University of Virginia Library

7114. PUBLICITY, Executive support.—

No ground of support for the Executive
will ever be so sure as a complete knowledge
of their proceedings by the people; and it is
only in cases where the public good would
be injured, and because it would be injured,
that proceedings should be secret. In such
cases it is the duty of the Executive to sacrifice
their personal interests (which would
be promoted by publicity) to the public interest.—
To President Washington. Washington ed. iv, 89. Ford ed., vi, 461.
(1793)