Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-12-11

L
ident of the u. States
Such, however, is the force of Europe-
an example, and of old habits and preiu-
dices, transplanted from abroad, that in
The year 1880, the senate of the u. S. ac-
tually proposed that the president of The
u. ;. should be called "lis llighness the
president ofthe United States, and pro-
tector oftle liberties thereof. Protector
OF the liberties of the people ofAmerica 1!
Woe he 10 that people who do not pro-
iect their own liberties. These men,
| dressed IN "a little brief authority, PLAYED
| this fantastic trick before the nation.
But the nation did not weep. The mea-
sure was treated with laughter and with
scorn and experienced from the house
| o! representatives the fate il so Justly de-
| served.
Bul, indefiance ofthe constitution, and
OF the fate oiiliis senatorial experiment.
aud oi all our principles and professions
the president of the u. s. is now called
| his excellency :" not by congress and
| the other departments ofihe government,
III fhcir official intercourse, but by the
| Propfe, IN their letters and addresses
! NOW, this is one of those very titles so Sc
yerek denounced by the author of "the
decline aud fall of the Roman empire"
In speaking OF the corruption which dis
| @raced the court and capital of Constan
| Tine and his successors, lie saws, &c the
purity of the Latin language was deJased,
| by adopting, in the intercourse of pride
and fiaitery,a profusion OF cpiiliets hich
| Fully would scarcely have understood.
and Which Augustus would have rejected
with Indignation. The principal officers
OF the empire were saluted, even blythe So
vereign himself, with the deceitfui titles Of
your sincerity. your gravity, Your ercel.
fency, your emlnence, your sublime and
wonderful magnitude, yonriliustriousAnd
magnificent ighness." sprobaJie, that
there Is no citizen Of the u. States who
would be betterpleased with the abolition
OF tins title than the president himself
| But whether he would be pleased or not,
is immaterial Let it be abolished-ex.
| tingushed forever
| Now, mark the graduation. The secre-
tarles are not excellent. bat honorable"
| The Judges are the honora ble-iic mem
beIs OF congress are the honorable, and
| call each other so III debate" all homo
rable men,
In the states, the same hankerins after
distinction, the same obsequousness in
bestowing il, are displayed. The COVER
nor Is his excellency the counselors q
| Judges OF all the courts, are the honorable
IN court and out of court-Sncli is the
| force OF custom, that evcnthe respectable
and enlightened judges of our courts, do
| moi hesitate TO sign every morning the or
der book, which records-the presence of
the honorable A, b, G, ID. &c. esquires.
The Justices OF tie county courts are the
worshipful, III session only; lawyers, doc
tors and men of wealth are esquires
wholesale merchants are esquires also Z:
| - he L
plain misters. What is there in all this
but very preposierous and pernicious
imitation of habits and manners, con
demned by our constitution, dangerous
10 our principles. and repugnant TO
our professions The people Themselves
thus furnish foundation for aristocracy
TO build on, the Corlnthian edifice of DO
llshed SOC iety. We more than realize ilIe
fable OF the forest trees and Ike wood cut
ter. They yielded TO inireaty. They were
persuaded 10 permit helye TO be taken
for the axe. NE offerii.
But, what the meaningof this epithet
esquire, which every man i'll Office, and
every man raised an inch by education OF
wealth, above the ordinary level of socie-
ty, expects TO see tackled TO his name.
wien addressed by letter? In ancient
times AN ccuyer from which the French
word esquire is derived) was tIIecarrier OF
The arms of gentleman or knight. He
had charge OF iIis armour, and sometimes
| Saddied his war-hOrse and prepared him
for battle. In time, he might be knight
himself but III the mean while, he was a
mere a,iendant-a sort of gentleman ser
vant-a man III waiting Now, in this
country, every man Is authorised, andin-
| deed required TO carry arms. He carries
them Tor his country and himself. He
occupies high and honorable station "A
| free man III free state; with no superior
but the law and yet from the influence
OF old habits and prejudces, originating in
other countries, other governments, other
times, IL IS our pleasure TO give and re-
ceive this title of esquire, The meaning
OF which not one in thousand has ever
| nthe trouble TO examine.-What chill
| dren we are
| 1t has been already said that the house
! OF representatives in congress did not
agree to the senatorial proposition relat
ing to the title of the presid Mt. This
was much TO their credit and it is but
| justice 10 say, that the official language
OF both houses of congress, of the repre-
sentatlves always, of the senate since $50,
has been such as cOmportcd with the
| principles of the government which ii is
| their high duty TO administer. But they
| have IN their private intercourse with
each other, fault which ii is their duty
10 correct. Titles, which are legally and
| constltutionally and necessarily extinct,
are revived aud distributed, with liberia
lily which may indeed be very courteous,
bat is wrong in principle as well as fact.
Men WHO at any periods Of their lives
| have been governors or Judges, expert
ence sort Of official resurrection, and
become IN name at least, governors and
judges again. This, to say the least of