Highness the President
of the United States and the Protector of their Liberties. Had the
project succeeded, it would have subjected the President to a
severe dilemma, and given a deep wound to our infant government."

Washington has sometimes been accused of wishing for the title of "His
Highness," and of having suggested it. Had this been true, Madison
would have been certain to know it, and he was quite incapable of
asserting in that case that such a title would have been to the
President "a severe dilemma." About Mr. Adams he was perhaps mistaken,
as he might easily have been, since he was not a member of the Senate,
and probably heard only a confused report of how the question was
brought before that body. As Mr. Adams's letter, quoted just now, shows,
he regarded the charge as a calumny and resented it. He gave them,
according to his own statement, no other opinion than that he preferred
"Sir," or "Mr. President," as a more proper address than "Excellency," a
title then, as now, pertaining to governors of States. He probably took
no further part in the debate, but it is not impossible that he may in
private have avowed a preference for some other and higher title than
either "Mr. President" or "Your Excellency." "For," he said in the
explanatory letter to his friend, "I freely own that I think decent and
moderate titles, as distinctions of offices, are not only harmless, but
useful in society; and that in this country, where I know them to be
prized by the people as well as their magistrates as highly as by any
people or any magistrates in the world, I should think some distinction
between the magistrates of the national government and those of the
state governments proper." A distinction might be proper enough if there
were to be any titles whatever; but certainly they were the wiser who
preferred good homespun to threadbare old clothes. Had rags of that sort
been made a legal uniform, it is almost appalling to reflect upon the
absurdities to which the national fondness for titles would have carried
us.

From March 4 to April 1, though the House of Representatives met daily,
there were not members enough present to make a quorum. The first real
business brought before the House, except that relating to its
organization, was introduced by Madison, two days after the
inauguration. It was a proposition to raise a revenue by duties on
imports, and by a tonnage duty on all vessels, American and foreign