The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-08

Bishop Satterlee, the head of the Episco- nal church in the District of Columbia, in- troduced recently to his fellow-bishops, assembled in convention at the Federal capital. |. President Roosevlt in these words His Excellency, the President ot the United States" Newspaper report has it that the words His Excellency' Tell harshly upon the Presidents ear on the instant they were uttered, and that he remarked to the military officer in atten- dance on him, q do not like that" The President was right. The words His Ex- cellency." so far from adding to the dig nity of the presidential office really belit- tie it. This was the view taken by Jeffer- son in 1S19 Monroe was then president. A foreign minister having in communl- cation to the executive, used HIS EX- cellency" Jefferson wrote to Monroe that the letter should be returned, T Will pre- sume" said Jefferson, ito suggest 10 MT. Adams the question whether he should not send back Onis's letters Tn whlch ne has the impotence to qualify you py the term His Excellency?' An American gentleman in Europe can rank with the first nobility because we have no titles which stick him at any particular place in their line So the President of the Tinted States under that designation ranks with the emperors and Kings put add Mir Onis's courtesy Of HIS Excel lency' and he is then on level With MT. Onis himself with the governors or prov inces, and even of every petty Tort Tn Europe or the colonies. Again the pre- fixing of His Exceency'' to the name of tbe chief magistrate, Is, under all circum- stances a violation of official etiquette, denarture from precedent as laid down hv the first congress under the present constitution more than century ago, ana in our governmental circles strictly adher- ed to from that distant date to the pres ent time
 The plain style of address is like much else in our system. the result Of compro- mise. In the constitution nothing is said on the subject. The organic law simply names the executive officers as the pres ident vice president, defining their duties. Rut when the legislative department of the new government convened for the first time. this question of title in the communications between the senate and house of representatives with the chief magistrate arose. The house decided for itself with Spartan simplicity that 1t would take the text of the fundamental law for its guide, and address Washing ion as "The Presdent of the United States" This did not meet the views of
 
 the senators, and they at once set about devising a title. which, they believed, would be in consonance with the dignity of the position The new government was to take the place of the cast-off monar- cbv. Therefore, an elective president, not a hereditary king, was to be at the head of the new nation. and to the senatorial
 mind if appeared essential, that. to give tbe nosition dignity and weight. it should he invested with respectable title" And so they set about constructing one.
 That body then sat with closed doors The public was not permitted to be pres ant either in person or through represen- tatives of the press. The conclusions at which they arrived on any subject what soeyer same out in driblets. and in the regular official channel of communication to the house announcing the passage or defeat of bills on which joint action was necessary. James Monroe, Senator from Virginia saw the absurdity of this secrecy on The part of the senate and at once sat himself to the task of effecting open legislative sessions in which common- sense fight he finally won, but not until