No.7

Sidi Soliman Mellimelli, Ambassador &c. to the Secretary of State

Health.

In answer to your letter of yesterday I have the honor to inform you, that no peace between the United States of America and the Regency of Tunis can be ever permanent untill the Government of said states, conform to the custom practiced by the Christian powers of the same magnitude and occasionally make presents of military stores to the regency of Tunis.  My proposal Relative to your sending some articles of that description by the Lebeque when returned to his Excy my Master proceeded from my great desire to promote a good understanding between him and his Excy the President; in hopes that in the fluctuation of human events something might intervene to render the parties more prosperous to each others views and to thus prevent a war.

As those term have been rejected by his Excy the President, I have now the honor to propose and if accepted will conclude a truce between the parties for the term of one year to commence from my arrival at Tunis as it is my wish to prevent our respective Gov.

Government from deciding precipitately upon Affairs of so much importance and which may involve consequences at present incalculable by both parties; but if his Excy the president things that the period of one year is too long to be allow'd for discussion And wishes a final decision to be made immediately after my arrival at Tunis, I am instructed to inform you that the term may be reduced to one month to commence in like manner leaving the choice of either directly to the option of the President of the U States.

By the letter of credence which I had the honor to present to his Excy the President immediately after my arrival in this City, you will be informed that my master has a[ ]ted no will full power to transact all his concerns at this court and has promised to ratify whatever arrangement I may think proper to make in his name with his Excy the president consequently the Measures you propose to take in the Mediterranean for ascertaining from the Bashaw himself whether he means war or peace is superfluous as it can be ascertained here on the spot & I presume that the subject of this communication will re

move every doubt from the Presidents mind relative to the Hammada Bashaws intentions.

Whether a truce should be concluded for one or twelve months, I respectfully request his Excelcy the President to have the goodness to mention the period in his letter to the Bashaw of Tunis, which I hope to have the honor to bear, in answer to one I delivered him on my arrival and that a duplicate of any agreement that may take place, signed and sealed by the contracting parties may he inclosed therein in order to prevent the possibility of misunderstanding each other.

With heartfelt regret I shall leave this Country while our affairs wear so inauspicious a complexion, but I am bound to obey the commands of my master: that depended on me, I have already done, at present nothing remains but to await the events.

Signed Sidi Suliman Mallimalli

City Washington March 8th 1807

[To] Hon. James Madison