A Holiday Wish
Imperfect Union December 2021
U.S. Capitol 1800
On the morning of December 25, 1800, Abigail and John Adams climbed into their carriage and rode the few short miles to the newly constructed Capitol building at the end of Pennsylvania Avenue. They attended a Christmas Day service in the House of Representatives chamber, delivered by a Bishop Clagget.
On that particular day, Clagget delivered a sermon from the “Gosple of st Luke.” Abigail reminded her son Thomas, that this portion of Bible proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest Peace on Earth, and Good Will to Men.” She continued:
this is a doctrine full of Mercy and benevolence, which the present generation appear little disposed to cultivate and cherish.— Should I put down one half my thoughts and reflections upon the present Prospect of our Country I should be considerd as gloomy and dissapointed but I see not where we are to land.
Abigail concluded her letter “My spirits are sometimes ready to Sink under my Private troubles, and public ingratitude.” On one hand, this message smacks of older generations complaining about the younger generation causing trouble and showing no respect for their elders.
On the other hand, Abigail knew that her husband had likely lost the 1800 election, but it wasn’t yet clear if Thomas Jefferson or Aaron Burr had won or if they had tied. If they tied, the election would be thrown to the House of Representatives for resolution.
Abigail didn’t know what would happen or if the nation would survive. Which sounds a bit hyperbolic I suppose, but the country had never experienced a contested election. The political discourse was rife with implications of violence and threats were delivered to the President’s House daily. There was no Secret Service and no fencing to protect the president. Critics of the president literally walked up to the front door and delivered their threats without repercussion. Her fears weren’t entirely unfounded.
143 years after Abigail’s letter, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered an address in the midst of World War II. He shared the same words Abigail had penned in the letter to her son: “peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.” He proclaimed
It has been our steady policy…that the right of each nation to freedom must be measured by the willingness of that nation to fight for freedom.
I will confess, I’m feeling a bit disheartened about the state of our democracy. I worry about the hatred and vitriol in our political discourse. I worry about the efforts to undermine the state and federal electoral systems. I worry about plans underway for a future coup.
I planned to write a cheerful holiday essay today. I looked around for a Christmas history miracle to share. I suppose I could have talked about George Washington’s fateful arrival at Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve in 1783 after the end of the Revolutionary War. Or I could have written about 18th century holiday traditions. But Abigail’s gloominess and honesty felt a bit more appropriate.
The problem with democracies is that they are fragile. Without a monarch or dictator to call the shots, there is no military force in place to defend democratic institutions. Our military isn’t supposed to participate in domestic affairs. Democracies only work if we believe in them and adhere to the norms and customs that hold them in place. As a new year approaches, I hope that we show a willingness to fight for that freedom.
I hope you all have a lovely holiday season with your family and loved ones, whatever your holiday traditions might be. I hope you enjoy rest, peace, and health. Then I hope you will join me in fighting for our democracy—the fight will require every single one of us.