Letter George Washington Mohammed Ben Abdallah 1 Dec 1789

On 1 December, 1789, United States President George Washington wrote a letter to the King of Morocco Mohammed ben Abdallah. During the American Revolution in 1777, Morocco became the first nation to recognize the new United States.

This letter was delayed by the fact that the United States had just formally adopted the Constitution, and thus technically had undergone a change of government. This is mentioned in the letter as the cause of a delay, probably due to President Washington not wanting to write until domestic matters were somewhat less in flux.

Letter of George Washington to Mohammed ben Abdallah in appreciation of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed in 1787.

The text of the letter is as follows:

To the Emperor of Morocco.
Great and magnanimous Friend, Since the date of the letter, which the late Congress, by this President, addressed to your Imperial Majesty, the United States of America, have thought proper to change their Government, and to institute a new one, agreeable to the Constitution of which I have the honor of herewith inclosing (sic) a Copy. The time necessarily employed in this arduous task, and the arrangements occasioned by so great, through peaceable a Revolution, will apologize, and account for your Majesty's not having received those regular advices, and made of attention from the United States, which the Friendship and Magnanimity of your conduct towards them, afforded reason to respect. The United States, having unanimously appointed me as the supreme executive authority in this nation your Majesty's letter of the fifth(?) of August 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 Burshaws 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 that the hostile disposition of those rigousies(?) towards this nation, who have never injured them, is not to be removed on terms in our power to comply with. Within our territories there are no mines either of Gold or Silver, and this young Nation, just receiving from the waste and desolation of a long war, have not, as yet, had time to acquire riches by agriculture 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 our Commerce with your Dominion, the punctuality with which you have caused the Treaty with us to be observed, and the just and generous measures other in the case of Captain Proctor(?), make us a deep impression on the United States, and confirm this respect for, and attachment to your Imperial Majesty. It gives me pleasure to have this opportunity of assuring your Majesty that, while I remain at the head of this nation, I shall not use to promote the very measure that may conduce to the Friendship and Harmony which so happily subsist between your Empire and this and shall attend myself happily in every occasion of convincing your majesty of the high sense (which in common with the whole nation) I entertain of the Magnanimity, Wisdom and Benevolency of your Majesty.
In the course of the approaching winter, the national legislature,( which is called by the former name of Congress) will assemble, and I shall take care that nothing be omitted that may be necessary to cause the correspondence between our two countries to be maintained and conducted in an manner agreeable to your Majesty, and satisfactory to all the parties concerned in it. May the Almighty bless your Imperial Majesty, our great and magnanimous Friend, with his constant guidance and protection.
Written at the City of New York the first day of December, 1789 Geo Washington
To our great and magnanimous Friend his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Morocco.

Summarizing and paraphrasing the contents, George Washington is saying:

This letter is late because the US just adopted a new constitution (enclosed) and I didn't want to write until that was done.
I'm now the President / ruler of this new nation;
I've received the copies of the letters you wrote to your regional governors in Tripoli and Tunis asking them to stop attacking US ships;
The US doesn't have the power to stop private ships from attacking Moroccan ships;
The US just finished a war, is poor, and has no gold or silver mines, but has high hopes and wants to be helpful friends to Morocco;
You (the King of Morrocco) have been very nice to the US and we thank you for that;
As long as I'm President I'll work to keep relations with you peaceful and happy;
I will try to make sure Congress doesn't interfere with our good relations.

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