Evening star., 1951-06-11
This Isn't Our First UndecIored War
BY Edword Boykin

By Edword Boykin
IF THE blood-letting in Korea doesn't
J. constitute war, then what is war?
The fighting has been going on for a
year, but an official term for 1t is still
lacking -disregarding the euphemism,
police action"
A similar situation prevailed in 1893
when French and American ships blazed
away at each other in the Atlantic.
Then, as now, Congress made no declar-
alton Of war; nor did France.
Our Government apparently did not
get around to calling it war until
1884 and even then termed 1t a quasi
war" In that year the Government
published seven volumes entitled. quasi
Naval War With France. 1798-1800."
crammed with reports.
The United States broke with France
and began shooting because of pro-
tracted spoliation Of American shipping.
Overshadowed by the War of 1872, for
which 1t was the proving ground, this
interlude of bloodshed on the high seas
gets but Scant notice in our history
books. American losses ran high, over
q thousand ships Eighty-five French
armed vessels were captured or sunk.
French cruisers harasSed our coasts and
ravaged our shipping. But 1t wasn't
a war.
Bitter over our neutrality toward her
war with England, and our reluctance
to abide by our Revolutionary alliance.
France adopted a policy of retaliation.
Her cruisers began seizing American
ships. When President Adams sent
mission to France to seek peaceful
settlement, our envoys were rebuffed
and asked to put up bribe before talk
ing business. Elbridge Gerry's emphatic
refusal. mo, no, not SiXpence," trans
muted by Fourth Of July orators, has
come ringing down the years. Millions
for defense. but not one cent for trib-
ute!"
!. President Adams ordered our ENJOYS
home at once. America was incensed.
In transmitting the facts to Congress.
the President substituted the last three
I letters of the alphabet for the names of
the Frenchmen who had demanded a
! bribe as the price Of peace or war.
Thus, this unsavory episode became
known in our history as the XYZ affair.
Adams declared: IT will never send an
other minister to France without assur-
ances that he will be received, respected
and honored as the representative of
free, powerful and independent nation"
UP to then the Nation had been badly
split into bitter pro-British and pro-
French factions, but the XYZ affair
gave new look to the matter. The
Federalists were ardently anti-French;
the Republicans Democrats now. anti
British. But this XYZ business, plus the
timely appearance of poem, Hail,
Columbia" sent war fever soaring. This
poem. written by young lawyer poet.
Joseph HopkinsonA touched the Nations
patriotic heartstrings. It called on
Americans to defend your rights, de-
fend your shore" Our first national
anthem, it appealed to all classes to
stand together in the crisis that faced
the Nation.
But President Adams was determined
to avoid war-that is, an official war
II it could be done. On the issue of
peace or war, he broke, first, with his
Federalist Party, which was for all-out
war, and then with his cabinet, which
yearned to avenge the French insults
and depredations on our commerce.
Meantime. Congress hurriedly au-
othorized defense program to protect
the Nation and it's seaborne commerce.
Three powerful frigates already building
the Constitution, Constellation and
the United StateS-were rushed to COM
pletion and sent after French corsairs.
A new Department Of Navy was created
to hasten construction Of larger Navy.
Hundreds Of merchantmen were armed
and 400 American privateers put to sea.
George Washington came out of retire
ment and was commissioned lieutenant
general to command the new army au-
thorized by Congress. The Nation was
put on war footing, and West Indian
waters were lashed by general, blazing
conflict. which still was not an official
legal war
The Supreme Court even became in
volved in this war that was not war.
Called on to adjudicate salvage claims
by owners of American privateers, the
justices racked their brains to define
what was war and who was an enemy.
They opined officially that France was
a partial enemy" and not a general
enemy" After making this delicate dis
tinction. they really let themselves 60 In
deciding what France and the United
States meant by shooting at each other.
One justice said 1t was "qualified
maritime war" or "quod hoe war;"
whatever that meant. Another called It
q partial war" or an imperfect war"
A third insisted it was limited partial
war;"
But whether partial or imperfect"
or "quod hoe" !" men were dying. Many
a chapter of American, heroism was
written in the smoke Of fights in Carib-
bean and West Indian waters, where
/ American priyateers dueled with French
cruisers. First American frigate to
draw blood was the Constellation, COM
manded BY Capt. Thomas Truxton. He
engaged the larger French frigate IN
surgence and captured her. In short
order the Constellation took on the
powerful French frigate La Vengeance
and gave her q druhbing.
Then, as now, rose the problem OF
how to end this conflict. President
|, Adams took the most courageous step
Of his political life Without consulting
his cabinet, he appointed new Minis
ter to France and sent him abroad with
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