Note 20 — HOW IT BECAME PLAIN “MR. PRESIDENT”[20]—DETERMINED OPPOSITION OF AN IRISH-AMERICAN DEFEATED THE EFFORTS OF THE TITLE SEEKERS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF OUR REPUBLIC.

It is not generally known that the Society of St. Tammany (the present Tammany Hall) was more directly associated than any other organization or party in securing the fight for titles of plain “Mr. President” for the President of the United States. While not actually a member of the St. Tammany Society, William Maclay, who was Senator from Pennsylvania 1789–1791, gave his great influence to St. Tammany by making an address at one of its first meetings, May 12, 1790. Under this date he records in his Journal: “This day exhibited a grotesque scene in the streets of New York. Being the old First of May the Sons of St. Tammany had a grand parade through the town in Indian dress. I delivered a talk at one of their meetinghouses and went away to dinner. There seems to be some sort of a scheme laid of erecting some sort of order or society under this denomination, but it does not seem well digested as yet. The expense of the dresses must have been considerable and the money laid out on clothing might have dressed some of their ragged beggars. But the weather is now warm.”

Without doubt Maclay was in sympathy with the democratic spirit of this association and it was Maclay who led the successful fight against titles and royal forms in the first session of Congress.