Jefferson after a contentious election

It was a nasty election, one that threatened the unity of the nation due to the acrimony of the political parties.

No, I'm not talking about the election of 2012, but rather of 1800; an election filled with intrigue, betrayal, and a a tie in the electoral college that was one of the first truly significant threats to the functioning of the still relatively new government of the United States.
But as fascinating as the history of that election is (and as much as the old history teacher in me would like to go into it), what struck me as significant was a portion of Thomas Jefferson's inaugural address. Jefferson, the winner of the presidential election, recognized that the process had been bitter and hard-fought and many remained divided between the Federalists and the Republican parties and the direction of the country.

So Jefferson recognized the potential of a serious threat to the unity of the Union, and addressed it in his inauguration speech, at one point saying: "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists. If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."

There is much to consider in both of those sentences.
In the first, Jefferson reminded the country that the office of the President was created to represent all the people of the United States. While members of Congress were elected to represent states or districts within those states, the founding fathers - after much debate - recognized the need of an executive authority who would not represent a state or region but was to represent "the people."

Imagine a modern president taking office and saying "Today, I'm not a Republican, I'm not a Democrat. I'm not here to represent the 52 percent of the people who voted for me. I'm the president of all the people, and as such I need to consider the interests and concerns of them all."
It also says something about the people we have elected to that office that quite a few of them actually grew out of party identification and into the responsibility that comes with the job.

But just as important is the second sentence.
"If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form ..." was a real issue, one that would be addressed multiple times over the next 65 years - at the Hartford Convention of 1814 when northeastern states voted secession from the union in disagreement over the War of 1812 ("Mr. Madison's War" as they called it), blaming the war on President James Madison; in 1832, when southern states came close to seceding over the lack of representation in the government around the issue of tariffs on imports and exports; and of course in 1860 when secession became real when Southern states finally did withdraw from the Union.

Secession is back in the news this week with a lot of attention on those web-based petitions that, while of no real political consequence, should at least be recognized as an expression of displeasure by a part of the country over the current state of affairs.

Which leads us to the second part of Jefferson's sentence: " ... let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it."
Maybe I'm reading Jefferson incorrectly, but it sounds to me as if he's saying, "let those people have their say and prove that even their error of opinion can be tolerated in a free society of reasonable people."

I am one of those people who believe disagreement can be healthy, particularly when it comes to government. We  - and those politicians we elect to represent and govern us - need to be careful when embarking on the process of governance. The creating of the Constitution was not easy, with men representing very different parts of the country fighting to defend their views of what was best for the future of their country and finally coming up with a compromise between the desire to maintain independence from government, the desire for states' rights, and the recognition of the necessity of a strong central government.

The process of governing such a huge and diverse country is no easier today than it was in Jefferson's day.
But neither does it have to be more difficult, if we're willing to listen as much as we talk, consider as much as we persuade, and - after the elections are over - recognize that, as Jefferson also said, "every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle."

Yes, elections have consequences, and the will of the majority does prevail, as it should. But that "will" must also be reasonable, recognizing that the minority of any election has rights, too, which must be considered. To paraphrase Jefferson,  what use is a country built on tolerance of religious belief if it allows political intolerance to be as "despotic, as wicked, and capable of as bitter and bloody persecutions'' (as were the religious persecutions that so many came to this country to avoid)?

It is also important for the minority - the 'losers,' if you will - to recognize that the vote was taken, the people have spoken, and the direction of the country has been established at least until the next election.

I read a recent interview with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who expressed similar sentiments in saying the current climate seems to be that "it's OK for one side to express their view and the other side needs to be quiet. ... Are we saying that they should be silenced or not allowed to speak or voice their opinion? There’s a way to do that that is respectful and productive. There are things we’ll always disagree on, but it doesn’t mean we go to war over them or divide our country over them. We agree to disagree, but we continue to work together on the things we all know that we have to do."

There is a lot of talk of general unhappiness and what "we ought to do about it." It is venting, and as Mr. Jefferson said, we should show we're strong enough to allow people to vent.

However, as Mr. Jefferson knew better than I, sooner or later we need to move on from venting and recognize the country as it is so that we can pursue serious ideas to save this government ("the world's best hope" as Mr. Jefferson called it) and this country that we love from the abyss.

If you are interested, here is one link to Jefferson's speech, While written in the language of the 1800s, it is worth re-reading, if for no other reason than to remind us that we've been down roads similar to this before.