The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-03-12
DAUGHrERS OF rHE REVOLUTION.

Patriotic aristocracy has given birth to
a new organization, and this time it is
composed of handsome herOines instead
of hardy heroes. We refer to the
Daughters of the American Revolution.
which is an order developing member
ship in various cities of the Union, the
New York chapter naturally forming the
foreground of the society. The Sons of
the American Revolution have chapters
in twenty-six States, and the Daughters,
albeit less than six months old, give fair
promise of overtaking their brethren
numerically at an early date.
Ordinarily we are opposed to trusts;
but in this instance we would suggest a
grand combine under the compromise
title of the Children of the American
Revolutions; or. to be more accurate, the
Great at-Great-Grand Children of the
American Revolution. The more remote
the Revolution, the easier 1t is to estab-
lish the genealogical stream of blue blood
running with accommodating directnesS
from patriot sires to the fashionable ap-
plicants for admission into the charmed
and consequential circle. Mixed club
meetings would be so much more enjoy
able than gatherings where only one sex
is present, and secretly pining for the
other, that we would be surprised if
consolidation committees were not ap-
pointed as soon as The Press suggestion
reaches the respective headquarters.
The fervOr of fealCy to the traditions of
our fOrefathers would be more effervcs-
Gently emphatic when Sons aud Daugh-
ters mingled harm0niously in one glad
companship of Great tGrCat-Grand-
Childrenism.
Great care is undoubtedly exercised to
prevent the reception into the arms of
the, daughters of those ladies whose
lineage is not unbroken and unmistaka-
BILE as there must be no dilution of the
royal cuTrants that flow through the
veins of this new nobility. Obviously
where an applicants husband or parent
is worth million or more, much must
be taken for gra ted, and her credentials
cannot politely be inspected with micro
scopic inquisitiveness. OF course when
the presuming wives and daughters of
greasy mechanics have the eflrOntery to
claim a revolutionary ancestry, the
proper committee will have little diff
Guilty in clearly and eXpeditiOusly show
ing the spuriOusness of their pretenSiOns.
The integrity of the order must be
maintained at all hazards, and no vulgar
working women can be permitted to
intrude their unwelcome presence under
cover of false pretenses.
When it is reflected with what self
sacrificing "heroineism" these delightful
daughters inundated their great-great-
grandfathers upon the altar of liberty at
the critical time when the very birth of
the republic was at stake, reverentlY
must we lift our hat to their OrganiZa-
ton. Think of the redskins and the
underbrush, the long marches and scanty
food, the cold and heat, the want of
equipment and odds to be cOntended
with, which these remote grandfathers
underwent, and any one with the fires of
patriotism slumbering in his soul will
feel like eulogizing, if not embracing,
the Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton. That hOrrid old atheist. Bob In
gersOll, has said that family bOasting
of its noble ancestry is like hill of
pOtatOes-the best part underground; /;
but every one whose heart is filled with
the sweetness and simplicity of faith
will be thankful TO the fair descendants
for the services of their patriot fore
fathers. What lover of freedom, enjoy
ing the countless blessings of n govern
ment founded by WaShingtons army,
could look upon fhe comely and classic
face of Miss Forehundred, for instance,
the great-great-grand-daughter of Gen.
ForehuudIed (who greatly distinguished
himself in the Revolution by his personal
daring and sagacity of management, but
whose name through some unaccOunt-
able perversity has been omitted from
the histOries-an omission that will be
lovingly atoned in the forthcoming
"Gene llOgy of the FOrehundred Fam
ily'), while her alabastrine neck, unre-
lieved save by dazzling diamond neck
lace of chaste and beautiful design, is
gently and gracefully arched to ,nable
her TO speak to q sister Daughter and
she modestly raises her dainty lace
handkerchief to teeth of pearl in
doing so displaying curved arm of
marvellous whiteness and exquisite
mOldiug-what lover OF freedom, we say,
could gaze upon such a club-wOman
without experiencing sense of profound
gratitude at the readiness with which
she sacrificed her various great-great-
grandparents that the banner of liberty
might forever float over American soil?
In the generous glow of his thankful
ness and admiration, he (the foregoing
lover Of freedom), could scarcely do less
than TO advance and, taking herrcsplend-
emily jeweled hand, brokenly express
as he paroxysmally senses the genial
warmth of the revolutionary blue.blood
coursing through her lily iingers-his
undying obligations for Gen. FOrehun-
dred's indispensable part in the estab-
lishment of our immortal institutions.
IL is not well that these loyal daughters
have at last organized in way that will
enable them to receive in fitting form
the enduring gratitude of a public shar-
ing in the precious privileges of revo-
lutionary heritage?
We believe in evolution. II, then, the
worn and battled-scarred soldiers of
Bunker Hill and Saratoga, Bemis
Heights and Yorktown, are entitled to
the praises of our people for winning
independence through q long aud weary
travail of blood and anguish, how much
more should we be grateful to the Sons
and Daughters referred to, who have had
a number Of generations OF evolution in
which TO dcvelop, expand. vitalize and
perfect the m7rtyr-like spirit, the intense
loyalty and heroic qualities that were
somewhat crudc'y manifested in tiicir