The Best Ideas Can Rise Among the Sharpest Disagreements

In the wake of Senator Lindsey Graham’s sad and untimely death, I’ve been encouraged to see Americans honor his legacy across political divides. Not everyone, of course. Depraved outliers always will dance on a person’s grave. 

But despite sharp divisions over U.S. engagement in Iraq, those who share America’s core values have come together to remember the South Carolina senator for his public service and contributions to our country. This instinct is one of the many attributes that makes America great.
  

Since the beginning, American politics have been fraught with sharp divisions. But when we embrace life and liberty as gifts endowed by God, our shared humanity supersedes our political differences—even making room for friendship. 

Historic friends and enemies  

In life and death John Adams and Thomas Jefferson forged a legacy of greatest consequence to our country, but it did not go unscathed by deep political divides.
 

Adams and Jefferson first met as delegates of Continental Congress in 1775 where they formed an enduring friendship. When they served together on the committee appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence, Adams insisted upon Jefferson as the primary author. For the next 14 years, they worked together to liberate and establish the nation as congressmen and European diplomats. During this time, they also developed an increasingly intimate correspondence as close friends.
 

But as the fledgling nation took shape, tensions heightened between antifederalists (Jefferson) and federalists (Adams), straining their friendship as they faced off in the presidential elections of 1796 and 1800. When Adams lost the presidency in 1800, he exacerbated the friction by appointing Jefferson’s political enemies to key positions and refusing to attend the inauguration.

As a result, the men were estranged for 12 years. They eventually repaired their friendship with the help of mutual friends and restored a vibrant correspondence for the last 14 years of their lives. Remarkably, Adams and Jefferson died within hours of one another—both on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As reported, Adams’ last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives,” not knowing the Virginian had passed away hours earlier.
 

In an enduring speech eulogizing both men, nineteenth-century statesman Daniel Webster credited God with the unfathomable circumstances of their passing: “As their lives, themselves, were the gift of Providence, who is not willing to recognize in their happy termination, as well as in their long continuance, proofs that our country and its benefactors are objects of His care?”
 

The Founding Fathers understood that the best ideas can rise among the sharpest disagreements, but this is possible only when we recognize one another’s dignity as creatures of God. With His help, these men designed a system of government that would foster prudence, promote collaboration, temper violence, and check power.
 

As people of faith, we rest in a far greater citizenship of heaven, knowing God will meet our every need. He will bind up our wounds, forgive our sins, and work all things together for our good. So we love our enemies, political and otherwise, trusting His words and care. 

P.S. In this series of articles called “America@250” about our nation’s history and founding principles, I want to share some of our sources (since it is iVoterGuide’s way to provide sources for candidate research). To explore some key resources for this email, see below.

“Jefferson, Adams, and the Crucible of Revolution,” Jane Kamensky, National Constitution Center
“Orations on Adams and Jefferson,” Daniel Webster (page 10), English Classic Series 

“The Election of 1800: Adams vs. Jefferson,” Adam E. Zielinski, American Battlefield Trust
“The Extraordinary 50-Year Friendship and Rivalry of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams,” History Tools