1825-September-01: Baron de Mareuil, the French minister to the United States, reported that the news of the French ordinance and the arrival of the fleet in…

1825-September-01: Baron de Mareuil, the French minister to the United States, reported that the news of the French ordinance and the arrival of the fleet in Port-au-Prince created a “very profound sensation” across America. While the initial alarm over the fleet’s presence dissipated once it reached the Chesapeake, American newspapers began to voice sharp opposition to the “privileges” granted to France. Critics viewed the 150-million-franc indemnity as a “direct purchase of recognition” and a violation of the most-favored-nation principle. This preferential tariff for French goods was seen as a direct threat to the American policy of preventing European powers from establishing new commercial monopolies in the Western Hemisphere.