Mr Jefferson is Coming Home (Jamilton)

Chapter 21

Note:

Before reading:
- Remember that in the last chapter Thomas and Alex were celebrating the beginning of 1792;
- The newspaper's article is the original one, I took it from here: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83025881/1797-02-08/ed-1/seq-3/ [it was so cool to read it on the scan of an original newspaper aaaaaaaaaa]

***

Thomas woke up at dawn, as usual, but kept his eyes shut for a couple of minutes, trying to relax and maybe sleep a little more – perhaps it'd all been a dream and he would awake at Monticello, living his good old life, even though his aching back was a concrete proof of the endless journey of the previous day. He groaned and opened his eyes to find himself in the hotel room he'd booked in Philadelphia, on 4th street; it was a simple place but very neat and comfortable, it'd do for a while. He sighed and got up, dressing quickly without really looking at the clothes – he'd always look perfect anyway – and combing his messy hair into a ponytail. Then he moved to the kitchen, were the fire was lit but no one was in sight, and so he decided to kill the time by cooking breakfast himself. He was about to fry some eggs when someone softly knocked at the door. There was only one person who could come so early, knowing that he was already up.

"Thomas, are you awake?" Madison's voice came from outside.

"A minute," he yelled and took the pan off the stove before going to open the door.

He stood aside and James entered the room with a very solemn air, waving a fresh newspaper in his hand.

"How are you feeling?" He asked Thomas before announcing the reason of his visit. "You don't look very well, did you sleep at all?"

"Barely." Thomas rubbed his eyes and turned back to his breakfast, sharing the food with James, who accepted it with a silent smile. "I don't know how to feel, I suppose I should be happy but I'm freaking out."

"Well, it's too late to have second thoughts now." Madison opened the newspaper and laid it out on the table, pointing to the short article at the beginning of the third page. "It's public."

Philadelphia, February 8, 1797.

This day agreeable to the Constitution, both Houses of Congress met in Convention in the Representatives Chamber, for the purpose of counting the votes of the Electors for the several States for President of the United States, when it appeared that there were for JOHN ADAMS, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate, seventy one votes, and for THOMAS JEFFERSON, sixty-eight votes. Whereupon the Vice President, pursuant to joint vote of both Houses, passed the present session, declared, JOHN ADAMS, President of the United States; and THOMAS JEFFERSON, Vice President – for four years commencing the fourth of March next.

"Congratulations, Mr Vice President." James shook his hand with a grin. "We'll make Adams regret his presidency for the rest of his life."

"He won't last more than one term," he agreed, "and by then we will have those damned federalists out of the Government."

Thomas sat and started to eat, already thinking about his plan of action, while James continued reading the newspaper distractedly. They stood in silence for a while and then, slowly putting away the papers, Madison eventually asked the dreaded question.

"Did Adam change any of the people in the Cabinet?"

"No, he didn't – Pickering is at State, Wolcott at Treasury and McHenry at War."

"Three federalists, and so the Cabinet is once more controlled by –

Madison hesitated, casting a quick glance at Thomas, who didn't even blink – he'd had years to lock his emotions under control again – and ended the sentence for him.