The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-08-04
HOW TO ADDRESS THE PRESIDENT.
He 10 Not Your Exceliency or Your Honor.
but Mr.. President.


He 10 Not Your ExcelIeucy Your Honor.
but Mr.. President
Washington star.
Ifyou ask Presidents private secretary
he will tell you, among other things. that
not one person out of ten In writing to the
President address him properly. Zach
correspondent seems to follow his own
sweet fancy. Thus the man who writes
and asks tor pension 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,
"I ours Materially"
This is pretty familiar. The President
isn't a general. except In that he 10 comman.
der in-chief of the army. and as ior all
men being brothers, it is true as theory.
but is hardly correct on all occasions as q
practice. If the letter from the old army
man is answered as nearly all Letters are,
the writer is addressed with due formaiity
as Sir" and not as Dear COmrade." This
ought to be q sufficient hint to him to keep
his distance, but it il not; and a week later
he hobs mp serenely with another long com.
munica;iOn to his Dear General"
There are 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 moutbful.
that many people who ought to know better
cannot resist the temptation of using this
form. AS between such an expression as
Dear General and "Your Excellency" the
former is preferable. tor there is no la W
against it, while certainly is an unwritten
law against the latter When the Constitc-
ton was formed there was great deal of dis
cussiOn as to the form OF address 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"
days of the Dutch Republic. wanted the
head of the this Republic called His High
Migbtiness."
After great deal of wrsngling and con.
siderable 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 Presi-
dent of the United States" That settled IL
and made 1t an impropriety to call him
'Excellency." The Governor of q State
has more form about him in correspondence
than the President, for, unless there is a
clause In the Constitution of the State ex-
pressly prescribing some other mode of adj
dress. il is correc. to call him excellency."
The democratic spirit of some States has
lnterfered to prevent this, and it has been
prescribed that the Governor receive some
simpler title, but there are only two or
three of these States. As q general thing
the rule can be laid down that the Gov
ernOr of State should be addressed Your
Excellency" To begin letter to the Pres
ident in the same way Is to establish an
equality between the two executives that
does not exist.
Another frequent mistake is made by
those who begin their letters to the Presi-
dent "YOur Honor" HIS honor is the pre-
siding judge of a court, OF usually the
mayor of city. Some men. from constant
associations with courts of justice. come to
regard the judge as the highest and might
est individual On earth. and they can con-
ceive of no greater distinction to be con-
ferred on the president than to call him
Your Honor"
To cut a long matter short, let the cor
root form for addressing the President be
given. 1t is simply this: benjamin Har-
rlsOn. 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: Il have the honor to
| John Smith" Don't make the mistake
that is sometimes perpetrated of signing
yourself thus: II have the honor to be
John Smith," 1t may reflect honor on you
| to be who you are, but 1T is hardly modest
| of you to say so. What you want to say IS
| that you consider il an 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 dealin gs
with other powers. Probably the readers
| of the Star are familiar with the form oO-
served in correspondence between the Presi.
| dent and the head of another government
| 1t is part of the law of nations that they
| are all cOequal. The King of Samoa writes
| to President Harrison in the sarne terms OF
| equality as are used by the Emperor oI
| Germany, and the Presiden plies in kind
| The head of these little islands receives q
munihceDt salary of less than $500 year
| that is he receives 1t if there is money
| enough in the treasury TO pay il. When
| Germany had trouble with his Majesty and
| demanded an indemnity for damages OF
| $4,000 a broad smile went around the world
| for 1t was we'll known that the treasury OF
| Samoa had never mad ana in ali prob
| ability never would have a sum half sc
| large in its Golfers. Yet the King of Samoa
| is addressed by the President as Great and
| good friend" and the President signs him
| self Your good friend" and when Queer
| Victoria receives letter from the Presi
dent he treats her with precisely the same
| formality and no more.