[Sherman Logan]

John Adams and the Federalists were certain that Thomas Jefferson would destroy the country he helped build, and forge an alliance with that "terrorist" country France.

Just noticed the scare quotes around terrorist.

Given that France at the time was quite openly and proclaimedly engaging in terrorism against domestic opponents, not to mention waging war on the rest of the world, the term seems fully justified.

[LS]

Yeah, France was at least theoretically a threat-—but of course the practical threat to the U.S. was the Royal Navy, not the French Army, and it eventually produced a war.