His  terms  were  stated,  with  all  possible  brevity,  to  be  '
a  relinqnishmcnt  of  all  annual  tribute  or  ransom  for  prisoners;
property  taken  from  Americans  to  be  restored,  or  paid  for ;  all
enslaved  Americans  to  be  released;  and  no  American  ever  again
to  be  held  as  a  slave.  The  relinquishment  of  tribute  was  the  most
difficult  point  to  settle,  as  it  was  contended  that  it  might  be  used
as  a  precedent  by  the  European  powers,  and  prove  destructive  to
the  Dey.  "  Even  a  little  powder,"  said  the  Algerine  negotiator,
"  might  prove  satisfactory."  "  If,"  replied  Decatur,  "  you  insist
upon  receiving  powder  as  tribute,  you  must  expect  to  receive  balls
with  it."  In  forty-eight  hours  the  treaty  was  negotiated,  giving  to
Americans  privileges  and  immunities  never  before  granted  by  a
Barbary  state  to  a  Christian  power.  He  then  proceeded  to  Tunis  j
and  Tripoli,  and  obtained  redress  by  similar  summary  process,  and
returned  home  in  the  autumn  of  the  same  year.  He  was  subse-  ]
quently  appointed  one  of  the  Board  of  Navy  Commissioners,  and


STEPHEN    DECATUR.  30.~,

resided  in  the  city  of  Washington,  at  Kalorama,  formerly  the  scut
of  Joel  Barlow.
