Lear, Tobias, Consul General

Letter signed ("Tobias Lear"), 11 pages (10 x 8 in.; 255 x 200 mm), on board the U.S.S. Constitution in Syracuse Harbor, 5 July 1805, to Secretary of State James Madison, relating his negotiations to treat for peace with Tripoli; stitched with pale blue silk ribbon, ribbon partially detached. Beige moiré folding case, green morocco spine, red morocco lettering pieces.

Presidential secretary turned state department diplomat Tobias Lear details his protracted peace negotiations with Yussif Karamanli, the Pasha of Tripoli, that led to the signing of the treaty on 4 June 1805. On page 4, Lear delineates the terms of what became Article 2 of the treaty: "That the Bashaw shall send all the Americans in his power on board the Squadron now at Tripoli—that his subjects should be brought over from Syracuse, and delivered to him with all convenient speed—as he had 300 Americans, more or less, we 100 Tripolines more or less I would engage to give for the balance in his favor 60,000 dollars."  Although the treaty was upheld by the government, it became a political issue. Opponents of the administration maintained that the presence of the fleet in the Mediterranean and William Eaton's capture of Derne should have been used as a bargaining chip to obtain the release of the prisoners without having to pay ransom. Lear continued his diplomatic duties as consul in Algiers until the beginning of the War of 1812, when he was given summary orders by the Dey to leave. Arriving in Washington with his reputation tarnished by the ill-timed treaty with Tripoli, Lear found his diplomatic career at an end. He was made an accountant with the War Department and in 1816, he committed suicide. After a lifetime of meticulous record keeping and note-taking, he left no explanation of his fatal deed.