Show mail franking privilege held by adams for li life john adams as a member ol 01 congress was among the first tc be accorded the mail franking privilege and this he retained retailed a as am cassador bas to the various courts ol of europe as vice president under washington as president and afterward by special act of congress for life aside from jefferson recalls a 2 writer in the new york herald tribune no other president has hari had the privilege as long as adams and curiously both died on the same day july 4 1826 exactly 50 years after both had signed the declaration of independence in the first election of 1789 adams received the second highest number of electoral college votes and w was as declared vice president he accepted the office albeit with a bit of chagrin as he did not relish being second and although he had great grea admiration for washington he fell that his O own IM contribution to the cause of the infant republic had merited the greater reward in the vice presidency he served the two terms under washington during the formation of the first political parties the federalists led by hamilton believed in a strong central government and the demo cratic republicans followers of jefferson in the supremacy of the states adams belonged to the former but begrudged hamilton the leadership and as a consequence all but missed the presidency in the election of 1797 adams term in the presidency was not happy lie he was out of harmony with hi his party spartY the country came to the verge a of f war with france which adams personal action evaded but at ill the e expense of much of his prestige at home lastly the notorious alien and sedition laws which he had supported brought resolutions of disapproval from several of the states he was defeated for reelection election re and in 1801 retired to his home in quincy never again to talce take part in public life |