date

1823 Jan¼y¼. 13 Tripoli. Hassuna to Q. Adams
1823 Jan¼y¼. 13 Tripoli. Hassuna to Q. Adams.

The Bashaw of Tripoli is in a state of entire independence with relation to the

Ottoman Porte though he still maintains /preserves/ this subordinate official

appellation this being the appellation to which by habit the people are disposed

to pay obedience The age of the present /reigning/ Bashaw is about 50 years. He

has four legitimate sons A á³á á³á B. á³á á³á C. á³á á³á D. á³á á³á. The eldest

á³á á³á may for shortness be characterized by the name of the monster: for his

equal in cruelty is scarcely to be found in any page of history. Driven out of

the country by the universal horror his barbarities have inspired he has for

some years led the life of an obscure fugitive in Egypt. In /It is with/ Tripoli

as in /with/ other Mahometan Governments there is unhappily no settled order of

succession to the throne. Of the Bashaws three other sons, the two eldest are

married to my two sisters. I have three Brothers all of them younger than

myself: Mohammed aged á³á á³á years B á³á á³á aged á³á á³á years C. á³á á³á aged

á³á á³á years The two married pairs live in a state of matrimonial felicity: the

monster of course excepted both families have always lived in a state of

uninterrupted harmony. In the Constitution change which I am proposing I am by

no means without expectation of /the/ concurrence from /of/ the Bashaw himself:

so urgent are the matters which I shall in person present in the first place to

his consideration: but it would be unkindness not only to both families but to

him /I could never justify to myself/ the resting upon that single chance the

preservation of both families as well as the whole nation from an unfathomable

abyss of misery.
Similar Items
  • Title: [1823 Jan 13 J.B. to Quincy Adams for Trip]
    Description: 1823 Jan 13 J.B. to Quincy Adams for Trip.

    It is here I should mention my authority for all this. The principal one is

    Hassuna D'Ghies © thus it is he writes his name in an European language and

    character, Ambassador from the Sovereign of Tripoli to this Court, and as such

    recognized by our Foreign Office. It is by his desire that I write this: he will

    give his attestation to that effect by his signature

    His age is about one and thirty: the eight last years of it he has passed in

    different countries of Europe, principally in France and the Netherlands and

    England: the last year /about a twelvemonth/ or thereabouts in this country in

    the quality abovementioned. His father á³á á³á D'Ghies is and for á³á á³á years

    has been Secretary of State for foreign Affairs to the Sovereign. The Sovereign,

    though all dependence on the Ottoman Porte has for many years been at an end, is

    still designated by the appellation of Pacha, or as in English we say Bashaw. He

    has four /three/ and no more than four /three/ legitimate sons: the eldest á³á

    á³á is a monster of cruelty, who for his cruelty having been by an armed force

    sent by his father thrown out of the country lives in a state of dependence and

    contempt somewhere in Egypt where he took refuge. The two next are married to

    the two only legitimate daughters of the abovementioned Secretary father to the

    Ambassador. The Secretary before he placed in this his situation had for seven

    years been making his observations in different countries of Europe: hence the

    idea of giving to this the eldest of his four sons the same advantage: and what

    profit has been made from it, you will ere /when/ this letter closes be in some

    measure enabled to judge.
  • Title: [1823 Feb. Trip. H 1 ?.1. Family etc State]
    Description: 1823 Feb. Trip. H 1 ?.1. Family etc State

    ?.2á³á1á³á. State of the reigning family, and of mine which is allied to it.

    The name of the reigning Sovereign is Yussuf Pacha Caramanli. Caramanli means

    from the province of Caramande. It is the proper name of the family. He is about

    50 years of age.

    His authority, as you have probably understood, from such of your functionaries

    as have been on the spot, is altogether independent of every other. The Turkish

    title of ”Bashaw• as you write in English, ”Pacha• in other European languages,

    imports indeed subordination to the Porte. But, for about á³á á³á years past no

    such subordination has had place: neither ”tribute•, nor any other token of

    subjection, having been either paid or claimed.

    His power is, as almost every where else, where Mahomedanism, /despotic is the

    religion of the State, monarchical/ and without any distinct limits: but, in

    practice as well as theory, it is somewhat tempered and softened, by the

    influence, exercised by that body, in which, in that as in every Mahometan

    country, the judicial and ecclesiastical functions are united.

