In July of 1797 President John Adams sent American diplomats of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, John Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry, were sent to France to negotiate problems that were threatening to break out into war. Finally on October 28, Tallyrand unofficially met with Elbridge Gerry, but discussions went nowhere. The American diplomats refused, while the French threatened them with the wrath of French Power.
In his first state of the union address, John Adams described "our envoys extraordinary to the French Republic". It was now November 22, 3 weeks after the bribes were demanded. News did travel slow in those days, so perhaps Adams had not yet received word of Tallyrand's demands. Or perhaps, politics back then were no different than politics today, the president will portray a sense of optimism and avoid speaking of the obvious breakdown of foreign policy. At any rate, John Adams told Congress that he had full trust in the "successful conclusion" of the negotiations . Of course, he added that it would be on "equitable terms as may be compatible with the safety, honor and interest of the United States". America was not going to bribe France to maintain peace. Yes, Adams was responding with honor, but also America just now beginning to flex it's muscle. With a peace treaty with Great Britain on our side and the French Revolution on theirs, President Adams knew we had "resources for national defense which a beneficent Providence has kindly placed within their power."
"Our envoys extraordinary to the French Republic embarked - one in July, the other in August - to join their colleague in Holland. I have received intelligence of the arrival of both of them in Holland, from whence they all proceeded on their journeys to Paris within a few days of the 19th of September. Whatever may be the result of this mission, I trust that nothing will have been omitted on my part to conduct the negotiation to a successful conclusion, on such equitable terms as may be compatible with the safety, honor and interest of the United States. nothing, in the mean time, will contribute so much to the preservation of peace and the attainment of justice as manifestation of that energy and unanimity of which on many former occasions the people of the United States have given such memorable proofs, and the exertion of those resources for national defense which a beneficent Providence has kindly placed within [America's] power."Nevertheless, Adams did acknowledge that there were some issues with the negotiation, and admitted that peace with France was not on the immediate horizon. Adams suggested that society had lost its sense of morality and religious obligations, public faith an national honor. The world had been taken over by pride, ambition and violence so much that America could no longer expect safe commerce without proper protection. Perhaps, President John Adams did learn of the French Foreign Minister's demands. Perhaps, he just refused to recognize them. It may not have been politics after all, but hard ball foreign policy. For, the president of the United States just called out the French for lacking all sense of morality and national honor.
"Indeed, whatever may be the issue of the negotiation with France, and whether the war in Europe is or is not to continue, I hold it most certain that permanent tranquillity and order will not soon be obtained. The state of society has so long been disturbed, the sense of moral and religious obligations so much weakened, public faith and national honor have been so impaired, respect to treaties has been so diminished, and the law of nations has lost so much of its force, while pride, ambition, avarice and violence have been so long unrestrained, there remains no reasonable ground on which to raise an expectation that a commerce without protection or defense will not be plundered."http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29439
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XYZ_Affair
https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/xyz-affair
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Property_protected_%C3%A0_la_fran%C3%A7oise.jpg
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