BROTHERS
by Bobby Walsh
The election of 1800 was a bloodbath. Not literally, of course, but figuratively — and it almost derailed a historic friendship for good.
Thank God it didn’t.
Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic Republican, despised his friend John Adams politically. Adams, a Federalist, was the defacto leader of the party that had supported and pushed through the ratification of the US Constitution. The Democratic Republicans were then established to oppose the Federalists — thus pitting the two former allies against each other. Adams was a firm believer in a strong centralized government, wheras Jefferson believed federal government should take a more hands-off approach and defer to individual states’ rights.
Perhaps it would have been fine if the two men were simply on opposing sides of a philosophical and ideological debate, but then along came the election of 1800, and let me assure you — it was brutal. Each side truly believed that a victory by the other would ruin the nation, and a rattlesnake only bites when it’s afraid to die.
Nasty political mud slinging. Campaign attacks and counterattacks. Personal insults. Outrageous newspaper stories. Reading this you’re probably thinking hey, this sounds a lot like our current election process…
And you would be right.
Thomas Jefferson enlisted the help of a known scandalmonger by the name of James Callender to pump out fake news stories to the public in efforts to defame John Adams. Callender wrote stories claiming that Adams wished to be crowned as a monarch if elected, that he was mentally deranged and unfit for office, and (going for the jugular) insinuated that Adams planned to appoint his son John Quincy as his successor — this one stung the most.
John and Abagail Adams were a power couple. Think of them as being like the Kim and Kanye of the revolutionary generation. So imagine, if you will, that Scott Disick just accused Kanye of prepping his daughter North to take up the mantle after his retirement. Does that sound badass? Sure. I welcome the North West fashion line/CD release party. However, as a parent, you want your kids to succeed on their own merit — and in the case of John Quincy, a very successful young man well before his father ran for president — this was an insult that Mamma Bear Adams was not going to forget.
John Adams certainly took the brunt of the personal attacks, but he wasn’t innocent by any stretch of the imagination. Adams tried to stay above it all, tried not to stoop to Jefferson’s level — but he just couldn’t help himself.
Jefferson was accused of being a coward. Adams felt that Jefferson had lived in luxury at Monticello while others sacrificed during the War of Independence. In his passionate mind, Adams felt that the Declaration of Independence was pretty minuscule in the scheme of things, and couldn’t comprehend as to why Jefferson was depicted as a revolutionary hero when he was mostly playing diplomat in France. Adams also felt that Jefferson had failed miserably as Virginia’s governor, demonstrating that his “nerves are too weak to bear anxiety and difficulties.” The Federalist Party further insisted that Jefferson had been transformed into a dangerous radical during his residence in France and was a “howling atheist.” They even attacked Aaron Burr, who was running for the Democratic Republican nomination as well, accusing him as being a man of no principle who would do anything for power.
In the end, Thomas Jefferson won the battle. He became the 3rd President of the United States, and got the hell outta dodge before the War of 1812.
His friendship with Adams, however, was damaged goods. The two men were no longer on speaking terms — a historic partnership ruined by the hellhole that is partisan politics.
So why does this matter? Well, if you’ve made it this far I hope you appreciated the history lesson. I felt it was important to tell you that story, to paint that picture for you, before I move on to the much more lighthearted aspect of all of this.
John made the first move when he sent a short cordial note to Monticello in January of 1812. Prior to this, he had begun a correspondence with his friend Benjamin Rush — who encouraged him to reach out to Jefferson. It had been years since the two men (Adams and Jefferson) had talked.
Rush confessed to Adams that he had dreamed a glorious dream — that Adams had reconciled his famous friendship with Jefferson, and that the two of them engaged in a correspondence that lasted several years, ending with the image that the two great philosophers had “sunk into the grave nearly at the same time, full of years and rich in the gratitude and praises of their country.”
Well folks, Benjamin Rush was right.
The two men reconciled their friendship, setting aside their personal political differences, and embarked on a 14 year long correspondence that is generally regarded as being one of the most important and impressive conversations between prominent statesmen in US History.
“You and I ought not to die before we have explained ourselves to each other,” said Adams. And he meant it. Somehow, in his old age, he had come to terms with the fact that Jefferson was a great man who should be remembered, even if he wasnt. That the Declaration of Independence had earned Jefferson his acclaim. Adams wanted to make sure that at the end of the day — at least the two of them would understand each other — and they did.
Benjamin Rush’s premonition was eerily true. Within five hours of each other on the same day, on the fiftieth anniversary of Independence day, the two men died.
On the evening of July 3rd, 1826, Thomas Jefferson fell into a coma. His last words were: “Is it the fourth?” He remained in a semi-conscious state until noon on the 4th of July, before exhaling his final breath.
Adams collapsed into his favorite reading chair. He fell unconscious at almost the exact moment that Thomas Jefferson died, and he himself passed at five thirty that evening. His final words: “Thomas Jefferson survives.”
This post was lengthy, but I felt that it was a story that America needed to hear right now. We live in tumultuous times, where political discourse has completely flown out the window. But working together can, and should be done. Even if it means taking a little time to cool off before rekindling an old flame.
Jefferson and Adams survive. Together.
Happy 4th of July, everybody.
