THE CONNECTICUT COURANT, Hartford, April 23, 1798  

* President John Adams
* Tensions w/ France

The entire front page and part of page 2 are taken up with various documents and letters concerning the on-going XYZ Affair with France. One of the lengthy documents is signed in type by the Secretary of State, Timothy Pickering.
Page 3 has an address to the President from the merchants, underwriters & traders of Phila., followed by his response to them signed: John Adams.
Four pages, minimal margin wear, good condition.

Background:The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic scandal during John Adams’s presidency in 1797-1798, when American envoys sent to France were met with demands for bribes by French agents—coded as X, Y, and Z—before negotiations could begin. This demand outraged the American public and worsened relations between the two nations, leading to an undeclared naval conflict called the Quasi-War. Adams responded by strengthening the U.S. Navy and resisting pressures to declare full-scale war, ultimately bolstering American national pride and demonstrating his commitment to peace despite growing tensions.