human nature to be touchy about such
matters as these. Popular feeling about Washington's procedure was
inflamed by reports of the grand titles which Congress was arranging to
bestow upon the President. That matter was, in fact, considered by the
Senate on the very day of Washington's arrival in New York and before any
steps could have been taken to ascertain his views. A joint committee of
the two houses reported against annexing "any style or title to the
respective styles or titles of office expressed in the Constitution." But
a group of Senators headed by John Adams was unwilling to let the matter
drop, and another Senate committee was appointed which recommended as a
proper style of address "His Highness, the President of the United States
of America, and Protector of their Liberties." While the Senate debated,
the House acted, addressing the President in reply to his inaugural
address simply as "The President of the United States." The Senate now had
practically no choice but to drop the matter, but in so doing adopted a
resolution that because of its desire that "a due respect for the majesty
of the people of the United States may not be hazarded by singularity,"
the Senate was still of the opinion "that it would be proper to annex a
respectable title to the office." Thus it came about that the President of
the United States is distinguished by having no title. A governor may be
addressed as "Your Excellency," a judge as "Your Honor," but the chief
magistrate of the nation is simply "Mr. President." It was a relief to
Washington when the Senate discontinued its attempt to decorate him. He
wrote to a friend, "Happily this matter is now done with, I hope never to
be revived."

Details of the social entanglements in which Washington was caught at the
outset of his administration are generally omitted by serious historians,
but whatever illustrates life and manners is not insignificant, and events
of this character had, moreover, a distinct bearing on the politics of the
times. The facts indicate that Washington's arrangements were somewhat
encumbered by the civic ambition of New York. That bustling town of 30,000
population desired to be the capital of the nation, and, in the splendid
exertions which it made, it went rather too far. Federal Hall, designed as
a City Hall, was built in part for the accommodation of Congress, on
the site in Wall Street now in part occupied by the United States
Sub-Treasury. The plans we