SEEKING GOD’S WILL
John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) became President of the United States by a strange turn of events. In 1824, since none of the candidates — Adams, Henry Clay, Andrew Jackson, or William Crawford — had received an electoral majority, the presidential contest was taken to the House of Representatives. When the house voted on February 9, 1825, the deciding vote was cast by New York. But the New York delegation was divided equally. General Stephen van Rensselaer held the tie-breaking vote. Some of his colleagues urged him to support Crawford and others Adams. When it came time to vote, van Rensselaer was thoroughly perplexed. Being a pious man, he dropped his head on the desk before the ballot box reached him and prayed for guidance. When he lifted his head and opened his eyes, he saw a ballot on the floor by his seat with Adam’s name on it. He interpreted this as an expression of God’s will, cast his vote for…
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