Photograph of The Smithsonian's The American Presidency, A Glorious Burden's opening at the Heinz History Center with Klos' contributions prominently displayed. The artifacts include the 18th Century printing of the Articles of Confederation, letters and documents from John Hancock, Arthur St. Clair, Thomas McKean, Thomas Mifflin as presidents of the Continental Congress and the United States in Congress Assembled. Also included in the Smithsonian exhibit was Klos' first public printing of the United States Constitution, by Robert Smith of Philadelphia.
DID Someone leak the Constitution?
This "Plan of the New Federal Government," previously unrecorded, is, arguably, the first public printing of the U.S. Constitution. The folio broadsheet is dated September 17th, 1787 three times in the text and boldly marked "Philadelphia: Printed by ROBERT SMITH." This unique printing is the ultimate testament of a publisher utilizing freedom of the press privileges, soon to be enshrined in the Bill of Rights. Robert Smith’s folio appears to be the first public printing of the formerly secret plan to reorganize the unsuccessful Confederation Government of the United States in Congress Assembled into a true nation, the United States, governed under the Constitution.
Plan of the New Federal Government
"It was a leak. He scooped the five Philadelphia major newspapers by thirty-six hours!" says Stanley L. Klos, presidential historian and author of President Who? Forgotten Founders. Some historians maintain that this printing of the Constitution was included as an insert to Smith’s September 18th, 1787 bi-weekly newspaper, The Evening Chronicle. Klos notes, however, that "The Evening Chronicle’s proximity to Independence Hall, the adjournment of the Constitutional Convention at 4 p.m. on the 17th, and Smith's previous employment with Dunlap gave him immediate access to Dunlap's official delegate printings, with the lifting of the delegates' oath of secrecy. Additionally, Klos insists, “The degree that Smith’s ‘Plan of the New Federal Government’ matches the September 17th Constitution transmittal letter executed by George Washington, and the hastily printed offsets and misspellings found throughout Smith’s printing, indicate the broadsheet, unlike his bi-weekly “Evening Chronicle," was prepared in great haste. Whether the 17th or 18th, this struggling newspaper publisher may have trumped all five major Philadelphia newspapers that released their editions of the United States Constitution on September 19th, 1787. All of the first printings of the Constitution are rare, but this broadsheet is the only known issue of Smith's "Plan of the New Federal Government" in private or public hands.
Whatever the case, the 17th or 18th, this struggling newspaper publisher trumped all five major Philadelphia Newspapers who released their editions of the United States Constitution on September 19, 1787. Smith’s September 17-18th , 1787 broadsheet is the only known issue of "New Plan for the Federal Government" in private or public hands.
ROBERT SMITH THE FORGOTTEN PUBLISHER
Robert Smith established The Evening Chronicle; or, Philadelphia Advertiser on February 6, 1787. It was a tri-weekly newspaper of quarto size - 8 inches by 10 inches. With the issue of May 5, 1787, the title was changed to The Evening Chronicle. On August 7, 1787 the paper became a semi-weekly, and the size was changed to folio - 11 inches by 14 inches. In late October 1787, James Prange was taken into partnership due to Smith’s growing insolvency. The paper continued to do business under the firm name Robert Smith and James Prange, publishers. We know
from its colophon that this broadsheet was printed before the merger. The last Evening Chronicle issue known to be printed is vol. 2, no. 104, dated November 7, 1787, a copy of which can be found in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society.
Very little is known about Robert Smith as he was a publisher, never a proprietor of a press. (Charles R. Hildeburn, Issues of the Press in Pennsylvania 1685 – 1784) This is why Smith and his work have been overlooked in the histories of colonial printing, which tend to focus on such men as Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin, Christopher Sauer and Dunlap and Claypoole, who owned or operated independent presses.
We do know that Robert Smith was first listed as a printer in 1783 at “… the Back of the Fountain Inn between Second and Third Street…” in downtown Philadelphia. On January 1, 1785 he joined Dunlap and Claypoole's Pennsylvania Packet and remained with them until late 1786. In that same year, Smith re-opened his business at the White-Horse and Fountain Inn. It wasn’t until February 1787, with the launch of the The Evening Chronicle; or, Philadelphia Advertiser that Smith moved again, “Next to the Coffee-House in Front." (A Directory of the Book-Arts and Book Trade in Philadelphia to 1820. Including Painters and Engravers) Finally, Smith relocated his business, during the Constitutional Convention, to “Below the Drawbridge, third door below Spruce, in Front and Water,” less then ½ mile from Independence Hall. This location, Smith’s Dunlap contacts, and other factors, made him the ideal candidate to quickly print the U.S. Constitution once the resolution of secrecy had ceased.
Researcher Max E. Moeller from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania notes:
"Smith presumably felt his broadsheet would benefit by a headline. But what should it read? At this stage the U.S. Constitution was a new proposal and not yet the law of the land. In other words, it was a constitution, but not yet the U.S. Constitution. In 1787 there was an existing confederate system of government, set forth in the Articles of Confederation. To avoid confusion and to simultaneously convey the import and political philosophy of the newly proposed constitution, Smith (as publisher) employed a more descriptive and informative title 'Plan of the New Federal Government.' It is certainly a very effective headline, as it properly orients new readers to what they can expect from the document."
Unfortunately, this historic scoop wasn't enough to save the fledgling paper. Smith’s Evening Chronicle went out of print in November 1787.
Sources:
Brigham , Clarence S. "History and Bibliography of American Newspapers 1690 - 1820" American Antiquarian Society, Worchester, Massachusetts, 1947.
Brown , H. Glenn and Maude O, "A Directory of the Book-Arts and Book Trade in Philadelphia to 1820. Including Painters and Engravers" New York Public Library, NY 1950.
Dube, Ann Marie, "A Multitude of Amendments, Alterations and Additions": The Writing and Publicizing of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States." Independence National Historical Park, May 1996.
Hildeburn , Charles R. "Issues of The Press in Pennsylvania 1685 - 1784" Burt Franklin, NY: 1968. Two volumes
Goodman, Roy - Curator of Printed Materials and Assistant Librarian, American Philosophical Society 105 S. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3386
Klos, Stanley L., "A Scottish Born US President?" ArthurStClair.com, Carnegie, PA 2000.
Journals of Congress, Thursday, September 20, 1787.
Journals of Congress, Thursday, September 27, 1787.
Lefaivre-Rochester, Carole - Researcher, Friends of Franklin and Former American Philosophical Society editor.
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