参考译文：

亚当斯总统为避免与法国开战

签署了<外国人法案>和<镇压叛乱法案>

这周，我们继续向你讲述美国的第二任总统约翰.亚当斯的故事。

约翰.亚当斯于1797年就任总统。他担任华盛顿总统的副总统达八年时间，现在，全国人民选举他来管理这个新国家。亚当斯是一位非常聪明的人，他是一位忠诚的爱国者和很有能力的外交官，但他并不热衷于党派政治，这一弱点导致在他的任期中出现了很大的麻烦。在十八世纪后期，两大政党为了权力进行激烈的争斗，他被夹在了中间。

亚当斯是一名联邦党人，作为总统，他本应该是该党的领导人，但这一位置却属于一个真正知道如何获得和使用政治权力的人，他就是亚历山大.汉密尔顿。汉密尔顿在华盛顿总统当政期间担任财政部长，现在，他只是居住在纽约市的一位平民，一位律师。通过联邦党，汉密尔顿对美国政府仍然拥有强大的影响力。忠诚于汉密尔顿的联邦党人控制着国会，即使亚当斯总统内阁中的三位部长也忠诚于汉密尔顿。实际上，这三位部长联合起来与这位新总统作对。

这种政治局势使得亚当斯的任期变得异常的艰难，不过，奇怪的是，这种政治局势却导致了联邦党政治权力的终结。

两个主要问题主导着亚当斯的总统任期。一个是外交政策，另一个是公民的权利。第一个问题涉及到美国与法国的关系。一般情况下，联邦党人都是一些有钱人和有地位的人，他们不信任民主，不同意由人民来管理国家。基于这个原因，他们强烈反对发生在法国的革命，他们对法国革命者处死法国国王和王后感到惊恐。联邦党人希望与英国结成同盟。随着时间的流逝，他们要求与法国开战。

来自对立的党派—共和党人支持法国。共和党的领导人是副总统托马斯.杰斐逊。在美国独立战争期间，法国支持美国战胜了英国，在战争期间形成的美法友谊在托马斯.杰斐逊担任美国驻法国大使时得到了延续。但当他从法国回到国内后，美法两国的关系立即就不好了。接替他担任美国驻法国的大使公开支持在法国革命中失败的一方--法国的君主政体，在法国革命成功后，新法国政府要求他离开法国。

绝大多数联邦党人不希望与法国保持良好的关系，他们通过他们的权力阻止政府派遣一位亲法国的代表到巴黎出任美国驻法国的大使，还寻求任何的侮辱和任何的借口，以此宣布对法国开战。亚当斯总统不赞成绝大多数联邦党人的观点，他希望通过外交谈判来改善与法国的关系。不过，他也说，美国应该加强自身的防御能力，他说，如果战争到来的话，我们就要做好准备。

特别是有一件事，差一点使两国暴发战争，这就是美国历史上著名的“XYZ事件”。亚当斯总统任命由三位部长组成的一个委员会与法国政府谈判。法国政府在让这三个等待了好几周之后才与他们谈判。在等待期间，他们与三位法国人进行了全面，这三个法国人后来被称之为“X、Y、Z”。X、Y、Z对美国人说，如果美国答应三件事，那么法国将与美国签订协议：第一，美国必须向法国政府提供1200万美元的贷款。第二，必须就亚当斯总统最近向美国国会发表讲话时所表达出来的反法声明进行道歉。第三，美国必须向法国外交部长支付25万美元。

美国的部长们同意向法国外交部长支付这笔钱，但他们要求先签署两国协议。法国外交部长拒绝了：必须先给钱，然后签署协议。联邦党人终于找到他们一直在寻找的借口：法国侮辱了美国，我们必须对此侮辱进行回应，回应的唯一方式就是战争。联邦党报纸通过出版反法的宣传文章，不断加大了火药味。在一些地方，好战分子演变成了暴力冲突。共和党人对此没有什么行动，就是托马斯.杰斐逊也无能为力，他仍然在当时的首都费城，但他在那已经没有几个朋友了。

国会迅速通过一些法律，创建美国永久性的陆军和海军，国会还批准一些新的税目来承担军队之所需。有两项新法律是以很少的投票通过的，但却极大地增强了政府的权力，这两部法律就是著名的<外国人法案>和<镇压叛乱法案>。联邦党人说，他们必须保护国家的安全。但，实际上，联邦党人通过这两部法律削弱了共和党的权力。

根据<外国人法案>，总统可以指控任何一位居住在美国的外国人危害美国的安全，他可以命令这名外国人离开美国。这项法案还使外国人成为美国公民的时间由五年延长至十四年。共和党对此非常愤怒，因为绝大多数外国移民，在他们成为美国公民时就加入共和党。共和党人指责<外国人法案>违反了宪法，他们说，这部法律赋予政府的权力超出了宪法所赋予政府的权力。而联邦党人说，这部法律是符合宪法的，他们说，宪法赋予政府有权保护国家不受外国的侵略。

