Your Excellency

donna

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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May 12, 2010
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Now Florida but always a Kentuckian
Your Excellency A common form of address for both President Abraham Lincoln and President Jefferson Davis. They were referred to as "His Excellency the President." Even General Robert E. Lee referred to "Your Excellency " in his messages to Davis.

From The Language of the Civil War by John D. Wright page 331.
 
That's one title I'm glad to see has fallen into disuse.

Although if I remember correctly, at one point Richard Nixon wanted to ressurect it, along with fancy 19th-century military uniforms (similar to those used by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War) for use by the White House guard.
 
Vice preisdent john Tyler who became president after the death of Harrison was referred to as,

"His Accidency"
 
That's one title I'm glad to see has fallen into disuse.

Although if I remember correctly, at one point Richard Nixon wanted to ressurect it, along with fancy 19th-century military uniforms (similar to those used by the Prussians in the Franco-Prussian War) for use by the White House guard.

The uniforms adapted by Nixon for a short period of time looked more like costumes from a 19th Century light opera like The Student Prince. The Prussians would have mutinied if forced to wear those outlandish outfits.
 
George Washington was addressed as Your excellent both as a general and President. The honorific was not limited to the Civil war.
 
The uniforms adapted by Nixon for a short period of time looked more like costumes from a 19th Century light opera like The Student Prince. The Prussians would have mutinied if forced to wear those outlandish outfits.

I found this picture.

http://thecampofthesaints.files.wor...posed-whitehouse-uniforms-200.jpg?w=200&h=381

The black hat was supposed to be modeled on some Prussian design. They were worn by the Secret Service Uniformed Security Detail on one occassion, in 1970, when British Prime Minister Harold visited the White House. As one person described it: "Critics Howled. Comedians derided the uniform. The Beatles broke up". An attempt was made to salvage the uniforms by replacing the black hats with the white ones shown in the picture, but soon the entire uniform was abandoned.

The affair was mentioned prominently in Ted Sorrenson's book on the Nixon presidency, which I have tucked away somewhere at home. The title of the book was "The Imperial Presidency". Sorenson's thesis was that Nixon's presidency was an unending stream after another of attempts to accumulate more and more power under the control of the executive branch. The uniform issue was simply an illustration of Nixon's fascination with the trappings and symbols of power wielded by other nation's rulers at the time.
 
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