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The Best Defense

On March 4, 1801, Thomas Jefferson opened the door of the boarding house he had resided in for the past few months. He was dressed quite plainly for the times. He probably attracted little attention, if any , as he began to walk toward the first appointment of the morning. He strolled to the Capitol Building, still a somewhat bare and unfinished edifice. He was joined by a few militia guards, congressmen and other persons. Arriving at the Capitol, he was met by a number of citizens that were numbered as close to a thousand. In the presence of his fellow citizens and presenting himself entirely one of them, he was sworn as the third President of the United States. He mumbled through a speech he had prepared, at times his voice barely above a whisper. He acknowledged that he was unequal to the task before him, echoing perhaps the sentiment that all persons of wisdom have always known, stated eloquently by William Shakespeare: "the fool thinks he is wise; the wise man knows he is a fool." After his speech, he walked back to a tavern for a meal. It is rumored that it was crowded and no one would let him have their seat, so he stood in line like everyone else and waited for a table...