“This is fantastic! Those damned pirates are finally going to be…”
Jefferson, who was in charge of the United States’s foreign affairs, had barely begun to express his excitement when he was interrupted by Franklin’s feeble chuckle, “Heh heh, Mr. Envoy, I presume there’s something you’ve omitted to mention? Surely the French Navy wouldn’t mobilize to such an extent just for our modest few merchant ships.”
Franklin was indeed an old fox—during the American War of Independence, he had darted between England and France, using the threat of France to pressure England and the lure of England to entice France.
Especially since he had conned Louis XVI into granting tens of millions of livres in loans, as well as a great quantity of military supplies and tens of thousands of French soldiers, which sustained the independence movement of the thirteen United States.
He was not so easily fooled as the young Jefferson.
Talleyrand nodded with a smile,
“Of course, His Majesty, too, is motivated by free trade in the Mediterranean, seeking to benefit all coastal nations. However, for the United States, which has scarce naval power, this is an urgent necessity.”
Franklin glanced at Jefferson, who quickly laughed and said,
“Of course! Mr. Envoy, I am deeply grateful for this!”
“Ah, his majesty is always so benevolent, and constantly concerned for friends as distant as those in America.” Talleyrand then proceeded to describe how opulently the French Royal Navy would wipe out the Barbary pirates.
“You know, the heart of world civilization still lies in the European continent. For the United States to survive and thrive, mere reliance on the desolate and lonely Americas is certainly insufficient. Oh, please forgive my frankness, but it is indeed a fact.
“Just imagine, without pirate disruptions, how many merchant ships the United States would save each year, not to mention the tributes and ransoms paid to the pirates.
“And in the long run, the growth in trade volume with Mediterranean coastal nations will bring even more prosperity to the United States.”
Franklin merely nodded noncommittally, for he knew the cripple had yet to get to the crux of the matter.
As expected, Talleyrand sighed before speaking,
“The naval department has already put forward a plan to exterminate the pirates; there’s just a minor issue left.”
Jefferson asked subconsciously, “What issue?”
“As you are aware, our government’s fiscal situation isn’t exactly rosy, and such large-scale military mobilization inevitably requires substantial funding. Therefore, as a benefactor of this anti-pirate campaign, perhaps the United States could undertake some of the expenses.”
Finally, Franklin opened up,
“It makes sense what you say, so concerning the expenses, how much do you reckon the United States would need to contribute?”
Talleyrand replied with a beaming smile,
“The United States loses up to three or four hundred thousand US Dollars annually due to Barbary pirates. And now, by providing only two hundred thousand US Dollars in funds to the Royal Navy, you could rid yourselves of this nuisance.”
Two hundred thousand US Dollars is one million livres.
Talleyrand, who had spent years among the elite of Versailles, was well-versed in the art of deal-making, always leaving room for negotiation from the outset.
“That much?” Franklin frowned in contemplation, “You might not be aware that the current income of the various states isn’t too great, and we have just experienced Shays’ Rebellion last year; it may be difficult to come up with such a significant sum.”
As he spoke, he gave Jefferson a knowing look.
“Oh, indeed, state congresses are unlikely to approve such a large amount of money,” Jefferson quickly agreed, “If it were about fifty or sixty thousand US Dollars a year, I think they would seriously consider it.”
Talleyrand thought scornfully to himself: These North American bumpkins are really poor and stingy, and always calculating.
He continued with a smile and a shake of his head,
“Oh, you might be misunderstanding; this is not a long-term expenditure. The operation will conclude within a few years. Afterwards, you won’t need to pay any more funds. Find adventures on mvl
“We’re not only targeting the pirate ships on the sea this time—yes, we have done this for hundreds of years, yet the pirates still rage on. So this time, we are to solve the problem at its root—we’ll dispatch troops to completely eliminate the pirates’ land bases!”
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He made a gesture of opening his arms with his palms facing up and closed his eyes, as if he was greatly enjoying himself:
“From now on, the Barbary pirates will become history, and the Mediterranean will turn into a paradise for maritime trade.”
Franklin’s cloudy old eyes suddenly brightened:
“Are you saying that the French army will land in North Africa?”
“That’s not quite accurate,” Talleyrand immediately corrected. “We will only operate near the strongholds of the Barbary pirates. We even hope that the North African countries will participate in eradicating the pirates.”
Franklin had not expected the French Government to undertake such a significant action and was already somewhat moved. If the Barbary pirates could indeed be completely wiped out within a few years, the United States would be able to reduce a great deal of loss.
Compared to that, paying a fee of 200,000 US dollars a few times was also acceptable.
However, the old fox still put on a troubled expression:
“God bear witness, we are more than willing to support His Majesty the French King’s action and bear some of the expenses, but 200,000 dollars a year is indeed too much.”
Talleyrand smiled amiably and said:
“Mr. Franklin, let me be frank with you, His Majesty has given me a discretionary range of 20,000 dollars. Honestly, I think every day about returning to Paris as soon as possible, so I won’t waste your time. 180,000 dollars a year, and you get eternal peace on your shipping routes, and I get the bustling Paris.”
“Ah, just a little less, please! You know, the United States has only just gained independence, and after going through war…”
“You are making things very difficult for me. You should know that French soldiers are fighting the pirates with their blood and lives for your sake!”
Afterward, both sides haggled over the “price” for a while, and finally, Franklin reluctantly agreed to submit a fee of 175,000 dollars a year to the Federal Congress.
175,000 dollars is approximately 875,000 livres. This was already substantially higher than the 600,000 livres base price Joseph had given Talleyrand but still far less than the amount of loss Americans suffered due to Barbary pirates.
Having settled the main issue, Talleyrand smiled and said:
“Actually, I have another sincere suggestion.”
“I look forward to the envoy’s advice.”
“The United States needs to equip two warships, oh, small escort ships will suffice, to fight pirates alongside the Royal Navy.”
Franklin’s first instinct was to shake his head—the United States, in an effort to save on military expenses, had only disbanded its navy a few years ago and was really not keen on maintaining warships.
Talleyrand immediately enticed him by saying:
“You must understand, even if the Barbary pirates are eradicated, there will still be some small-time pirates, like flies, that occasionally stem from decay. You could use this opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Mediterranean environment and eventually escort your own merchant ships.
“Two escort ships don’t require too much money. In the future, you could also escort for small countries like Denmark and Tuscany and charge a fee, perhaps even make some money.”
“Your suggestion is very sensible,” Franklin nodded, “Well, Mr. Envoy, I will also present your suggestion to Congress. As for the final decision, it will depend on Congress’s vote.”
“Oh, of course,” said Talleyrand, “I remember the Royal Navy has just put several escort ships into service recently; if necessary, I can help you with that. The price will certainly be much cheaper than building new ones.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
[Note 1] Shays’ Rebellion: After the American Revolutionary War, most of the Continental Army was dismissed, but there was no money to pay the pensions to the retired American soldiers. Meanwhile, the government implemented a land sale policy biased towards large capital and levied extremely high tax rates, resulting in dire living conditions for many veterans.
In the fall of 1786, Shays, a former captain, together with Luke Day, led retired soldiers of the American Army to rebel in Concord, at one point rallying up to 15,000 people.
In early 1787, the American Congress pretended to negotiate but mobilized a large force to surround Shays, eventually suppressing the rebel army.
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