Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-25
TO THE PRESIDENT.
The Etiquette of Correspondence
With the Chief Magistrate.
THE OFFICIAL MAIL BAG,
How Letter Should Begin-Frequsnt Mis-
takes Made by Correspondcnts-The Eth
quette of Dealing With Foreign Nations
Mail for the Executive Departments.

queue OF Dealing With Foreign Nations
Mail for the Executive Departments.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT IS DIsPORT-
w ing himself upon the beach at Cape May
he is apparently having a hilariously good
time and is as free from official cares as Presi-
dent well can be. But he is not altogether on
vacation. 1t is true that many people who
would not scruple to pay him . long visit on
business in Washington hesitate before they
invade the precincts of the cottage by
the sea, but that does not pre-
vent the sending him Of long communications.
If you ask Presidents private secre tary, as
q writer for The STAR recently did, he will tell
you all about it and he will tell you, among
other things, that not one person out Of ten in
writing to the President addresses him prop
erly. Each correspondent seems to be law
unto himself and follows his own sweet fancy.
Thus the man who writes and asks for PEN
sion or an Office on the ground that he served
in the war is apt to begin his letter "Dear
General" and after having told his wants he
signs himself ''Yours. fraternally."
This is pretty familiar. The President isn't
general, except in that he is communicable
chief of the army, and as for all men being
brothers it is true q theory, but is hardly
correct on all occasions as a practice. II tn Q
letter from the old army man is answered, rs
nearly all letters are, the writer is addressed
with due formality as ''Sir," and not as ''Dear
Comrade." This ought to be sufficient hint
to him to keep his distance, but it is not, and a
week later he hobs up serenely with another
long communication to his "Dear General"
After all, Uncle Sam is easy going fellow
with his own countrymen and he does not
stand On his dignity, but just soon as he
meets the representative of foreign power he
draws himself up as stiff poker and won't
rr,,rf fta n1tfr 70,
tonians know him so well that they regard him
as piece of property peculiarly their own. Al
though he has agents in every quarter of the
globe. this is his own particular headquarters.
He lives here and he is proud Of the
city that he had built especially for his own
delectation. You can't live very long in Wash
ington without meeting some of Uncle Sans
employees, and you can't live here very long
without seeing and knowing something about
Uncle Sans great representative, the Presi-
dent, but that is no reason why, when you
write him letter you should not be particular
to address him in the right way.
VERY FORMAL.
There are a number of his correspondents
who wish to be very formal and respectful and
they always call him "Excellency." 1t sounds
so big, is such a pleasing mouthful that many
people who ought to know better cannot resist
the temptation Of using this form. As between
such expression Dear General and
''Your Excellency'' the former is preferable,
for there is no law against it, while there GER
tainly is an unwritten law against the latter.
When the Constitution was formed there was
great deal of discussion as to the form of ad-
dress that should be applied to the President.
Some people thought he should be addressed
"Excellency," others would be satisfied with
''Your Highness,' while still others thought he
| should be called Majesty" The New Workers,
wanted the head Of this republic called ''Eiis
High Mightiness." After a great deal OF
wrangiing and considerable exhibition of party
feeling over the matter, it was finally decided
for all time to come that the Chief Executive
should be addressed simply as 'the President
of the United States" That settled it and made
it an improperly to call him "Excellency." The
governor Of a state has more form about him in
correspondence than the President, for unless
there is a clause in the constitution of the sta te
expressly prescribing some other mode Of adj
dress, it Is correct to call him "EXcellency."
The democratic spirit Of some states has inter-
terfered to prevent this. and it has been pre-
scribed that the governor receive some simpler
title. but there are only two or three Of these
states. As general thing the rule can be laid
down that the governor of state should be
addressed Your Excellency." To begin a let
ter to the President In the same way is to es-
tablish an equality between the two executives
that does not exist.
ANOTHER FREQUENT MISTAKE
is made by those who begin their letters to the
presiding judge of court and also usually the
mayor of city Some men, from constant
associations with courts Of justice, come to
regard the judge as the highest and mightiest
individual on earth, and they can conceive of
no greater distinction to be conferred on the
President than to call him ''your honor"
TIE CORRECT FORM.
To cut a long matter short let the correct
form for addressing the President be given. 1t
is simply this: Benjamin Harrison President
Of the United States, Mr.. President Then
after You have said your say, if you are not
proud, you can finish the communication thus:
II have the honor to be. Mr. President your
obedient servant, John Smith" Don't make
the mistake that is sometimes perpetrated OF
signing yourself thus: 81 have the honor to be
John Smith" It may reflect honor on YOU to
be who you are, but it is hardly modest of you
to say 30. What you want to say is that you
consider it honor to be the Presidents
obedient servant.
TO THE REST OF THE WORLD
Uncle Sam and the President are one, and that
is why the latter insists upon ceremony in his
dealings with other powers Probably the
readers of The STAR are familiar with the form
observed in correspondence between the Presi-
dent and the head of another government 1t
Is a part OF the law Of nations that they are all
eoequal. The King Of Samoa writes to Presi-
dent Harrison In the same terms of equality as
are useu oy the Emperor OK Germany, and the
President replies in kind. The head of these
little islands receives amunifcent salary Of less
than $500 a year-that il, he receives it il
there is money enough in the treasury to
pay it. When Germany had trouble with his
majesty and demanded an indemnity for dam
ages Of $40. GOO broad smile went around the
world, for it well known that the treasury of
Samoa had never had had, and in all probability
never would have, sum half so large in its
Golfers. Yet the King of Samoa is addressed
by the President as "Grcat and good friend"
and the President signs himself your good
friend, and when Queen Victoria receives a
letter from the President he treats her with
precisely the same formality and no more
AMERICAN FREEDOM.
All Americans can communicate directly with
the President but the representative of a for
eign country cannot. Represents his credentials
to the President, makes a speech. shakes hands
and that is the end of his direct official COM
munication with the head of the government.
1t would be considered presumption in him to
write to the President. He can communicates
with him only through the Presidents Secre-
tary of State. If Sir Julian Pauncefote.
for instance, should send q letter direct
to the President about the Boring sea seal fsh-
| cries it would be the last letter he would ever
write to him. He would be packed of to
England in twiukliuC II vonld he to :.