Carlos Martínez de Irujo y Tacón

Carlos Martínez de Irujo moved from the Spanish embassy in London, where he was first secretary, to the legation in Philadelphia. He married Sarah McKean and became Marquis of Casa Irujo. His American posting extended across the transfer of the federal government to Washington. He later held the Spanish foreign affairs portfolio; his son Carlos Martínez de Irujo y McKean followed a separate political career. ^{1, 2, 3, 4}

Irujo’s conflict with the Jefferson administration became acute during Francisco de Miranda’s 1806 expedition against Spanish rule in Venezuela. He urged Secretary of State James Madison to stop violations of American neutrality, then used the press when formal complaints failed to obtain a reply. A series of questions attributed to him challenged Madison over alleged encouragement of the expedition. The French representative, Louis-Marie Turreau, also carried a Spanish complaint to Madison. The American secretary denied government support and said that the president had ordered an investigation and enforcement of the law. ⁵

President Thomas Jefferson considered expelling Irujo by force. In a memorandum of 9 July 1806, he proposed giving the minister time to settle his affairs and arrange his family’s departure, followed by removal if he refused to leave. Jefferson’s accusations against him included interference through the newspapers. He also proposed notifying Madrid and sending a copy to the American representative in France. Consultation on 19 July postponed the matter until October. ⁶