Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-06-11
NUMBER 1T.

National Monument Society TO the attack
Ofthe late Board. V, e1 .a.ts..
TO the Menberscf the Washington ra
National Monument iSoeieI4
GENTLEMEN A communication, published In Il q
National Intetiigencer purporting to be so pu,
lished by order ofthe Board of Managers who lat,
ly had charge Of the business of your Societ,
signed John Carroll Brent Secretary and 4.
which is appended the names Of the Officers and
Managers who went out Of Office on the 22d Feis.
ruary last, requires some reply from ua. They still
claila rghtfully to represent you and that We arc
wrongfally seeking to dispossess them While this
controversy exists, the work of collection anil
building must cease. The responsibility Of this
suspension must rest with those who have caused
it. We therefore proceed to reply 10 the various
pretensiona set up in that paper; first as to their
inherent and perpetual right to remain In Office
until they shall see fit to retire. second as to their
right to be there at all; third, as to our own right
In doing this, we shall, after few preliminary re-
| marks, endeavor TO confnc ourselves to a simple
| narrative OF facts reserving our comments on
these facts until they clearly in your possession
First. These gentlemen would have you bevu
that the election under which we claim was void.
because II was not held Mt time prescribed by lis
constitution; because 1t was held under notice
frandulenfy procured to be issued by the Clerk Of
that Board that IL was carried on certificates of
membership, issued without the dithoriiyor k,,or-
ledge of that Board and that no part OF the money
therefor ever came to your Society and we being
thus frauduently and unconstitutonay in power.
first by threats of personal violence towards them.
sought to intimidate, and drive them from their
possession and falling in this, by violence after.
! wards obtained possession of the property
And finally, that we refused their proposition 10
submit the matters in controversy between us, in
| an aIncabe suit, to a judicial decision
We remark, in the first place, if We are not
| rigbtfuly in office, they, by their own showing,
| have weakly or basely deserted the solemn tr,st
confded to them, they claim, by you; and, as in
their proposition to us, to submit to an anicablr
suit they affirm the existence OF tribunal Of
competent jurisdiction to decide it, they clearly had
1t in their power protect themselves by legal pro-
cess against violence; or, in like manner, to obtain
ample redress for any injury inflicted by violence
! They hdve done neither
II we are in rightfuly, We were right in resent
! ing their intrusion into our meeting on the 2ifh
February, and in taking forcibe possession (if we
have done SOY OF your property, committed to our
charge, and which they sought TO retain from you,
claiming It through us.
! These points will be best ascertained by simple
narrative. The inflated and exaggerated language
they have used, cannot change the facts
They say: @ @
"But the title and authority Of this Board ar,
utflfeu, HOt iIUHi eiecI1Ou Ol lS4H Dut HON
elections and appointments long prior thereto and,
IN fact, from direct grant IN the constellation fse
even had there been no regular and valid elections
by them since the adoption Of the constitution"
Here, then, Is claim 10 an inherent and perpet.
| ual right, granted in the constitution ITSELF
| The constitution, with its amendments, will b,
| found appended hereto and we will content our.
selves with reference to SO mucb aud such part,
| as will cucidate this extravagunt pretenson.
The first election of officers of this Society was
held on the 3lst October, 1888. The constitution
was adopted on the 18th December 1883 and pro.
vidod that the officers then in Office should reraia
until the 22d February, 1885, when an election
should be held for officers that the regular an.
nual meeting Of the Society should be held on tbr
22d February in each year. at which time two-third
of the members present could change the constitu.
ton; an election for officers should be held every
/ third year, commencing on the 22d of February,
1885, and all vacancies which should occur In the
interval should be filed by tho Board of Manager,
"nntifR the merit ensuing fris,iniaf eiection.n
The first election after the adoption Of the con.
| stitution was held on the 24h Of March ls4l.
Il should have been on the 22d February, 1855,
! and again In 1888. This was six years after the
time prescribed In the constitution, and ST. years
after the time limited in that instrument for The
continuance in Office Of those officers elected on
/ the Slst October, 1888
/ II was held without any notice, the Society hay.
ing met on the 22d February, without notice, and
adjourned TO this day There were present Messrs.
| W. w. Seaton, William Brent, r. Carberry, A.
| Henderson, ]. McCleand, and George Watterston,
all Of whom claimed to be officers OF the Society,
and they reelected themselves and such others
they sap IT,
The next election was held on the 2eM ApyiI.
1s45 more than four years aiter the last precc.
ding. II was held without notice; without any
| previous meeting on the 22d February; on day
not prescribed by the constitution. There werG
| present Messrs. w. w. Scatop, s. II. Smith, T.
Carberry, W. Brent, and George watterston, all OF
them claiming TO be officers Of the Society, and
they elected hemseives and others
The next election was held on the 22d February,
ls4s, pursuant to notice signed George Waiter.
ston Secretary" nearly four years after the last.
| Present, Messrs. w. W. Scaton, A. Henderson,
George watterston, T. Carberry, P. r. fendall, 7.
| H. Crawford, and E. Whitlesey, all claiming TO br
officers Of the Society, rho reelected hem,eir,s
| ead such Others they chose.
The next election was held on the 22d Februa.
ry, 1855, pursuant to notice signed ~ w. Ech.
| loff Clerk W. N. NJ. Society,"" published In most,
II not all OF the papers In this city; present meI.
bers Of the late Board, Messr. A. Henderson, Let
Vice President, and acting President Of the Socie.
| ty, who presidcd at this meeting md rotsd Col.
| Peter Force Ielccted at the election 3lst Dec,
i 1889, and ever after continued In Office, and be-
voted 4 p. r. Fcndall, and w. w. seaton, who, ir
they did not vote, made no objection 70, or pro
test against, the election, and ssrsn hundred and
.fnytLree qualified voters. AT this election W.
were unanimously chosen, there having been cast
1855 votes, OF which each member, except Mr. Ellis,
| received the full number and he received 75l
tits thus apparent that not single election
thus far has been held on the day prescribed In
the constitution. If il be pretended by the late
Board that they derive their authority by sort Of
tra,,xniited Succession, and appointments TO fill
vacancies, by the Board which was existing at tn
adoption Of the constitution, and they have been
20 appointed, their pretensions are equally base.
less. The record Ia open for them We challenge
them 10 show from that record that they have
been appointed at any meeting or meetings, duly
constituted TO make such appointment even, for
the sake of the argument, admitting their construc
ton OF the constitution. Their own record con.
| trsdcts their prctensions.
| at Is assumed that notice Of this meeting was
ccrsary, and ought TO have been signed by their
Secretary. We deny Il, and say no notice IL rc.
quircd by The CONSTITUTIONS none has, in fact, been
Il n. ~ r.