220. The X . Y . Z . Affair ,1797-98
Adams at once summoned Congress and addressed the members in stirring words . He denied that the Americans were a " degraded people , hu - miliated under a colonial sense of fear .. and regardless of national honor , character , and interest .＂ It seemed best , however , to make one more effort to avoid war . Adams therefore sent John Marshall , a Virginia Federalist , and Elbridge Gerry , a Massachusetts Republican , to France . They were to join Pinckney and to - gether were to negotiate with the French Directory . When they reached Paris three men came to see them . These men said that America
(1) must apologize for the President ＇ s vigorous words ,(2) must lend money to France , and (3) must bribe the Directory and the Minister of Foreign Affairs . These outrageous suggestions were emphatically put aside . In sending the pa - pers to Congress , the three men were caled Mr . X ., Mr . Y ., and Mr . Z ., so the incident is always known as the " X . Y . Z . Affair .＂
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