Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-08
1T is Mr.. PRESIDENT
TUE PROPER WAY IN WHICH TO ADDRESS
OUR CHIEF MAGISTRATE.

II has been noted that President
Grcvy Of France, in his letter to Pres
ident Garfield, addresses him as "Your
Excellency," and so do q great many
Americans. But this is incorrect, ms
the President Of the United Stetes has
no title. Not only is the Constitution
silent on the subject, but the question
was raised, discussed aud settled, so
that there is a decision on the subject.
In 1889, on the 23d of April, the
Senate adopted n resolution for the
appointment OF a committee "to con.
slider and report what style of title it
would be proper to annex to the offices
of President and Vice-President Of the
United States, il any other than those
given in the Constitution" On the
day following the House of Repre-.
sentatives adopted similar resolution,
and on the 9th of May this committee
reported that "it is not proper TO annex
any styles or titles Of offices expressed
by the Constitution" And this report
was adopted by the House.
On the Sth Of May tho Senate com.
mittee made a similar report The
proposition was then made, "whother
the President of the United States
shall be addressed as His Excolency,'" u"
and it was decided in the negative.
Afterward the following action was
had in the Senate: "Ordered, that
Mr.. Lee, Mr.. Ellsworth and Mr.. John.
son be a committee to confer with any
committee to be appointed by the
House Of Representatives, on the diff
ference Of opinion now subsisting be-
tween the two Houses respecting the
title of the President OF the United
States" The House then appointed a
committee OF five, of which Mr. Madi.
son was Chairman, to confer with the
Senate committee, and after confer.
ence the Senate committee reported
that they could not agree upon a JOINT
report, but that in the opinion OF the
Senate committee at would be
proper to address the President as His
Highness, the President of the United
States of America and Protector of our
Liberties" This Report was not
adopted, though it was not rejected,
being laid over As an end to the
matter, the following was finally
adopted by the Senate
"From decent respect for The opin.
ion aud practice of civilized Nations
whether under monarchial or Republi.
can forms Of government, whose Gus.
tom il is to annex titles of respectable
ity to the office of their Chief Magis-
trate, and that on intercourse with
foreign Nations a due respect for the
majesty of the people cf the United
States may not be hazardod by an ap-
pearance of singularity, the Senate
have been induced TO be of the opinion
that it would be proper to annex re.
spectacle title to the Office of Presi.
dent Of the United States but the
Senate, desirous of preserving harmo.
ny with the House OF Representatives,
where the practice lately observed in
presenting an address to the President
was without the addition Of titles,
think it proper for the present to act
in conformity with the practice of the
House therefore, resolved, that the
present address be, TO the President
of the United States, without addition
of title"
And so the matter stands to-day,
and the American people can oongrat,
ulate themselves that they escaped the
inhicuon which the Senate committee
wanted to entail upon an unoflending
posterity, 1t is very common in writ
ing TO the President to address him
not only as ellis excellency," but to
give his full name. This is not the
business style, at least If in writing
to the President on public business,
you will simply say dSlr" at the top
and "The President" at the bottom
you will be according to official eti-
quette.--KdnSds City Times.