d, and he endeavored by various
attempts to induce Pinckney and Marshall, who were federalists,
voluntarily to relinquish their station, and leave negotiations with
Gerry, who belonged to the republican party, and was supposed to
sympathize with the French Directory. In this the wily diplomat did not
succeed. Satisfied that nothing could seduce them from the path of
rectitude, the Directory ordered those two envoys to quit the
territories of the French republic immediately; while, to aggravate the
insult to the American government, Mr. Gerry, because he belonged to a
party favorable to France, was permitted to remain. Gerry, frightened
(as he afterward said, in excuse for his conduct) by Talleyrand's threat
of an immediate declaration of war against the United States by France
if he should leave, consented to remain. Yet he refused to sanction the
expulsion of his colleagues. He would not treat independently of them;
and, finally, the entire embassy returned home. Marshall left France at
the middle of April, Gerry on the twenty-sixth of July, but Pinckney
was detained until October, on account of the ill health of his
daughter.

During the whole time of these attempts at negotiation, the French
Directory allowed many gross insults to the United States government to
be perpetrated. Open war was waged upon American commerce by French
cruisers; and the American flag floating over a vessel was deemed a
sufficient justification for the capture and condemnation of such
vessel.

When the final despatches of the envoys reached the public eye and ear
in the United States, there was an outburst of indignation over all the
land, that proclaimed the dignity of true patriotism in the presence of
mere party considerations. The nation felt insulted by the attempt to
degrade the republic into a tributary dependant of France; and the
indignities offered to the representatives of their government, and the
injuries inflicted upon their commerce, were resented with great warmth.
The words of Pinckney were reported, and in every part of the continent
was heard the cry--"Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!"
And yet there were those slavish enough to justify France, by
criminating the American government. The _Aurora_ was foremost in this
labor; and, preparatory to such defense, it had published Talleyrand's
reply to the statement of the envoys, which had been received by Bache
before it reached the government of the United