political diplomatic episode early administration involving confrontation united_states republican france led war called quasi war derives letters names french diplomats documents released adams administration american diplomatic commission sent france july negotiate problems threatening break war diplomats approached informal channels agents french foreign minister demanded bribes loan formal negotiations begin demands uncommon mainland european diplomacy time americans offended eventually left france engaging formal negotiations seeking avoid war remained months commissioners left exchanges laid eventual end diplomatic military hostilities failure commission caused political united_states commission dispatches published led quasi war controlled government took advantage national anger build nation military attacked republicans pro french stance time saw role commission failure background wake french revolution relations new american administration president george_washington strained france rest europe went war conflict washington declared american neutrality france great_britain major naval powers war seized ships neutral powers including united_states traded enemies jay treaty ratified united_states reached agreement matter britain angered members governed france french_navy consequently stepped efforts american trade britain time assumed presidency early matter reaching crisis proportions march long assuming office president adams learned refused minister escalating crisis american merchant ships seized caribbean popular opinion united_states relations france divided largely political lines took hard line favoring defensive buildup necessarily advocating war republicans expressed solidarity republican ideals french revolutionaries want seen adams administration jefferson looked linked britain hostile american values commission france late adams cabinet met discuss french relations choose special commission france adams initially proposed join commission cabinet objected choice strong chosen instead declined serve adams considered men america submitted united_states senate consulting cabinet adams introducing matter congress somewhat speech called vigorous defense nation neutrality expansion united_states_navy stopped short calling war france congress approved choice commissioners adams instructed negotiate similar terms granted britain commissioners instructed refuse loans flexible arrangement payment terms financial matters marshall left europe mid july join following weeks later political divisions commission makeup reflected attitudes negotiations marshall french opposed political parties willing flexible dealing established height french revolution governed legislative assembly member acting national executive undergoing internal power struggles struggles council lower chamber legislature ministerial changes took place half including selection july foreign minister recently spent years united_states openly concerned establishment closer ties britain generally disposed american interests notably hostile september internal coup propelled anti americans power leaders viewed president adams hostile interests think significant danger war based advice french diplomats decided adopt measured slow pace negotiations american commission arrived paris early october immediately requested meeting initial brief meeting accepted commissioners credentials longer meeting held week later sought commissioners explanation speech adams angered members motivation determine favorably commissioners disposed negotiations responded unfavorable manner refuse accept credentials commissioners learned expected demand october indirect channel decided explanation given adams speech initial meetings followed series meetings took place outside formal diplomatic channels october englishman working dutch bank americans came identified published papers notified baron described man honor wished meet agreed men met evening later identified relayed series french demands included large loan french government payment bribe relayed demands commissioners repeated entire commission refused demands widely known diplomats nations paid bribes deal introduced commission represented member inner circle detail demands including expectation pay great deal money proposed series purchases inflated prices currency means money exchanged commissioners offered send number united_states instructions french suspend american shipping french refused long sent meet men knew having met boston assured sincerity seeking peace encouraged informal negotiations open reiterated demands loan bribe week later notably signing treaty ended year war coalition france european powers met commission repeated original demands accompanied threats potential war france momentarily peace europe response famous commissioners decided november refuse negotiations informal channels publication dispatches describing series meetings form basis later political debates united_states later negotiations commissioners soon discovered unofficial channels open months sent series informal meet influence commissioners informal avenues closed instance informed longer meet formal authority finally appeared november dinner primarily americans demand bribe late november began maneuvering separate commissioners extended social dinner invitation seeking maintain communications planned attend matter heightened distrust marshall sought guarantees limit representations agreements consider despite seeking refuse informal negotiations commissioners ended having private meetings commissioners eventually divided issue continue informal negotiations marshall opposed favor division eventually clear told january longer deal february gained approval new position exclude marshall negotiations change strategy alarmed number american residents paris reported growing possibility war time insistence began keeping secret commissioners substance meetings commissioners met informally march clear parties appeared case despite agreement drop demand loan sides prepared statements sent atlantic stating positions marshall frozen talks conduct left france april departure delayed series negotiations return order obtain diplomatic advantage sought force marshall formally request return allow later claim broke negotiations eventually gave formally requesting departure sought maintain unity told left declare war remained protesting permitting foreign government choose person negotiate remained optimistic war unrealistic writing american minister netherlands madness cause french declare war refused engage substantive negotiations agreeing stay authority replace wrote president adams requesting assistance securing departure paris eventually sent representatives reopen negotiations finally returned home october reaction united_states american diplomats europe president adams considered options event commission failure cabinet urged nation military strengthened including raising man army acquisition construction ships line navy substantive word commissioners march dispatches revealing french demands negotiating tactics arrived commission apparent failure duly reported congress adams kept secret lack recognition demand bribe diplomats seeking minimize reaction cabinet divided react general tenor hostility france attorney general secretary state arguing declaration war democratic republican leaders congress believing adams exaggerated french position sought war united demand release commissioners dispatches march adams turned names french actors replaced letters use letters led business immediately known affair release dispatches produced exactly response adams feared called war democratic republicans left effective argument having reason adams secrecy congress authorized acquisition frigates increase military readiness despite calls formal war declaration adams refused ask congress july congress treaty alliance days later authorized attacks french warships partisan responses dispatches question loyalty pro french democratic republicans attitude contributed passage restricting movements actions foreigners limiting speech critical government divided question war democratic republicans painted seeking undermine republic military means placed difficult position return united_states spurred accounts disagreements criticized breakdown negotiations harsh partisan comments turned eventually ended joining democratic republicans political reaction france news reached france publication dispatches ensuing hostile reaction response fury called account role affair denied association informal enlisted assistance exposing agents names agreed participate exchange confirmed privately agents fact employ contrary statements interested pursuing reconciliation president adams later wrote confession significant decision continue efforts maintain peace private report affair adams claimed credit maintaining peace influencing significant changes french policy hostilities eventually brought peace treaty attitude united_states start quasi war naval war countries fought primarily caribbean convinced dealings commissioners response diplomatic president adams sent france eventually negotiated end hostilities treaty negotiations managed marshall secretary state september agreement overthrown coup november ratified united states senate december
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