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In that same meeting, Livingston further accused Skipwith of aiding a known privateer, Thomas Melville Jr., a native of Boston, Massachusetts. The Minister claimed that the consul knowingly gave Melville an imporoper certificate, giving the privateer freedom to act with the full protection of the United States Government. Skipwith believed Melville to be innocent of the charge, but...
Everything about the overall tone and structure of the letter clearly showed that Livingston fully believed Skipwith to be guilty of the charges leveled against him. In the letter, Livingston asked, "Where you chief of the Bureau of Commissions during the year five? Do you know Captain Haley? Had he a Commission and a Letter of Marque? Who handed it in? Who introduced him to you? Who recommended him? To whom was the Commission delivered when made out? "
Livingston believed that Skipwith had full knowledge of Melville's notorious reputation as a privateer and still gave him certification to sail under the protection of the United States of America.
However, with his next correspondent, Captain Haley himself, Skipwith was amply served. In his sworn testimony, Haley accused "a band of ruffians" with stirring up the controversy to bismirch Consul Skipwith's reputation, and he further added that those ruffians were in fact "English agents." 38
The consular dispatch concluded with the sworn certificate that Skipwith had then presented to Melville which gave him protection as a citizen of the United States of America. In truth, these types of certificates were merely routine responsibilites of American consular officials. In times of war, particularly with the uncertain nature of the conflict developing between France and Great Britain, shippers of all types relied on such protection for their livelihood. The consular certificates were proof that these merchants were citizens of the United States and therefore neutral in the war.
In fact, Skipwith owed his position of consul to Monroe who had appointed him provisionally to the office when Monroe represented the United States as Minister at Paris. Consequently, from their close working relationship, Monroe esteemed Skipwith "a citizen of excellent understanding, perfect integrity, and great worth."
Unfortunately no copies of letters from the United States Secretary of State to the consular representatives from June 17,1811 to January 2, 1816 are available. The Letters from that time period seem to have disappeared.
David Bailie Warden