196.  Appointments to Office.—­The President now appointed the necessary officers to execute the national laws.  These were mostly men who had been prominent in the Revolutionary War.  For instance, John Jay (p. 126) was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and General Lincoln (p. 134) was appointed Collector of Customs at Boston.  It was in having officers of its own to carry out its laws, that the new government seemed to the people to be so unlike the old government.  Formerly if Congress wanted anything done, it called on the states to do it.  Now Congress, by law, authorized the United States officials to do their tasks.  The difference was a very great one, and it took the people some time to realize what a great change had been made.

[Sidenote:  Titles. Higginson, 222.]

197.  The Question of Titles.—­The first fiercely contested debate in the new Congress was over the question of titles.  John Adams, the Vice-President and the presiding officer of the Senate, began the conflict by asking the Senate how he should address the President.  One senator suggested that the President should be entitled “His Patriotic Majesty.”  Other senators proposed that he should be addressed as “Your Highness, the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties.”  Fortunately, the House of Representatives had the first chance to address Washington and simply called him “Mr. President of the United States.”

[Sidenote:  Ceremonies. Higginson, 222-224.]

[Sidenote:  Monarchical appearances.]

198.  Ceremonies and Progresses.—­Washington liked a good deal of ceremony and was stiff and aristocratic.  He soon gave receptions or “levees” as they were called.  To these only persons who had tickets were admitted.  Washington stood on one side of the room and bowed stiffly to each guest as he was announced.  When all were assembled, the entrance doors were closed.  The President then slowly walked around the room, saying something pleasant to each person.  In 1789 he made a journey through New England.  Everywhere he was received by guards of honor, and was splendidly entertained.  At one place an old man greeted him with “God bless Your Majesty.”  This was all natural enough, for Washington was “first in the hearts of his countrymen.”  But many good men were afraid that the new government would really turn out to be a monarchy.

[Sidenote:  Struggle over protection, 1789. Source-Book, 183-186.]

199.  First Tariff Act, 1789.—­The first important business that Congress took in hand was a bill for raising revenue, and a lively debate began.  Representatives from New England and the Middle states wanted protection for their commerce and their struggling manufactures.  Representatives from the Southern states opposed all protective duties as harmful to agriculture, which was the only important pursuit of the Southerners.  But the Southerners would have