Washington and His Colleagues | Page 3

weekly levee: "The President to accept no invitations, and to give
formal entertainments only twice or four times a year, the anniversaries
of important events of the Revolution." In addition, "the President on
levee days, either by himself or some gentleman of his household, to
give informal invitations to family dinners ... not more than six or eight
to be invited at a time, and the matter to be confined essentially to
members of the legislature and other official characters. The President
never to remain long at table." Hamilton observed that his views did
not correspond with those of other advisers, but he urged the necessity
of behaving so as "to remove the idea of too immense inequality, which
I fear would excite dissatisfaction and cabal."
This was sagacious advice, and Washington would have benefited by
conforming to it more closely than he did. The prevailing tenor of the

advice which he received is probably reflected in the communication
from Adams, who was in favor of making the government impressive
through grand ceremonial. "Chamberlains, aides-de-camp, secretaries,
masters of ceremonies, etc., will become necessary.... Neither dignity
nor authority can be supported in human minds, collected into nations
or any great numbers, without a splendor and majesty in some degree
proportioned to them." Adams held that in no case would it be "proper
for the President to make any formal public entertainment," but that this
should be the function of some minister of state, although "upon such
occasions the President, in his private character, might honor with his
presence." The President might invite to his house in small parties what
official characters or citizens of distinction he pleased, but this
invitation should always be given without formality. The President
should hold levees to receive "visits of compliment," and two days a
week might not be too many for this purpose. The idea running through
Adams's advice was that in his private character the President might
live like any other private gentleman of means, but that in his public
functions he should adopt a grand style. This advice, which
Washington undoubtedly received from others as well as Adams,
influenced Washington's behavior, and the consequences were exactly
what Hamilton had predicted. According to Jefferson's recollection,
many years afterward, Washington told him that General Knox and
Colonel Humphreys drew up the regulations and that some were
proposed "so highly strained that he absolutely rejected them."
Jefferson further related that, when Washington was re-elected,
Hamilton took the position that the parade of the previous inauguration
ought not to be repeated, remarking that "there was too much ceremony
for the character of our government."
It is a well-known characteristic of 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.