    About á³á á³á years ago, the reigning Sovereign seated and settled himself on

    the throne, in the manner so usual in Mahometan States, by what you would call

    the ”murder• of his brother. He is however by no means of a sanguinary or harsh

    disposition: and his temper has been rather softened than hardened by age. His

    greatest imperfection is © profusion in expenditure: and by this weakness he is

    kept in a state of perpetual indigence; and his subjects, so at least it appears

    to them, in a state of proportionable insecurity, in respect of property, not to

    say in respect of life.

    He has four legitimate male children 1. Mohammed Bey, aged á³á á³á 2. Achmet

    Bey, aged about 30. 3. Ali Bey aged about 27. 4. Mustapha Bey aged about 18.

    The title of Bey, which may be rendered ”Prince•, is shared with the reigning

    family by four others.

    In ours as in other Mahometan Nations, the order of succession is not regarded

    as fixt. Hence, on every vacancy of a throne, the incidental confusions,

    produced by fratricide and civil war, are liable to be added to the habitual

    insecurity and universal indigence perpetuated by despotism.

    1. The eldest Son ”Mahomet• is generally regarded as excluded from all

    probability of succeeding, by his notorious and matchless cruelty, as well as

    rebellion against his father.¼(¼a¼) For á³á á³á years, he has been a fugitive in

    Egypt. He is unmarried. 2. The second son ”Achmet• is weak in mind: and that to

    such a degree, as to be likewise regarded as debarred from all probability of

    succession. 3. The third son ”Ali•, is regarded as competent to receive the

    succession. A¼o 1817 he commanded the little irregular army, by the horror of

    which, without bloodshed, his eldest brother, deserted by all his followers was

    expelled. He has these á³á á³á years been married to one of my two sisters

    Khadija D'Ghies. By her he has á³á á³á sons. 4. The fourth son Mustapha, is also

    regarded as competent to receive the succession. In the course of the last year,

    he was married to my other sister Fatima D'Ghies.

    Now as to my own family.

    My father, Mohammed D'Ghies has now for these á³á á³á years, namely since the

    year 18á³á á³á with some intervals been Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

    He is about á³á á³á years of age. He has four sons. 1. His eldest son, myself

    Hassuna D'Ghies á³á á³á years of age, born A¼o. á³á á³á 2. His second son

    Mohammed D'Ghies á³á á³á years of age, born A¼o. á³á á³á 3. His third son á³á

    á³á D'Ghies á³á á³á years of age, born A¼o. á³á á³á 4. HIs fourth son á³á á³á

    D'Ghies, between 13 and 14 years of age, born A¼o. á³á Daughters ¼(¼a¼) See a

    Note on the next page.
  • Title: [1823 Jan¼y 24 Tripoli H. to Q.A ?.1. Reigning]
    Description: 1823 Jan¼y 24 Tripoli H. to Q.A ?.1. Reigning Family ?.2. Reigning and H.'s

    family

    He has four legitimate male children:

    1. Mohammed Bey, aged { } 2. Achmet Bey, aged about 30 3. Ali Bey, aged about

    27. 4. Mustapha Bey, aged about 18.

    The title of Bey, which may be rendered Prince is shared with the reigning

    family by four others.

    In ours as in other Mahometan nations, the order of succession is not regarded

    as fixt. Hence, on every vacancy of a throne, to the incidental confusions

    produced by fratricide and civil war are liable to be added to the habitual

    insecurity and universal indigence perpetuated by despotism.

    1. The eldest á³á á³á is generally regarded as excluded from all probability of

    succeeding by his notorious and matchless cruelty, as well as rebellion against

    his father. For á³á á³á years he has been a fugitive in Egypt. He is unmarried.

    2. The second son Achmet is weak in mind: and that to such a degree, as to be

    likewise regarded as debarred from probability of succession.

    3. The third son, Ali Bey, is regarded as competent to receive the succession.

    A¼o 18.. he commanded the little irregular army, by the terror of which, without

    bloodshed, his eldest brother, deserted by all his followers, was expelled. He

    has these { } years been married to one of my two sisters Khadija D'Ghies By her

    he has { } sons.

    4. The fourth son Mustapha Bey, is also regarded as competent to receive the

    succession. In the course of the last year, he was married to my other sister

    Fatima D'Ghies