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


Paper Read Before the Cha,tduQua Circle.
There are errors that persist, no mat
ter how often corrected. Many Of our
best educated people still censore the
declaration of independence for say
ing "All men are born free and equal"
an assertion which is made in the con-
stitution of Massachusetts,, the great
Fourth of July document holding that
~All men are created equal" But the
most persistent error is the habit of
giving title to the President of the
United States. He is President OF the
United States and nothing more, and
that is enough.
Despite the fact that on the great
ocean liners prayers are offered for and
healths drunk to "his excellency the
President of the United States" the IT,
tie is not his and never was. TO as
sign it to him looks like misdirected
courtesy, if not actual funkeyism, fly
ing in the face of fact and thereby be-
coming discourtesy.
There was time when titles had q
value which is imperceptible nowadays.
Napoleon. who had common sense al
lied to genius, thought they were OF
service in imposing upon the multi
tude, when reinforced with other gew-
gaws of royalty. Any one of the men,
bers of this circle who has read the
history of France cannot have failed
to note how gradually he shed the
old revolutionary style of "Citizen" for
"Monsieur" and how smoothly he, who
only the day before was "citizen con-
sui" became "sire, monsieur and dear
cousin" surrounded by quarreling sis
ters who, altho transformed from "cit-
izenesses" to ..imperial highnesses,"
fought like tigresses over the question
of precedence. Titles and imperial
baubIes did not of themselves, how
ever, tickle the fancy of Bonaparte.
He could throw them off as easily as
he threw aside the crown and imperial
robes after his coronation and called
for his military coat and hat.
Apart from their superstitious and
pompous uses, they were no more
priced by him than the offer of bar
onetcy was by Thomas Carlyle, who
threw the written offer ictO waste
paper basket with the comment that
he would "much prefer the gift of
pound of good tobacco" No doubt
both Napoleon and Carlyle would have
appIauded the decision of that gallant
Engiishman, Maj. Davies, who, when
offered knighthood, declined it, at the
same time expressing the wish that NJ
might be permitted to serve his majes
ty without any reward, as that was re
ward enough.
Let us look farther into the past ane
we will find titles of every description
such as defender of the faith" titl'
first won by Henry VIII. of England
for confuting Luther and now borne
by Edward VII, also apostolic maj
esty," borne by the emperor of Austria
<Catholic majesty" borne by the KIM
of Spain, and "very faithful majesty,
borne by the king of Portugal, wer
originally conferred by popes. The Il
tie of grand duke was also created b.
pope, Plus V. The first king of Eng
land to be styled "his majesty" wa
Henry Will, his predecessors bein
called "grace," or "highness," OF "ez
cellent grace" or "kiDgly highness.
The tendency Of the age is doubles
toward simplicity in address; sltho th
king of England is "most graciou
sovereign lord" on paper, to those wit
whom he is acquainted he is simpl
s'sir." The queen to those with whor
she is acquainted is "ma'am," and
duke is "duke."
The foregoing examples iilustrat
the power of custom to complicate 6
simplify forms of titular dignity. Blu
in the case of the President of th
United States, custom can confer n
title, because the whole question we
threshed out In the constitutional Col
vention, or at least nearly so, for whs
little was left over was disposed of b
the first congress. In the former bod
Charles Pinckney proposed that tt
executive power be vested in "a Pres
dent OF the United States Of Americ
and his title shall be his excellency
In proposal made BY Hamilton Il