另一部法律，即<镇压叛乱法案>，则禁止任何可能煽动民众对抗政府的出版物。共和党人指责这部法律违反了美国宪法中有关言论自由和出版自由的宪法权利。联邦党人再一次以国家安全为借口进行辩护。联邦党人试图利用<镇压叛乱法案>来使共和党人对亚当斯政府的批评销声匿迹。根据<镇压叛乱法案>，大约有25%的人受到了指控，这些人中包括好几位共和党报纸的领导人和一名共和党在国会的议员。有些人受到了审判，并被判有罪送进了监狱。但其他共和党人采取了别的方式来反对这部法案，联邦党人打算阻止共和党人对此法案的批评，但没有取得成功。

亚当斯总统签署了<外国人法案>和<镇压叛乱法案>。他认为，如果仍然可能存在与法国之间的战争的话，那么这些法案对于保护美国而言是必要的。接着，在1799年初，亚当斯收到了好几份报告，这些报告表明法国做好与美国重启谈判改善两国关系的准备。他立即任命一位新的部长去法国。联邦党参议员们威协说要否决此次的任命。最后，亚当斯同意任命一个由三个人组成的委员会，参议院批准了这项任命。

在这三个人到达法国，与法国人谈判达成协议需要很长时间，而且，他们要完成谈判达成协议则需要更多的时间，但他们终于在1800年9月31日完成了这一切。在国内经过几年艰苦的政治斗争后，亚当斯总统终于防止了美国与法国之间的战争。后来他写到：“只有一件事，我可能会铭记在心：我给我自己下达了与法国保持和平关系的任务，我成功了。”

1800年是美国选举下一任总统的时间。联邦党正在走向死亡，他们在设法让美国与法国开战的努力失败了，而且，他们设法让民众对<外国人法案>和<镇压叛乱法案>保持沉默的努力也失败了。该党的领导人知道这次选举将会失去保持权力的机会。共和党拥有更大的支持，他们还在各州的立法机构中和国会中获得更多的席位。人们确信共和党领导人托马斯.杰斐逊将当选总统，除非联邦党人能够找到一个改变选举程序的办法。

欲知后事如何，请听下周分解。

简评：

托马斯.杰斐逊真是一位了不起的人物!

面对强悍的汉密尔顿，面对整个联邦党不支持他的局面，他给自己下达了一个任务，那就是与法国保持和平关系。要知道，这有多难!

当时，联邦党人控制着国会，汉密尔顿控制着联邦党。亚当斯虽然是总统，虽然也是联邦党人，但他却控制不了联邦党，他的内阁成员不听他的，却听汉密尔顿的。他们这些人正千方百计地寻找各种，那怕是莫须有的借口，也要与法国开战。

而此时的共和党人，没有什么实质性的行动。托马斯.杰斐逊也无能为力，只能眼睁睁地看着联邦党人把美国一步步地推向与法国开战的边缘。

是约翰.亚当斯，他巧妙地周旋于共和党和联邦党人之间，他一方面迎合联邦党人的口味，加强美国的国防建设，他签署了<外国人法案>和<镇压叛乱法案>。另一方面，他千方百计寻找机会与法国保持往来，一旦有机会，就派人与法国进行谈判。

他的努力终于取得了成功，他阻止了与法国的战争，这也就挽救了这个新诞生的国家。

而汉密尔顿所领导的联邦党，为了该党的利益而置国家的利益于不顾，在国家刚刚诞生不久竟然就想与强大的法国开战。为了一己之利，竟然凌驾于党之上，凌驾于国家之上，操纵国会，操纵总统，汉密尔顿严然是一位太上皇，这也正印证了他自己一贯所倡导的君主国的思想。多行不义必自毙。联邦党，始于汉密尔顿，终于汉密尔顿。

Adams Avoids War With France, Signs Alien and Sedition Acts 

This week on our program, we continue the story of America's second president, John Adams.

John Adams took office in seventeen ninety-seven. He had served eight years as vice president under President George Washington. Now, state electors had chosen him to govern the new nation.  Adams was an intelligent man. He was a true patriot and an able diplomat. But he did not like party politics. This weakness caused trouble during his presidency. For, during the late seventeen hundreds, two political parties struggled for power. He was caught in the middle. 

 Adams was a member of the Federalist Party. As president, he should have been party leader. But this position belonged to a man who really knew how to get and use political power, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton served as treasury secretary under President Washington. Now, he was a private citizen, a lawyer in New York City.    Through the Federalist Party, Hamilton continued to have great influence over the national government. Federalists loyal to Hamilton controlled the Congress. Even President Adams' three cabinet ministers were loyal to Hamilton. In fact, they worked together against the new president. 

