This will be a three-day weekend in the US, for the President's Day holiday. As usual I'll check in if needed, but routine blogging will return Tuesday. The holiday represents a merger of Lincoln's birthday (Feb. 12), for which I've already posted a relevant historical post, and George Washington's birthday. So here's a relevant Washington link: Background here; text here.
Letter from George
Washington to Muhammed Ibn
Abdullah - Sultan of Morocco
City of New York
December 1, 1789
Great and Magnanimous Friend,
Since the
date of the letter which the late Congress, by their President, addressed to
your Imperial Majesty, The United States of America have thought proper to
change their government
and institute a new one, agreeable to the Constitution, of which I have the
honor, herewith, to enclose a copy. The time necessarily employed in the
arduous task, and the
disarrangements occasioned by so great though peaceable a revolution, will
apologize, and account for your Majesty’s not having received those regularly advised marks of
attention from the United States which the friendship and magnanimity of your
conduct toward them afforded reason to expect.
The United
States, having unanimously appointed me to supreme executive authority in this
Nation. Your Majesty’s letter of August 17, 1788, which by reason of the dissolution of the
late-government, remained unanswered, has been delivered to me. I have also
received the letters which Your Imperial Majesty has been so kind as to write, in favor of
the United States, to the Bashaws of Tunis and Tripoli, and I present to you
the sincere acknowledgements and thanks of the United States for this important mark of your
friendship for them.
We greatly regret the hostile disposition of
those regencies toward this nation, who have never injured them, is not to be
removed, on terms of our power to comply with.
Within our
territories there are no mines, wither of gold or silver, and this young nation
just recovering from the waste and dissolution of a long war, have not, as yet,
had time to acquire riches
by agriculture and commerce. But our soil is bountiful, and our people
industrious, and we have reason to flatter ourselves that we shall gradually
become useful to our
friends.
The
encouragement which Your Majesty has been pleased, generously, to give to our
commerce with your dominions, the punctuality with which you have caused the Treaty with us to
be observed, and the just and generous measures taken in the case of Captain
Proctor, make a deep impression on the United States and confirm their respect for and
attachment to Your Imperial Majesty.
It gives me
great pleasure to have the opportunity of assuring Your Majesty that, while I
remain at the head of this nation, I shall not cease to promote every measure
that may conduce to the
friendship and harmony which so happily subsist between your Empire and them,
and shall esteem myself happy in every occasion of convincing Your Majesty of the
high sense (which in common with the whole nation) I entertain the magnanimity,
wisdom and benevolence of Your Majesty.
May the
Almighty bless Your Imperial Majesty, our Great and Magnanimous friend, with
His constant guidance and protection.
- George Washington
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