The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-05-07

title was appended. The committee to
whom the matter was referred re-
ported in favor of "hls excellency the
President" Another committee ap-
pointed later omitted 'his excellency."
The title of "excellency" was first
borne by the Lombard kings, and after
ward by the emperors of the west
from Charlemagne to Henry VII. In
Germany it was once given to doctors
and professors in universities. It is
the title of every Italian nobleman at
the present time. 1t was used in
Massachusetts when the provincial
government in 1892 passed to the
crown; the kings representative, as
was the custom of the time, being
termed "his excellency." Franklin,
who always laughed at titles, was fire.
quently addressed as "his texcellency."
To confer the title on Washington as
President would have been nothing
new to him, for he had often been ad-
dressed in letters which are still in ex7
istence as "your excellency" following
"dear general"
The constitution of New York states
that "There shall be supreme ex-
ecutive magistrate, who shall be called
a governor of the commonwealth of
New York, and whose title shall be
"his excellency;" also that "there shall
be elected lieutenant governor of
New York, whose title shall be his
honor
| The trainers of the constitution of
New York were in favor of titles
altho as far as can learn they were
an exception to the rule, for at the
time OF the assembling of the first con.
gress very few people in the United
States looked on titles with favor. OF
those who did, some thought "his maj
esty" would not be inappropriate even
for the executive of free republic
In that early day newspapers wrote O1
Washington as "his highness, the pres
ident general" Senators were styled
"most honorable" and representative.
as honorable" Those who applied tt
the president the title of "his high
ness," evidently thought that "his ex
} Gel ency" was unworthy of that ex
, alted Office, or that some of the Pres
ident's subordinates were entitled to ii
History tells us that when " ash
, ington arrived in New York as Pres
ident-elect, April %, 1889, to be in
stalled in Office, the senate appointed
, committee to confer with house com
, mittee as to what titles it would b
proper to annex to the Office of Pres
ident and vice-president. The join
committee reported that it would no
! be proper to use any other titles thai
/, those expressed in the constitution
. namely, plain President and vice-pres
ident. The senate was not satisfied
3 and referred the matter to new com
: mittee, which reported in favor of ad
). dressing the President as 'his high
3 ness" This was unsatisfactory an
" caused q heated debate which resulte
. in a new committee being appointe
/ to confer with the senate committe,
, This last joint committee never mad
: a report, and there ended the legal a
8 tempt to put royal plumes on th
President of the United States.
ii 1t is said that when the subject {
" titles was first mentioned to Washing
% ton he approved the title Of "his hig
Q mightiness." However this may be
q is evident that he soon changed h
b opinion, for when Virginia frien
y wrote to him telling him that Virgil
n ians were angry because it was r.
q ported that Vice-President Adam
never appeared in public except in
q carriage drawn by six horses, he r.
" piled: that Adams, altho high-tone
It has never, believe, appeared wit
10 more than two horses to his carriag
% but it is to be lamented that he an
IS some others have stirred questic
4 which has caused so much trouble, ar
1t which has given me SO much uneas
y ness, lest it should be supposed
y some unacquaInted with facts that Il
le object they had in view was not dl
IL pleasing to me.
al That letter settled it. The MAORI
~ Of his countrymen did not believe th
,e the presidency could Be exalted