The below is a response to a person's signature that appeared every time they posted something in a forum I was part

of -- years ago.
Blanchos signature states:

As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion... - Article ! of the "nglish te#t of the $reaty of $ri%oli& a%%roved 'y the U.S. Senate on (une )& *)+) and ratified 'y ,resident (ohn Adams on (une *-& *)+)..

/! have 'een 0anting to address this 1uote for some time no0& 2ust havent had the time& sorry.3 4o0 does this 1uote that Blancho uses fly in the face of other 1uotes 'y (ohn Adams5 6hat is the 'ac7ground to this treaty that caused such a signing to enter the record 'oo7s of our hallowed halls. 8et us first see a fe0 1uotes 'y Adams 'efore 0e enter into the %ro%er conte#t of this treaty. 9s%ea7ing on 0hy Christmas and the :ourth of (uly 0ere out t0o to% holidays; !s it not that& in the chain of human events& the 'irthday of the nation is indissolu'ly lin7ed 0ith the 'irthday of the Saviour5 $hat it forms a leading event in the %rogress of the gos%el dis%ensation5 !s it not that the <eclaration of !nde%endence first organi=ed the social com%act on the foundation of the Redeemers mission u%on earth5 $hat it laid the cornerstone of human government u%on the first %rece%ts of Christianity5. Religion and virtue are the only foundations> of re%u'licanism and of all free governments.. ?7ay& the $reaty of $ri%oli& one of several 0ith $ri%oli& 0as negotiated during the Bar'ary ,o0ers Conflict&. 0hich 'egan shortly after the Revolutionary 6ar and continued through the ,residencies of 6ashington& Adams& (efferson& and @adison. $he @uslim Bar'ary ,o0ers /$unis& @orocco& Algiers& $ri%oli& and $ur7ey3 0ere 0arring against 0hat they claimed to 'e the Christian. nations /"ngland& :rance& S%ain& <enmar7& and the United States3. !n *A-*& $ri%oli even declared 0ar against the United States& thus constituting AmericaBs first official 0ar as an esta'lished inde%endent nation. $hroughout this long conflict& the five Bar'ary ,o0ers regularly attac7ed undefended American merchant shi%s. Cot only 0ere their cargoes easy %rey 'ut the Bar'ary ,o0ers 0ere also ca%turing and enslaving 9i;Christians.9Di; seamen in retaliation for 0hat had 'een done to them 'y the Christians. of %revious centuries /e.g.& the Crusades and :erdinand and !sa'ellas e#%ulsion of @uslims from Erenada3.

!n an attem%t to secure a release of ca%tured seamen and a guarantee of unmolested shi%%ing in the @editerranean& ,resident 6ashington dis%atched envoys to negotiate treaties 0ith the Bar'ary nations. /Concurrently& he encouraged the construction of American naval 0arshi%s to defend the shi%%ing and confront the Bar'ary %irates. F a %lan not seriously %ursued until ,resident (ohn Adams created a se%arate <e%artment of the Cavy in *)+A.3 $he American envoys negotiated numerous treaties of ,eace and Amity. 0ith the @uslim Bar'ary nations to ensure %rotection. of American commercial shi%s sailing in the @editerranean. 4o0ever& the terms of the treaty fre1uently 0ere unfavora'le to America& either re1uiring her to %ay hundreds of thousands of dollars of tri'ute. /i.e.& official e#tortion3 to each country to receive a guarantee. of safety or to offer other considerations. /e.g.& %roviding a 0arshi% as a gift to $ri%oli& a gift frigate to Algiers& %aying GHG&--- to ransom ca%tured American seamen from Algiers& etc.3 $he *)+) treaty 0ith $ri%oli 0as one of the many treaties in 0hich each country officially recogni=ed the religion of the other in an attem%t to %revent further escalation of a 4oly 6ar. 'et0een Christians and @uslims. Conse1uently& Article ! of that treaty stated: As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion AS it has in itself no character of enmity 9hatred; against the la0s& religion or tran1uility of @usselmen 9@uslims; and as the said States 9America; have never entered into any 0ar or act of hostility against any @ahometan 9@ohammedan; nation& it is declared 'y the %arties that no %rete#t arising from religious o%inions shall ever %roduce an interru%tion of the harmony e#isting 'et0een the t0o countries.. $his article may 'e read in t0o manners. !t may& as its critics do& 'e concluded after the clause Christian religion.I or it may 'e read in its entirety and concluded 0hen the %unctuation so indicates. But even if shortened and cut a'ru%tly /the government of the united states is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion3& this is not an untrue statement since it is referring to the :ederal government. Recall that 0hile the :ounders themselves o%enly descri'ed America as a Christian nation& they did include a constitutional %rohi'ition against a federal esta'lishmentI religion 0as a matter left solely to the individual states. $herefore& if the article is read as a declaration that the federal government of the United States 0as not in any sense founded on the Christian religion& such a statement is not a re%udiation of the fact that America 0as considered a Christian nation. Reading the clause of the treaty in its entirety also fails to 0ea7en this fact. Article ! sim%ly distinguished America from those historical strains of "uro%ean Christianity 0hich held an inherent hatred of @uslimsI it sim%ly assured the @uslims that the United States 0as not a Christian nation li7e those of %revious centuries /0ith 0hose %ractices the @uslims 0ere very familiar3 and thus 0ould not underta7e a religious holy 0ar against them. $his latter reading is& in fact& su%%orted 'y the attitude %revalent among numerous American leaders. $he Christianity %racticed in America 0as descri'ed 'y (ohn (ay as enlightened&. 'y

