In 1797, Federalist John Adams was the 2nd President of The United States and the first occupant of the “Executive Mansion”, now known as "The White House". Adams, in addition to the discomfort of life in America’s drafty, leaky new abode which was still under construction at the time, had bigger fish to fry.
As the leader of our fledgling new nation, he was caught between a diplomatic rock and a hard place with Great Britain and France. The two countries had been in both hot and cold wars for centuries. Their perennial contest was for control of Continental Europe, North America, and wherever else their paths and national interests converged.
In the midst of that period of the French-English conflict, the United States had just signed the Jay Treaty settling the wide-ranging disputes between the mothership and her former colony. The French deemed the Jay Treaty to be egregiously pro-British, hence an act of extreme betrayal by the United States, given the French support to the U.S. during the Revolutionary War.
In 1796, the French Revolutionary Government aka the "Directory" ordered that all American Ships on the high seas be seized. Adams, in an attempt to prevent war with France, appointed a committee of three envoys to meet with French Foreign Minister Marquis Talleyrand to negotiate a peaceful resolution. Upon their arrival on French soil, the US emissaries learned that Talleyrand would be unavailable for any negotiations until they met with three French bagmen and agreed to a substantial shakedown. The French pickpockets demanded a large bribe paid to Talleyrand, plus a low-interest loan to France, and additional terms that would enhance Tallyrand’s personal wealth, along with his political power and influence.
The names of the French bagmen were Baron Jean-Conrad Hottinguer, Pierre Bellamy, and Lucien Hauteval. They were referred to as X, Y, and Z in communication between Adams and his three Emissaries hence referred to as the XYZ Affair.
President Adams refused to pay the bribes and used the XYZ Affair crisis to bolster the strength of the US Navy by successfully lobbying Congress for that purpose.
In 1798, when Napoleon came to power, the “Directory” was sacked, and French claims that were on the table became settled between the two nations.
My, how things have changed…
At that time, France was a Superpower and America was a barely solvent, nearly defenseless experiment. From his cold leaky "Executive Mansion", President Adams kicked the bribing, corrupting French in the teeth, and made certain that American interests came first.
Today's America has sold itself to China. The political and business "elite" of our nation have put America on the auction block to a thousand 21st century Chinese Tallyrands. (See ‘Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win’).
In our time, the 46th President of the United States, living in a much more comfortable White House, has done whatever he can to destroy America and The American Way.
It is clear that our 2nd President spent his time building America brick by brick, while our 46th President has spent his time tearing it down.
The clarion cries from the wilderness of truth regarding the CCP’s focused destruction of America are never reported by The American Pravda because they are the mouthpiece for China's 21st-century 艾克斯, 吾艾, 贼德 Bagmen, working to undermine and destroy of America.
1797-2021: From Crêpes Suzettes to Wuhan Duck! My, how time flies…
-Emes