Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-05
WOMEN OF LINEAGE
A LIVELY WAR OF WORDS NDULaD IN By
FHEM.
Daughters Of the American Revolution Rspsl With
Scon Mrs. Darlngs claim Of supsriOr
Ancestry and Social Positon-WhO
Win Fave the Last Word?

WASHINGTON, August "A woman
VIII have the last word, but where the
parties 10 a controversy are all women
IT is difficult to tell who will be granted
that prerogative.
The recent deposition Of Mrs. Flora
Adams Darling from the Vice Presidency
OF the National Society of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution was
the result Of Indignation on the part
Of other ladies who claim to be the orig
inatOrs of the society and who would
not brook what they claimed was an
unWsrrantable assumption Of authority
on she part Of Mrs. Darling.
The latest development In the trouble
is a phamDhlet now in course OF prepar-
alton, which is called, 1.-The True Story
OF the Origin Of the National Society Of
the American Revolution" 1t is rather
vOluminOus document, and contains
the correspondence between Mrs. Darl-
ing and other officers Of the society
which finally ended In the lady being
depOSed from the Office Of organizing"
vice president. The paper is signed by
Ellen Hardin Walworth, Eugenia Wash
ingtOn and Mary Desha, who desire IL 70
be known that the National Board OF
MANAGEMENT is not responsible for the
statement they make.
The ladies claim 20 be the organizers
of the society, and give their reasons
for making public statement as fol-
lows:
MRS. DARLING ACCUSED.
Notwithstanding the courtesy with
which the original organizers OF the So
ciety treated Mrs. Darling, the cordially
Of the welcome, their overlooking the
discourtesy Of her assuming superiority
in taking possession OF all the hOnors OF
the society, she has not failed since last
December to. traduce those ladies, ac-
cusing them OF the most nefarOus pro-
ceedings, calling them creatures Of my
making and threatening them with eX-
pulsiOn from the society. Mr.. Mellow
ell, from whom she claimed her APP
pointment, ana who she declared must
be Pope for one year has been COM
pletely ignored or violently abused.
with every issue OF the adams MOgd-
zinc she has become holder and holder
I'm her false assertions, more and more
positive In her assumption Of power"
All this has been quietly endured, the
ladies believing that peace and har-
mOny' should be preserved at almost
any cost, until, intoxicated by her own
success and embOldened by their silence
she had falsifed history, making the
pedigree OF the society of doubtful
origin. Believing that under these cir
cumstances 10 would De highly criminal
to remain any longer silent these ladies
now speak, for the truth OF history must
be prC-erveu."
The pamphlet, in setting forth the
fact that Mrs. Darling claimed to be
preferred by Mr.. William o. Mcdowell, !
OF New Jersey, who first suggested the |
formation of the society, as an ''organ-
izer," says "the reason that she gave for |
Mr.. McDowell's preference for her as en-
and literary position, her intimate &C
Qualntapce with the inner circle Of
select Washington society, enabled her
TO do wha6 government clerks could
not do, although amOng this inferior
class Of beings were the descendants Of
the WashingtC tons, Hardins, JefferSOns,
Montgomerys, and most Of the leaders
OF 80
''Now she styles Mr.. Mcdowell and
the ladies of the Board land this in
cludes Mrs. HarriSOn), as creatures Of
my making"
AS TO BLUE BLOOD.
''When it is remembered that Miss
Washington IS the great-grandniece of
General Washington and the great
granddaughter of Colonel Samuel
Washington, and that Mrs. Darling is
the great-granddaughte of the fifth
cousin Of President John Adams, this
assumption Of equality, or rather su-
periOrity, is very amusing"
The John Adams family deny her
closer kinShip, and the family Of Gen
eral Warren can find no mention of her
ancestors in their family tree"
This ''plain statement of fact" made
by the ladies, IS to the effect that about
one year ago a call was issued and the
following ladies invited TO meet in
Washington at the residence OF Mrs.
Louise WalcOtt:-MiSs Alice Z. Meikle-
ham, great-granddaughter Of Thomas
jefferson, Miss Eugene Washington,
great-grauddaughter Of Colonel Samuel
Washington and great-grandniece Of
General George Washington; Miss Ellen
Hardin HaiwOrth, great-granddaughte
Of Colonel John Hardin, Mrs. William
c. 3. Breckenridge, great granddaugh-
ter Of Colonel Isaac Bledsoe and great
grandniece Of General John Montgom-
cry; Miss S. p. Breckinridge, her
daughter, who was also a great-grand-
daughter of Attorney General John
Breckenridge, OF JefTersOn's Cabinet,
and great-graddaughter Of General Will
liam Campbell, OF Kings Mountain
fame; Miss Virginia Griggsby, great
granddaughter OF General Isaac Shelby;
Miss Sallie Norvell, granddaughter Of
John Sewer; Mrs. Elizabeth Guion
PierSon, granddaughter of Captain Isaac
GuiOn; Mrs. Catherine Finnell Madeira,
great-granddsughte OF Lieutenant John
Reilly, and Mrs. II. Mel. Wolf, great
granddaughter Of Hannah Arnett.
Mr.. Mcdowell suggested the move
meut and wrote the constitution. The
ladies in Washington, Mrs. Ellen Har-
din Walworth, Miss Eugenia Washing
ton and Miss Mary Desha, organized
the National Society, preparatory to
the October meeting, and appointed the
original Executive Board.