of Washington and Adams, it was the custom of the President, at the
opening of each session of Congress, to meet both Houses in person, and
deliver a written speech, to which, in the course of a few days, each
House would return an answer through a committee appointed to wait upon
him, he, at the same time, returning a brief reply. Mr. Jefferson, at
the beginning of his Presidential term, changed this system. Instead
of meeting the Houses of Congress in person, and addressing to them a
speech, he sent them a written message, thus substituting messages for
speeches. His reasons for this change were the greater convenience of
messages over speeches, the economy of time, and the relief of Congress
from the necessity of answering on subjects in regard to which they were
often very imperfectly informed. The general opinion of the country at
the time seems to have approved the change; and the mode of communicating
with Congress by messages in preference to speeches, has been invariably
adopted by the Presidents ever since.
This division of the work contains Jefferson's Inaugural Address and
regular and special messages.