In discussing last nights GOP Presidential debate, one commentator boldly stated that there possibly hadn’t been an election with as much acrimonious attacks since Adams and Jefferson. Of course, none of us were alive to really remember that—and there wasn’t any TV coverage.

But it’s true, there had developed some animosity between the two stanchions of the early years of America. They disagreed on the French Revolution, and about the appointment of judges by Adams at the end of his term of office (hey, is that going to come up again?).

Adams and Jefferson didn’t communicate with each other for more than a dozen years afterwards. But then Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of their co-laborers in the effort to bring to birth the Declaration of Independence, helped them see the irony of things.

Since Rush was a friend to both of them, he told each one separately how much they meant to each other. Their feelings were softened, and John wrote to Tom with sincere sympathy on the loss of his daughter, Mary. They began to communicate by written correspondence. They explained themselves to one another and their letters continued over the course of the next fourteen years.

Then they both died on the 50th anniversary of their joint enterprise, the 4th of July, 1826! So perhaps there’s still hope.