“Hostilities will not cease until a treaty is made; and a treaty will not be made anywhere but on board the Guerrière.”
Next day the Captain of the Port came out with full powers to negotiate. The Americans presented their draft of a treaty. The Algerian objected to returning the property taken from the Americans enslaved by the pirates, saying that it had been distributed among many hands. Decatur replied:
“As it was unjustly taken, it must be restored or paid for.”
That settled this point, but when it came to relinquishing all tribute, the Algerian hesitated. Nor did he like to pay $10,000 to the owners of the Salem brig Edwin that had been captured. He pleaded that the brig was taken under a previous dynasty, and told what a great man the present ruler, Omar the Terrible, was. But Decatur refused to concede a truce of even three hours, saying:
Decatur and the Algerian.
“Not a minute! If your squadron appears before the treaty is actually signed by the Dey, and before the American prisoners are on board, I shall capture it.”
In fact the only concession that Decatur would make was to agree to return the Mashouda. But this was not to appear in the treaty; it was to be as an act of grace on the part of the Americans.
The Algerian hastened ashore with the treaty, after arranging that a white flag should be displayed in his boat on returning, in case the treaty was signed and the prisoners on board.
An hour after the Algerian left, an Algerian man-of-war appeared in the east. The Americans cleared their ships for action, but before the squadron got fairly under way the Captain of the Port was seen coming with a white flag afloat. Everything had been conceded to the Americans.