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Subject Area: Political Theory
Topic: The American Revolution and Constitution

TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENT. - John Adams, The Works of John Adams, vol. 9 (Letters and State Papers 1799-1811) [1854]

Edition used:

The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations, by his Grandson Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1856). 10 volumes. Vol. 9.

Part of: The Works of John Adams, 10 vols.

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TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENT.

Philadelphia, 23 April, 1800.

Gentlemen,—

The President of the United States proposes to the heads of department a subject, which, although at first view it may appear of inconsiderable moment, will upon more mature reflection be found to be of some difficulty, but of great importance to the honor, dignity, and consistency of the government.

In every government of Europe, I believe, there is a gazette in the service of the government, and a printer appointed, acknowledged, and avowed by it—in every regular government, at least. The Gazette of France, before the revolution, answered the same purpose with the London Gazette in England. Mr. Strahan is appointed the King’s printer by patent, and is the editor of the London Gazette. This Gazette is said by lawyers and judges to be primâ facie evidence in courts of justice, of matters of State and of public acts of the government. As it is published by the authority of the crown, it is the usual way of notifying such acts to the public, and therefore is entitled to credit in respect to such matters. It is a high misdemeanor to publish any thing as from royal authority which is not so. The Gazette is evidence of the King’s proclamations; even the articles of war, printed by the King’s printer, are good evidence of those articles. Addresses of the subjects, in bodies or otherwise, to the King, and his answers, are considered as matters of State when published in the Gazette, and are proved by it, primâ facie, in the King’s courts in Westminster Hall. The Gazette is said to be an authoritative means of proving all acts relating to the King and the State. Justice Buller asserts, that every thing which relates to the King, as King of Great Britain, &c., is in its nature public, and that a gazette which contains any thing done by his Majesty in his character of King, or which has passed through his Majesty’s hands, is admissible evidence in a court of law to prove such thing. Without running a parallel between the President of the United States and the King of England, it is certain that the honor, dignity, and consistency of government is of as much importance to the people in one case as the other. The President must issue proclamations, articles of war, articles of the navy, and must make appointments in the army, navy, revenue, and other branches of public service; and these ought all to be announced by authority in some acknowledged gazette. The laws ought to be published in the same. It is certain that a President’s printer must be restrained from publishing libels, and all paragraphs offensive to individuals, public bodies, or foreign nations; but need not be forbid advertisements. The gazette need not appear more than once or twice a week. Many other considerations will occur to the minds of the secretaries. The President requests their opinion,

1. Whether a printer can be appointed by the President, either with or without the advice and consent of the Senate?

2. Whether a printer can be obtained, without salary or fees, for the profit which might be made by such a gazette?

3. Where shall we find such a printer?

It is certain that the present desultory manner of publishing the laws, acts of the President, and proceedings of the Executive departments, is infinitely disgraceful to the government and nation, and in all events must be altered.1

[1 ]The only reply to these questions found among Mr. Adams’s papers, is from Mr. McHenry. Whilst he favors the idea that a public printer should be appointed, he doubts the power of the President to establish any such officer with a fixed compensation. All that can be done by the government, would be to allow some private printer to call himself printer to the President, and to give him from the several departments such work as belonged to each, at the established prices. “A better plan, particularly in view of the proposed removal to the new seat of government, the city of Washington, where no printer is understood to reside, would be that a law should be passed authorizing the President to appoint from time to time some fit, trusty, and discreet person, as printer to the United States, whose duty it should be to print the laws, &c., to be paid either by a fixed compensation, or according to the work done.”

The want of such an organ has been felt by the government from that day to this, but none has ever yet been formally established.