The main thrust of the Sinn Fein president's Easter address in Dublin was designed to reassure the militant, IRA elements of the republican movement that a deal had not been done at Hillsborough.
The Belfast Agreement was in crisis, he said, and the impasse over implementing its terms remained, in spite of the Hillsborough meeting. But he said that Sinn Fein would return to the renewed discussions on April 13th, determined to see the full implementation of the agreement.
Government sources expressed satisfaction that the joint declaration had not been rejected out of hand by Sinn Fein. It was open to Sinn Fein to bring forward proposals of its own to break the impasse, they said. But the declaration as it stood represented the judgment of the two governments as the best way forward.
More than a week remained for calm reflection by the parties before they returned to the negotiating table, one source said, and it was hoped the period would be used constructively. In particular, the British government announcement that it would stop using the Crossmaglen GAA grounds as an army base was seen as a positive development, encouraging acts of reconciliation involving all parties.
But the hard line adopted by Mr Adams towards decommissioning and the "placing of weapons beyond use" will arouse concern in the Government. In paying public tribute to the IRA and "commending today's IRA volunteers", Mr Adams described as a "provocation" the demand for the IRA to disarm. "This," he said, "is something which the IRA has made it clear it feels under no obligation to do."
The use of the word "obligation" in that context was almost certainly a reference to the statement by the two governments that while arms decommissioning was not a precondition under the Belfast Agreement, it was an obligation.
The Sinn Fein leader declared: "Any resolution of these difficulties has to be made within the context of the agreement. Sinn Fein has also made it clear, both privately and publicly, that we cannot deliver the demand for IRA weapons, no matter how this is presented."
While Mr Adams sought to reassure militant republicans over a "done deal", he said those involved in the Omagh bombing had "no role in this struggle". Sinn Fein shared the democratic position, the republican position; it stood with James Connolly on this issue.
They would emerge from the current phase strong and united. "Let no one allow confusion, or the stresses and strains, the tactical manoeuvres of the moment, unnerve us or divert us from our strategic view of the future. The republican position will only be advanced by clear, strategic thinking and by intelligent, disciplined activists building our political strength and working alongside our people," he said.
In that regard, Mr Adams identified next June's local government and European Parliament elections as critical in consolidating gains already made in Northern Ireland and in building a strong base in the Republic.
This commitment to the political process - and a belief that a resumption of violence would destroy Sinn Fein's electoral hopes - fuels the Government's belief that a solution will be found to the disarmament question.