Confidence Quote by John Adams
“I request that they may be considered in confidence, until the members of Congress are fully possessed of their contents, and shall have had opportunity to deliberate on the consequences of their publication; after which time, I submit them to your wisdom.”
About This Quote
Source Letter: Correspondence with Thomas Jefferson, 1795
Adams asks for confidentiality until Congress fully reviews the material and its impacts.
In simple terms: Keep documents private until lawmakers examine them.
Delay publication until thorough review.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy drafting
- legal review
- government oversight
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Should secrecy ever outweigh public right to know?
- How to balance oversight with openness?
Transparency may be delayed by secrecy.