Eagle's Cry by David Nevin

Author:David Nevin
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Macmillan
Published: 2010-03-31T22:00:00+00:00

24

WASHINGTON, EARLY 1802

Johnny Graham brought in the packet bearing Mr. Livingston’s report from Paris and squared it neatly on Madison’s desk. Mr. Wagner was right behind him.

At last! Their ambassador had long since departed for France with orders to seek out the truth of the early rumors on Louisiana. Since then just a note that he had reached Le Havre. The packet was wrapped in oilcloth, tied with diplomatic red ribbon, and sealed at every possible opening with gobs of red wax impressed with the embassy seal. Something about this fussy wrapping, sealed as if for a trip to the North Pole, brought Robert Livingston forcefully to mind—tall, slow moving and slow talking, long face, long nose, gazing serenely about with an expression Madison read as profoundly self-satisfied. He came from one of the great landed families of New York State, was chancellor of New York for many years, and once was secretary of state himself—secretary for foreign affairs it was called before the Constitution drafted a new form of government.

He shook his head, lips pursed. The truth was he simply didn’t like the man.

Whereas young Mr. Adams had been surprisingly pleasant the day before. He had spied the president’s son in the rotunda and followed him on impulse. Here was a man with more recent diplomatic experience than anyone Madison knew and engaging him had proved valuable. That he had offered no aspect they had not considered was reassuring; indeed, faced with the realities he seemed to endorse the Democratic view. Clever fellow and certainly no roaring Federalist; but then, the Adamses were always patriots and at their core sensible, though the old gentleman did fly into dreadful fusses to no very useful end. John Quincy might make a good Democrat yet.

Ruminating thus, Madison tore the last of the wax-festooned oil paper off the packet. Of course the letter would be anticlimactic in a sense—it would describe the treaty they already possessed—but it should add details and sort out the aims behind the radical French move. He drew forth the report, a dozen sheets written in an angular, upright hand that seemed somehow to reflects Livingston’s proud manner, started reading—

“Good God!”

He looked up. Wagner and Johnny were staring at him.

“He asked about the rumors, and their foreign secretary—Talleyrand—simply denied them. Said there was nothing to it, nothing had happened, nothing to talk about. Waved Livingston off—but we have a copy of the treaty!”

He gazed at them. “Incredible! Talleyrand was simply lying.”

With growing anger he read through the long, tedious letter searching for answers that didn’t come. When he put it down, his hand quivered. His glance fell on the oilcloth wrapping festooned with all that ridiculous wax—the man must have used three sticks!—and he cried, “And in the end, Mr. Livingston did nothing about it whatsoever. Nothing! He should have challenged that arrogant Frenchman to his face!”

“But, sir,” Wagner said, “if he doesn’t know what we know, he has no basis to challenge.”

“Well, damn it, he should have done something!”

He ran down the letter again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.