The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-07-07
A YANKEE MoNARCHIsT.
Why John Adams Desired a King in
America.

.
America.
patriot and republican by his ac-
quirements, a believer in equal human
rights, and thus opposed to all monar
chical forms, Washington was an ars-
tocrat by birth and breeding. On these
Z two sides of his open and candid ma
ture, the opposing factions played. The
monarchists in the Senate put him at
the front and continually used him as a
stalking horse.
Their plan was to thrust a title upon
him. as precedent for titles for them
selves. With this end in view. Vice
President Adams secured the appoint
ment of a special committee on titles,
and a long and hard struggle began in
the Senate. In his journal Senator
Maclay has traced it with more care
than impartiality, for it embittered him
from the first, and he has laid bare
John Adams weaknesses with a pitt
less pen. The picture he draws is as
vivid as it is cruel. After the lapse Of
more than century, it makes Adams a
living figure, even in such minutiae as
the wearing of a nobeman's dress
sword in the chair of the Senate, and
Z in faltering in the midst of a speech
and breaking into vacant laugh,
WHICH StlOWSu his OlfnDiSS. he says
plainly exasperdted beyond endurance:
Il have really often looked on him
with surprise not unmingled with con-
tempt while he is in the chair Instead
of the sedate, easy air l would have
him possess, he will look first on one
side, then on the other, then down on
the knees of his breeches, then dimple
his visage (Adams was fat, like his
models, the royal Georges) with the
most silly kind ot half smile that l can
not well express in English. The Scotch
Irish have word for it that hits it ex-
actly-smudging. God forgive me for
the vile thought, but / cannot help
thinking of monkey just put into
breeches when l see him betray such
2 evident marks of self-conceit.''
The fight for titles began Immediate
ly after the inaugural address. Mr..
Adams wished a canopied chair-which
: need not be called a throne-erected in
the Senate chamber for the President
I to sit in. An address was prepared to
j the President, and in it Mr.. Adams fol-
: lowed the forms of addressing royalty.
5 The Democrats, headed by Senator
Maclay, opened the fight by moving to
: strike out the word gracious" in the
= phrase, Your gracious speech, ad-
dressed TO the President. This brought
a up the whole question of titles of no.
n bility at once and Mr. Adams, making
: speech after speech from the chair OF
throne, led the monarchists in favor OF
I them.
: When the motion to strike out was
: made, Mr.. Adams rose in his chair and
expressed the greatest surprise tina,
a anything should be objected to on ac-
> count of its being taken from the prac-
n tees of a government (the English
monarchy under which we had lived
II so long and happily formerly; that he
IS was for dignified and respectable gov
/ eminent, and as far as he knew the
: people. they thought as he did; that
= for his part. he was one of the first in
:, the late contest (the Revolution). and il
i he could have thought of this he never
o would have drawn his sword.
a The concluding phrase so embittered
t. Senator Maclay that he underscored it
y heavily, and though he privately otter
5 asked God to forgive him for it, he was
ever afterward an uncompromising en-
= envy of John Adams. Mr.. Adams, how
- ever. controlled the New England dele
!, cation and had the able assistance OF
: Senator Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
is mot Light Horse Harry Lee who
was r. E. Lees father. Adams and
le Lee did most of the talking on theil
y side. and openly argued that an official
! ly patrician class in government wa:
= necessary to make it respectable and
if stable. They insisted that the title OF
"a President" was vulgar; Mr.. Adams
a said that it was borne by the officer:
r of cricket clubs and debating societies
n He urged that without stable title
a the President would be despised ever
n by common laborers. private soldier:
;" and sailors in countries where titles ex
- listed.
= The committee on titles reported
=, After careful review of all the title
of all potentates, alive and dead, tina
~, of the King of Poland, Your Elective
IN Highness," had been selected for tn
n President of the United States. Wit
no the constitutional veto of titles on thei
nd side, and the House OF Representative
aF strenuously objecting, the Democrat
defeated it. The Federal Monarchist
-, in the Senate moved "EXcellency an
no ',Highness" as a substitute, and tn
fight continued until the House hayin
TO taken a stubborn stand, the Senat
he Committee on Titles again reported
ID this time in favor of christening I'll
he President His Highness, the Presider
n OF the United States of America, an
N - !,
There was a weary wrangle. and II
IN monarchists finally postponed action
pm wait more favorable opportunit
We thus leaving the Executive with II
official title given by the Constitute
iu- and nothing more. Mr.. Adams the
iu- proceeded TO attempt to organize Il
lit
-ue Us VI +ls1i1S 'Ae "t4oiS
the again oS Trying 10 Hl1AS al usher
FRY the black rod OF the sergeant-at-arif
tx . . . . . . .
or
an
a