The Virginia enterprise., 1912-06-28


A91 were members of the Second CO
tinental Congress, and they had
right to their grave faces, for Lexington and &C
cord had just been fought, and all of them kn<
the disgusting details of the old British law
treas9n.
Among those men were two whose fates fro
that time forward were to be linked in stran
fashion. One of them rode down from the mort
the other up from the south. The northern
was somewhat sour-visaged man, nearing t
age Of forty, whose big wig and the 1egalistic
turn of his talk betrayed the fact that he was
a disciple Of the then living Blackstone Some
what inclined to be irascible censorious and
vain, he was yet man Of high public charac-
ter and pure private morals-a diluted Puritan
viewing the world through tho Puritans sus-
picious and somewhat jaundioed vision. It was
the second time that he had ridden down to
Philadelphia, for he had been a member of the
First Continental Congress, in which his
knowledge of affairs. patriotic convictions,
high courage and keen legal mind had given
him an honorable place.
The man who rode up from the south was
younger by seven years, slender Of frame. with
freckIed skin, curly red hair and hazel gray
eyes that betrayed a kindly yet withal de-
termined spirit Though Virginia gentleman
Of large means, he displayed disposition to-
ward what in later days was called demo
cratic simplicity" He brought with him a
reputation for SCIENCE literature and happy
talent for composition. 1t was whispered that,
In addition to the classics, he understood
Spanish French. italian, was learning German
and contemplated studying Gaelic; that he
knew how to calculate an eclipse, plan build
Ing, set a broken bone, try lawsuit and
dance the minuet Those of his fellow-mem-
bers who came to know him intimately dis
covered that he was. in addition, most agree
able and considerate companion that he was
passionately fond of playing the violin, and
that occasionally he wrote poetry.
These men were John Adams and Thomas
Jefferson. They speedily became friends.
Adams wrote of his fellow-member: HE was
80 prompt, frank, explicit and decisive upon
committees and in conversation that he soon
won my heart"
A year passed, and the revolt that was b.
gun to preserve our lights as Englishmen
ripened into revolution. The time came when
q separation that already existed in fact must
be formally recognized In name also. And
upon tho roll of the committee Of lve named
to prepare the declaration of that fact to the
world stood the names of Thomas Jefferson
and John Adams
Jefferson wrote the immortal document, but
the task Of defending 1t before the Congress
fell chiefly upon the doughty Adams. And we'll
did he perform 1t. HE was our Colossus on
the floor" wrote Jefferson in grateful acknowl
edgement
Unlike as Jefferson and Adams were in tenn
perament training, and political ideals, those
anxious days Of association in a noble work
created bond Of sympathy that time nor all
the bitterness Of party strife could not de.
stroy.
For some years, however their paths lay
In different places. It was not until they rep
resented their infant country at two European
courts that they were again thrown into close
association. When the Adamses visited Paris
in 1885 they were frequently entertained by
Jefferson and the relations between the two
families were so friendly that Abigail Adams
wrote: II shall really regret to leave Mr..
Jefferson; he is one Of the choice ones of
earth" Subsequently, in describing the diff
culties Of her husbands position at an un-
friendly court, she said: I'm Mr. Jefferson he
has firm and faithful friend with whom he
can consult and advise They have un
limited confidence in each other"
Our twain were next brought into close
association In the administration Of Washing
ton-Adams as vicepresident and Jefferson as
secretary Of state. And then began an unfor.
tunate rift within the lutte"
Adams, though of rather plebeian birth, in
cl1ned to arstocracy; he believed that the
rich, the well-born and the able" ought to
rule. Shabbily as he had been treated while
minister at the court of St. James, he sympa-
thized with monarchical Britain in her strug-'
gle with republican France. Jefferson, though
OF a51stocratic lineage, was not an aristocrat.
Equal rights to all, special privileges for
none'-a longer name for "the square deal"-
was his political creed. Not for the sake Of