Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-05-29
notices preceding and following the nrs.

OF the society was the officer whose uro.
vince 1T would have been to sign or pub.
lish any such notices. The individual who
did sign and publish them was the clerk
of the board ofmanagers; his duties were
those OF recorder and messenger: he
had no color Of authority to sign or pub-
lish any such notices and he had not, in
any manner whatever, communicated to
the board his purpose of issuing them.
Its regular meetings were on Tuesday of
every week; the last meeting prior to
the pretended election had been held On
Tuesday, the 20.h Of February and the
board then adjourned to meet again On
Tuesday the 9th of that month. In
consequence of the proceedings of the
I'D, special meeting was called for the
24th. On the reading, according to
usage, of the journal of the last previous
meeting, it was found to contain min
ute importing that the board had author
lzed the holding of an election on the 22d.
ihlS lseentry was by its order expunged.
According to the published report of the
pretended election, the whole number OF
votes cast was 1856; of which all were
given to each of the seventeen persons
elected, except one, who received 754
votes; and not one of the persons elect
ed was member of the existing board.
This election was carried on certifica tes
OF membership (which can be obtained
by the contribution of one dollar for each)
issued without the authority or know
ledge Of this board ; and it is now beyond
the power Of the board to ascertain BY
whom they were respectively issued or
what money, if any, was paid fer them.
But it is certain that no payment on this
account has reached the hands of the
Treasurer Of this Society-the officer
who ought to have received it.
The unanimity of the votes of the pre-
tended election on the 22d of February
last; the new certificates of membership
which carried that election the total
exclusion from the future management
of the society of those who had hereto
fore conducted its affairs; the subStitu-
ton OF persons, but few, if any Of whom
had been known as its friends; the sudden
ness and precision of the movement the
cOncealment of the purpose up to the mo-
ment oflts execution; all manifested that
the election was the result of an extern
slve and secret combination between per-
sons not members of the Washington Ma
tional Monument Society. There is con-
elusive evidence that the plan of the cleo
ton was " silently, yet solemnly re-
solved" and framed in the secret lodges
OF a sect styling itself at one time the
know-Notning" party, at another the
American" party; and that its object
was to transfer the entire and exclusive
management of the monument into it's
own hands, and to oust every other de-
scription of citizens from all participa-
tiOn In the trust. OF such revolution
in the principles and conduct of the So
ciety this board could not consent to the
| instruments or the agents, as they would
have made themselves by a voluntary
surrender of their trust to illegal success
sors. On the morning of the Oath OF
February several members of this board
repaired to their Office, in advance of q
special meeting of the board, which had
been called and WAS to be held at noon.
| The clerk exhibited to them letter
which had been addressed to him by YES
pas IAN Ellis, ESQ.,, claiming to have been
elected first vice president of the society,
IN which letter The clerk was warned not
to allow any use or inspection Of the
books and papers of the office without an
order from the writer, or those whom he
represented. The pretensions of the let
ter were also urged by several persons who
| came in, claiming to be officers and maj a.
gers under the proceedings Of the 22d
The constitutional managers present, dis
regarding these Interruptions, examined
to some extent the books and papers in the
office but during the examination others
of the pretended board entered the office,
and at length the claimants under the
movement of the 22d organized them.
selves into board, and adopted q reso-
luton requesting all present who did not
belong to it to leave the room. The con-
stitutionsl managers present disregarded
this intimation, as they also did several
quite Ineligible predictions of attempts
at violence from without, which the pre-
tended managers would be unable to
prevent or control. At length, the pre-
tended board being still present, this
board proceeded to business. After cor
recting the journal as before stated, they
appointed committee, consisting of Gen.
Jones, Mr.. Fendall, Col. Force, MIR.
Lenox, and MIR. Smith, to investigate the
existing state Of thingsand report thereon
at the next regular meeting. This COM
mittee, after a careful consideration of
the subject, made, on the 9th of Feb
ruary report, closing with the two fol-
lowing conclusions:
l. That the election held on the 22d
day of February, 1855. was held one
year before the time when an election for
officers can lawfully be held under the
second article of the constitution, and
is, therefore, unconstitutional, null, end
void.
2. That the officers and managers in
Office on the day of the pretended elec-
tien, on the 22d day of February, 1856
|