Thomas Jefferson Quotes
In consequence of a division of opinion existing among our fellow-citizens, as to the proper constitution of our political institutions, and of the wisdom and propriety of certain measures which had been adopted by our government, that portion of our citizens who approved and advocated one class of these opinions and measures selected you as their candidate for the Presidency, and their opponents selected me. If you or myself had not been in existence, or for any other cause had not been selected, other persons would have been selected in our places, and thus the contest would have been carried on, and with the same result, except that the party which supported you would have been defeated by a greater majority, as it was known that, but for you, your party would have carried their unpopular measures much further than they did.
Adams bitterly blamed Jefferson personally for his failure to win reelection for a second presidential term. See {629219}. Jefferson tried to argue in this quotation that the issues of the election were so great that it was irrelevant who the candidates of the two parties were. In actuality, both were right. The issues were huge, but it was Jefferson who was the most effective critic of the Federalist program and philosophy. Adams had become a bit of a pompous ass as President and this didn’t help his own cause. He and the Federalists believed that the President needed to be treated with great respect and have many of the trappings of monarchy so he would be a credible leader. Jefferson was completely opposite in philosophy and personality. Note that Jefferson, trying to be positive with Adams, tells him in effect, “The Federalists were such right wing ideolo, that if I had been running against any other Federalist candidate I would have won by a much larger margin, but you at least were able to moderate the extreme views so my task was much harder.” Years after this, the two men reconciled.
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, 3rd President of the United States (Democratic Republican, VA), Statement to President John Adams who Jefferson had just defeated in his bid for a second term, 1800
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Jefferson had called on Adams at the White House after the election results were known. Adams actually came in 3rd with Jefferson and Aaron Burr ahead of him. However, Adams frustration was directed against Jefferson as he was the one who had so often been critical of Federalist Policy.
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
