The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-12
It's Origin and It's Past and
Present History.
WHAT 1T HAS DONE.
It's Leading Spirits and Its Power
in Local Affairs.
A LIVELY SOCIETY NINETY YEARS OLD.

The legendary lore, 80 called that fanciful writers
have thrown around the mythical Indian Chief by
the name of Tammany ia not worthy OF serious no
tce There seems to have been. in william Penns
days. an Indian chief named Tamanend. will whom
and others Penn made treaties; but no fair relation
of facts can make famous man OF this Indian II
is said that Trumbull. the author of ''McFingall.
the originator of the name st. Tammany.
and that saint" put to obscure
old Tamanend's name to ridicule the propensity of
the people for "saints." such as st. George, st.
Denis. st. Andrew. st. David and other foreign
saints, who already gave names to societies in the
new land of liberty. And SO st. Tammany was
canonized--in the political index.
FORMATION THE SOCIETY.
Washington was inaugurated President at the old
City Hall where the Sub Treasury now stands), at
Wall and Nassau streets. the 30th of April, 1889.
Two weeks afterward the "st. Tammany Society.
Independent Order Of Liberty for that its
original name organized, and its existence was
thus announced
This being an American society consists of native
born. who NIL all Offices and adopted Americans, who
eligible to the posts Of warrior and hunter The
officers Grand Sachem twelve sachems, one
secretary and one doorkeeper. The officers for the
present year are:-William Mooney, Grand Sachem;
William Matlack. brewer; Philip Hone, carpenter;
John Burger, goldsmith; Jonathan Pierce, tavern
keeper; Thomas Greeneaf. printers james Tylee, in
spector Of leather; John Campbell, grocer; Gabriel
Joseph Goodwin. sachems; Thomas Ash. CLEARWATER,
treasurer; Anthony Ernst secretary Gardner Baker.
shoemaker, doorkeeper.
There are no great men in this list and few to be
remembered at all. Mooney himself of Irish
descent, 80 there must have been some power behind
him or he would not have excluded naturalzed cit
liens from holding office. I'VE believe that restric
tion still continues,l Mooney upholsterer,
then keeper of porter house and finally Keeper of
the Almshouse. which position he filed when he
died. He was active in the Society. and its Grand
6achem, for more than thirty years.
AARON BURR MAN?
It has been supposed that the real founder of the
Tammany Society WAS Aaron Burr, who init
mate with Mooney to owe him several large bills
for upholstery It is also believed that the society
meant to counterfeit the arstocratic Society of
the Cincinnati, of which Washington the head
and all the members of which were from the army
people favor of Burr and bitterly opposed to
Hamilton.
BIG GUNS COMING IN
1t not long before the society started by shoe
makers and carpenters attracted the attention of
other classes. and among its early members find
the eminent lawyer, Josiah Ogden Hoffman. He was
immediately followed by such men Cadwallsder
q. Golden. John and Robert Swartwout. Benjamin Ro
maine. Judah Hammond. Melancthon Smith. Stephen
Allen. GARRISON Crolius. Napthali Judah. Walter
Bovine, John Targee, Peter Sharpe and others who
were or who soon became magnates in the repub-
hcan subsequently democraticl party.
IMPROVING NAME.
In its second year the name Of the society was
modified by dropping "Sons of Liberty" 1t was
proposed to substitute Order of st. Columbus but
the discoverer foreigner. and SO for time ST.
Tammany continued but not long after the
lat last he laua
name in the act of incorporation. passed in 1905;
that name and now is "The Tammany Society or
Columbian Order
EARLY MEETINGS.
The society first met at Barden's City Tavern, in
Broadway; then ut NIartlng's Long Room" in an
old wooden building whore the Tract House now
stands corner Of Nassau and Spruce Streets place
contemptuously called ''The Pig Pen" There was
. carouse after each session. and songs sung.
beer drank ana pipes smoked. Fitz Greene Halleck
Says:-
There's barrel Of porter in Tammsny Hall,
And the Busktails are swgging Z. all the night long
For seat and pipe mid the jovial throng.
REAL THE wIawAM.
In order to be Enthusiastically native American the
Tammany Society divided into tribes each headed
by q sachcm. Each of the thirteen original States
represented a tribe, and named after some
animal. New York was the Eagle tribe, New Hamp
shire the Otter, Massachusetts the Panther, Rhode
Island the Beaver Connecticut the Bear New Jersey
the Tortoise Pennsylvania the Rattlesnake, Delaware
the Tiger, Maryland the Fox Virginia the Deer North
Carolina the Buffalo south Carolina the Raccoon and
Georgia the Wolf. When member was initiated he
indicated what tribe he would join. In its early
parades the society formed in such tribes, and up
pesred in Indian costume with bows and arrows,
tomahawks and knives
Soon after the society was organized about thirty
prominent chiefs of the Creek Indians led by Aexan
der McGvray. half-breed, visited President WASH
ington he federal government then in this city,
and before they left the real Indians entertained
by the bogus red men of Taninany. When
the Greeks entered the Wigwam they saw,
they supposed some of their own people. and raised
q whoop OF Joy that made the bogus Indians turn
pale. The Creeks sung and danced for joy; VIM. Pitt
Smith, the Grand Sachem made speech to them; the
calumet was smoked and tho waters of the great
spring duly sampled. after which the whole crowd
went to the Park Theatre. At this such
men as Governor George Clinton Chief Justice John
Jay, Mayor James Duane and Secretary of State
Thomas Jefferson. Before the Greeks went home
they concluded treaty with Washington. whom
they called the 'Chef Of the Thirteen Fires" allud
ing 20 the thirteen tribes they had represented
In its second year the society established museum
for collecting and preserving things relating TO the
. room in the City Hail. and Gardner Baker took
charge. This collection formed tho beginning of
Scudder's Museum. and scudder's was the beginning
OF the American Museum which for SO many years
occupied the site OF the present II ERALD Office.
FESTIVALS AND PARADEs.
The annual election OF officers on the second
Monday of April, and they took their places month
atterward, when there was a paraae. generally q
march to some garden tavern out of town, q din
ncr speeches. &C. and sometimes fireworks ut night
For long time the people observed these paradcs
they did any other holiday. There were special At
fractions ut the theatre, and feature that gave
immense satisfaction to young America was the
burning the Common lCity Hall Park OF =
stuffed figure representing Benedict Arnold. The
society for years very partic In tho OBJ
servance of the Fourth OF July and Evacuation Day,
though 1t never paid attention to Washington Birth
day nor the other holidays, OF course excepting its
own
POLITICAL ACTION.
1t does not outwardly appear that the Iammany
Society was started partisan institution. But IN
those days party spirit was intense aud party war
care fierce and bitter. What We now call hot nights
would have seemed lovefcasts to Burr and Hamilton
The abuse heaped upon George Washington could not
In these days find vent In any respectable news
paper though directed to some modern Arnold
The men who made the Tammany Society could
not be- kept out of politics. ono could in those
days In 1900 Jefferson and Burr were candidates for
President. year before the fcderaists carried New
York city by large majority. In 1900 Tammany
went in strong for Burr. captured the city from the
fcderalists. and produced tie the Electoral col
lcge between Jefferson and Burr jefferson
finally chosen by the House of Representatives. II