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Post Rev. War: Publishing The XYZ Affair

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Post Rev. War: Publishing The XYZ Affair
"Message From The President Of The United States...Relative To The Affairs Of The United States, With The French Republic," January 22, 1799, (Philadelphia). Unbound pamphlet,123 pages, 8" x 5", Choice Fine. Printed cover leaf and a letter, signed in print by President John Adams. The sewing thread is missing, the upper left corner has varmint damage, and the two outer corners of the cover are dog-eared, not affecting the text; the interior is partially dampstained, but still a decent copy. The pamphlet concerns the XYZ Affair, which began on October 18, 1797, when three representatives of the French Directory, demanded from American special envoys John Marshall, Charles C. Pinckney, and Elbridge Gerry a loan of $10 million to their government, and an outright bribe of $240,000 for the Foreign Minister, Tallyrand, as a condition for even discussing the issues that had brought the two countries to the brink of war. The publication by President Adams of the details of the affair resulted in public outrage and near war with France.