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PRESIDENTIAL FEUDS, PART I

© John S. Cooper

The United States Senate has been called “the most exclusive club in the world” but there is an even more exclusive club. Only forty-two men have held the office of President, making it the most exclusive club in American political history. Yet even this small group has its personality conflicts, disagreements, and even feuds.

The first and probably best known of all the Presidential feuds was between John Adams (left) and Thomas Jefferson (right). Close friends and political allies earlier in their careers, Adams was the chairman of the committee to write the Declaration of Independence and selected Jefferson to do the writing. As the new government took shape, Adams and Jefferson found themselves on opposite sides in the philosophical debate on the nature of the new government. Eventually, they ended up running against each other, with Adams winning the first contest, and Jefferson the second.

During the elections, both men followed the traditions of the time and refrained from campaigning. With communications slow, neither candidate had any control over their followers and depended upon them to campaign for them in each town and city. These followers got carried away (nothing different from today in many ways) and said things and made accusations that angered both men. The elections were marked by heated passions and excessive mudslinging, insults and character assassinations.

Adams did not take his defeat in 1800 well. On news of Jefferson's election, Mrs. Adams left Washington for their home in Massachusetts. Adams and Jefferson met in Washington from time to time, and after the election had an unfortunate meeting. Some say it happened in the White House at a reception. Adams, always fussy and temperamental, snapped at Jefferson “You have put me out! You have put me out!” Jefferson remained calm and reminded Adams that the system by which Adams was defeated was one Adams had helped to create. The meeting ended on relatively friendly terms. In January, they met again and discussed the political situation.

Still, Adams did not take defeat well. He resented that the people had cast him aside without a second term. His pride hurt, Adams left Washington before Jefferson’s inauguration. At four in the morning, his carriage pulled away from the White House unnoticed. Jefferson was inaugurated without his predecessor present.

The wounds between the two men were kept open and sore by their political differences for a long time. After a time, they began writing to each other, and became friends again. Their letters contained a lively correspondence on the issues of the day as well as personal matters. In spite of their renewed friendship, they remained competitive right up to the end. Just before Adams died, he is reported to have said, “Jefferson still survives.” He did not realize that Jefferson had died several hours earlier at his home in Virginia.