(ohn Juincy Adams as civili=ed&. and 'y (ohn Adams as rational.. A clear distinction 0as dra0n 'et0een American Christianity and that of "uro%ean in earlier centuries. As Noah Webster e#%lained: $he ecclesiastical esta'lishments of "uro%e 0hich serve to su%%ort tyrannical governments are not the Christian religion 'ut a'uses and corru%tions of it.. Daniel Webster similarly e#%lained that American Christianity 0as: Christianity to 0hich the s0ord and the fagot 9'urning sta7e or hot 'randing iron; are un7no0n F general tolerant Christianity is the la0 of the landK. 6hile discussing the Bar'ary conflict 0ith (efferson& Adams declared: $he %olicy of Christendom has made co0ards of all their sailors 'efore the standard of @ahomet. !t 0ould 'e heroical and glorious in us to restore courage to ours.. :urthermore& it 0as Adams 0ho declared: $he general %rinci%les on 0hich the fathers achieved inde%endence 0ere> the general %rinci%les of Christianity>. ! 0ill avo0 that ! then 'elieved& and no0 'elieve& that those general %rinci%les of Christianity are as eternal and immuta'le as the e#istence and attri'utes of EodI and that those %rinci%les of li'erty are as unaltera'le as human nature.. Adams o0n 0ords confirm that he re2ected any notion that America 0as less than a Christian nation. Additionally& the 0ritings of General William Eaton& a ma2or figure in the Bar'ary ,o0ers conflict& %rovide even more irrefuta'le testimony of ho0 the conflict 0as vie0ed at that time. "aton 0as first a%%ointed 'y ,resident (ohn Adams a Consul to $unis&. and ,resident $homas (efferson later advanced him to the %osition of U. S. Caval Agent to the Bar'ary States&. authori=ing him to lead a military e#%edition against $ri%oli. "atons official corres%ondence during his service confirms that the conflict 0as a @uslim 0ar against a Christian America. :or e#am%le& 0hen 0riting to Secretary of State $imothy ,ic7ering& "aton a%%rised him of 0hy the @uslims 0ould 'e such dedicated foes: $aught 'y revelation 9the Loran; that 0ar 0ith the Christians 0ill guarantee the salvation of their souls& and finding so great secular advantages in the o'servance of this religious duty 9the secular advantage of 7ee%ing ca%tured cargo;& their 9the @uslims; inducements to des%erate fighting are very %o0erful.. "aton later com%lained that after (efferson had a%%roved his %lan for military action& he sent him the o'solete 0arshi% 4ero.. "aton re%orted the im%ression of America made u%on the $unis @uslims 0hen they sa0 the old 0arshi% and its fe0 cannons:

9$;he 0ea7& the cra=y situation of the vessel and e1ui%age 9armaments; tended to confirm an o%inion long since conceived and never fairly controverted among the $unisians& that the Americans are a fee'le sect of Christianity.. !n a letter to ,ic7ering& "aton re%orted ho0 %leased one Bar'ary ruler had 'een 0hen he received the e#tortion com%ensations from America 0hich had 'een %romised him in one of the treaties& he said: $o s%ea7 truly and candidly>. 0e must ac7no0ledge to you that 0e have never received articles of the 7ind of so e#cellent a 1uality from any Christian nation.. 6hen (ohn @arshall 'ecame the ne0 Secretary of State& "aton informed him: !t is a ma#im of the Bar'ary States& that $he Christians 0ho 0ould 'e on good terms 0ith them must fight 0ell or %ay 0ell.. And 0hen Eeneral "aton finally commenced his military action against $ri%oli& his %ersonal 2ournal noted: A%ril Ath. 6e find it almost im%ossi'le to ins%ire these 0ild 'igots 0ith confidence in us or to %ersuade then that& 'eing Christians& 0e can 'e other0ise than enemies to @usselmen. 6e have a difficult underta7ingK. @ay HMrd. 4assien Bey& the commander in chief of the enemys forces& has offered 'y %rivate insinuation for my head si# thousand dollars and dou'le the sum for me as %risonerI and NM%er head for Christians. 6hy dont he come and ta7e it5.9Di;9Dlist;Shortly after the military e#cursion against $ri%oli 0as successfully terminated& its account 0as 0ritten and %u'lished. 6hat 0as the title5 The Life of the Late Gen. William Eaton commander of the Christian and other forces which Led to the Treaty of Peace etween The !nited "tates and The #egency of Tri$oli

Context Blancho context.