Gazette Of The United States

Mr. Fenno,

IN answer to the decently-expressed interrogation of an AMERICAN CITIZEN, inserted in your last paper, Your former Correspondent begs leave to observe, that from Custom or Courtesy the title of EXCELLENCY is given (he believes in all the Countries of Europe) to AMBASSADORS; and, therefore, he was apprehensive that FOREIGNERS might be induced to consider the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES, if denominated by the Same appellation, upon a level with a subordinate PUBLIC OFFICER. Your former Correspondent neither asserted, that "any Officer under the American "Government, in the Diplomatic or in any other Line, is "entitled to the style or title of Excellency;"—nor is he an Advocate for titles distinct from the descriptive ones conferred by the CONSTITUTION. But as he conceived it would not be practicable to prevent the People of any European Country, where an American Ambassador shall reside, from styling him, as they do all Ambassadors, HIS EXCELLENCY; the principal object was to obviate a possible confusion of ideas in Foreigners, who might not be extremely capable of discriminating in regard to the relative powers and functions of Persons holding Offices under the American Government.