Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1881-06-02
1T Is MR.. PRESIDENT.
The Proper Way in Which to Address
Our Chief Magistrate.
from the Kansas City Times

From the Kansas City Times
1t has been noted that President Grevy, OF
France in his letter to President Garfield
addresses him as 'YOur Excellency," and SO
do great many Americans. But this is IN
correct, as the President of the United States
has no title Not only is the constitution
silent on the subject, but the question was
raised, discussed and settled, so that there Is
decision on the subject.
In 1889. on the 23d of April, the Senate
adopted resolution for the appointment OF
q committee ito consider and report what
style Or title it will be proper to annex to
the Offices OF President and Vice President
of the United States, if any other than those
given in the Constitution" On the day fol-
lowing. the House of Representatives adopted
a similar resolution, and on the 9TH of May
this committee reported that it is not proper
to annex any style or title to the respective
styles or titles of ef1ice expressed in the Con-
stitutiOn." And this report was adopted by
the House
On the Sth OF May the Senate committee
made similar report to that of the House
committee, but it was rejected. The propO-
siton was then made: whether the Presi-
dent shall be addressed as His Excellency,'
and it was decided in the negative.
Afterward, the following action was had in
the Senate Ordered, that Mr.. Lee, Mr..
Ellsworth and Mr.. johnson be a committee
to confer with any committee to be appointed
by the House OF Representatives on the dii-
ference OF opinion now subsisting between
the two houses respecting the title of the
President of the United States" The House
then appointed committee of five, of which
Mr.. Madison was Chairman, to confer with
the Senate committee, and after conference
the Senate committee reported that they
could not agree upon a joint report, but that
in the opinion Of the Senate committee: 1T
would be proper to address the President as
His Highness, the President of the United
States OF America and Protector of our Lib
critics." 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 opinion and
practice of civilized nations. whether under
monarchial or republican forms of government
whose custom it is to annex titles of respec-
tibility to the office of their Chief magistrate
and that, ON intercourse with foreign nations
due respect for the majesty of the people
of the United States may not be haZarded
by an appearance Of singularity, the Senate
have been induced to be of the opinion that
it would be proper to annex respectable
title to the Office of President of the United
States; but the Senate, desirous of preserving
harmony with the House of Representatives,
where the practice lately observed in present
ing an address to the President was without
the addition Of title, think it proper for the
present to act in conformity with the practice
of the House; therefore, be it
Resolrcd, 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 congratulate themselves
that they escaped the intiiction which the
Senate committee wanted to entail upon an
unofending posterity. 1t is very common in
writing to the President to address him not
only as His Excellency," but to give his full
name. This is not the business style, at
least. If in writing to the President on pub
lie business you will say Sir at the top
and THE President at the bottom you will
be according to official etiquette.