Show THE II GREAT SEAL Affixed Only to Papers Signed bythe by bythe bythe the President History of Its Development Down to the Present Time Time Franklins Franklins Franklin's ObJection Ob Ob- Objection to the Eagle as the National Bird Washington Gaillard Hunt chief of the division of manuscripts has bas Just completed a 0 historical sketch o 0 othe or ortho tho the Great Seal of the United States the tho sketch telling of the various stages of development through which the seal went before the one now In use was finally adopted When the continental congress made the obverse of at the great seal the national arms it lc intended that the device device device de de- vice should pass into common use among the people as the flag had done and like Uke the flag the arms at first met with general approval which soon gave place to an acceptance of It as an emblem of the power and sovereignty sovereignty sov GOV of the United States which placed It above criticism Not all the fathers of the republic however were pleased with the selection selection select tion Lion of the eagle as the national emblem em em- blem When the badge of the Order of the Society of the Cincinnati was made in France In 1784 It was objected object object- ed to by some because the displayed eagle resembled a turkey For my part vart wrote Benjamin Franklin January 26 25 1784 to his daughter I wish the bald eagle had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been chosen as the representative of our country he does not get his living living liv liv- ing honestly you may have seen him perched on some dead tree where too lazy to fish for himself he watches r rII k r rye t 4 o- o J- J r y Gaillard Munt th the labor of the fishing hawk and when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish and is bearing it to his nest for tor the support of at his mate and young ones the bald eagle pursues him and takes it from him With all this injustice he is never in good caste but like those among men who live by and robbing he Is generally poor and often very lousy Besides he ho is a rank coward the little lit lit- little tle kingbird not bigger than a sparrow sparrow spar spar- row attacks him boldly and drives him out of the district He is therefore therefore therefore there there- fore by no means a proper emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the kingbirds from our country The seal itself has of course a very very- limited use which Is strictly guarded by law The secretary of state Is its custodian but even he has no authority ty to affix it to any paper that does not bear the presidents president's signature In 1803 Chief Justice Marshall in delivering an opinion o of the supreme court used tho the following language relative rel rel- relative to the deal It may be considered consid considered consid consid- ered applicable to all instruments to which v the seal Is affixed The signature of the president isa is isa isa a warrant for affixing the great seal to the commission and the great seal is only to be affixed to an Instrument which Is complete It attests by an act supposed to be of public notoriety the verity of ot the presidential signa signa- ture It Is never to be affixed till Ull the commission is signed because the signature sig sig- nature which gives force end nd effect to the commission is evidence that the appointment Is made The commission being signed the subsequent duty of the secretary of t state tate Is prescribed by law and not to be guided by the will of the president He tie is js to affix the seal of the United States to the commission and is to record it It At the present time the seal of the United States Is affixed to the commissions commissions com com- missions of all cabinet officers and diplomatic and consular officers who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate all ceremonIous pious communications from Crom the dent to the heads of foreign govern ments all treaties conventions and formal agreements of the president with foreign powers all nil proclamations Ions by the president all to foreign consular officers In the Uni ted States who are arc appointed by the heads of ot the governments which they represent to warrants by the pres I. I lent dent to receive receive persons surrendered by foreign governments under extradition extra extra- treaties and to all miscellaneous miscella miscella- commissions of or civil officers ar ap pointed by the president by and with the advice and consent of the senate whose appointments are not now es ea- directed by law to be signed under a different seal lieal |