This political situation made Adams' term in office very difficult. Yet strangely, it also led to the end of Federalist Party power.

Two major issues marked Adams' presidency. One concerned foreign policy. The other concerned the rights of citizens. The first involved America's relations with France. Federalists, in general, were men of wealth and position. They did not believe in democracy, rule by the people. For this reason, they strongly opposed the revolution in France. They were horrified by the execution of the French king and queen. Federalists wanted an alliance with Britain. Over time, they demanded war with France.

American support for France came from the opposition party, the Republicans. The leader of that party was the country's vice president, Thomas Jefferson. France helped America win its war for independence from Britain. The friendship formed during the war continued afterward when Thomas Jefferson served as Minister to Paris. Relations began to turn bad as soon as he returned home.  The man who replaced him openly supported the French monarchy -- the losing side in the revolution. After the revolution succeeded, the new French government demanded that he leave.

Most Federalists did not want good relations with France. They used their power to prevent the government from sending a pro-French representative to Paris. They also searched for any signs of insult, any excuse to declare war. President Adams did not agree with the majority of Federalists. He wanted to improve relations with France through negotiations. Yet he said the United States would strengthen its defenses. We will be ready, he said, if war comes. 

One incident, especially, brought the two nations close to war. It is known in American history books as the "X, Y and Z Affair."   President Adams had appointed a committee of three ministers to negotiate with the French government. French officials kept these three men waiting for several weeks. While they waited, they had a visit from three Frenchmen -- later called X, Y and Z.   X, Y and Z told the Americans that France would sign an agreement if the United States did three things.   It had to lend the French government twelve million dollars. It had to apologize for anti-French statements in a recent message from President Adams to the American Congress. And it had to pay the French foreign minister two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

The American ministers were willing to pay. But they wanted to sign the agreement first. The French foreign minister refused. First the money, then the agreement.   The Federalists finally had the excuse they were looking for. France had insulted the United States. We must answer the insult. The only answer was war. Federalist newspapers added fuel to the fire by publishing anti-French propaganda. In a few places, pro-war groups became violent.  The Republican Party could do little. Even Thomas Jefferson was helpless. He remained in Philadelphia, the capital of the United States at that time. But he had few friends there anymore.

Congress quickly passed laws to create a permanent army and navy. It also approved new taxes to pay for them. Two new laws passed by a small vote. But they greatly increased the powers of the national government. The laws were known as the Alien and Sedition Acts. Federalists said they were necessary to protect national security. But, in effect, the Federalists used them to weaken the power of the Republican Party. 

Under the Alien Act, the president could accuse any foreigner living in the United States of being a threat to national security. He could order that person out of the country.  The act also increased the time a foreigner had to wait to become a citizen, from five years to fourteen years.  Republicans were furious. Most foreigners, when they became naturalized citizens, joined the Republican Party.  Republicans argued that the Alien Act violated the Constitution. They said it gave the government more powers than were stated in the Constitution. Federalists said the act was Constitutional. They said the Constitution gave the government the right to defend the country against foreign aggression. 

The other law, the Sedition Act, barred the publication of anything that might incite public hostility against the government. Republicans argued that this act violated Americans' Constitutional rights of free speech and a free press. Federalists, once again, defended it as necessary for national security.  The Federalists tried to use the Sedition Act to quiet Republican critics of President Adams' administration. About twenty-five persons were charged under the Sedition act. These included several leading Republican newspapermen and a Republican member of Congress.  Some of the men were tried and found guilty and sent to prison. But other Republicans took their places in the fight against the act. The Federalist plan to stop criticism did not succeed. 

President Adams had signed the Alien and Sedition Acts into law. He believed they were necessary to protect the United States at a time when war with France was still possible.  Then, in early seventeen ninety-nine, Adams received several reports that France was ready to reopen negotiations on improving relations. He immediately nominated a new minister to France. Federalist senators threatened to reject the nomination. In the end, Adams agreed to nominate a committee of three ministers. The Senate approved them. 

It was many months before the three men went to France to negotiate the agreement. And it was many more months before they completed their work. But they did so on September thirtieth, eighteen hundred.  After several years of bitter political struggle at home, President Adams finally prevented war with France. Later he wrote: "There is one thing I would like to be remembered for more than anything else. I gave myself the task of making peace with France. And I succeeded." 

The year eighteen hundred was another presidential election year in the United States. The Federalist Party appeared to be dying. It failed in its effort to force the nation into war with France. And it failed to silence its critics through the Alien and Sedition Acts. Party leaders knew the election would be their last chance to keep political power.  The Republican Party had more popular support. It also had gained an increasing number of seats in state legislatures and the national Congress. Party leader Thomas Jefferson was sure to be elected president -- unless the Federalists could find a way to change the electoral process. 

That will be our story next week.

http://www.wwenglish.com/m07/voa/spec/2008/05/wwenglish.com_nation080515.mp3