Morning journal and courier., 1894-04-27

Connecticut Daughters of the Ameri.
can RevolutiOn-The Coming state
Meeting at tho Church of the Re
deemer.
The plans for a represe tative gathering
of the Connecticut Daughters of the Amer
lean Revolution are now complete. The
date of the conference at New Haven is
Wednesday, May Is, at the Church of the
Rsdeemer, instead of In June as originally
proposed. A business meeting ct IL q. m,
collation. at p. m. and an open afternoon
meeting with addresses, etc are part of
the good things promised. Mrs. Klein,
also the state regent, is to be present. ALL
members of the Connecticut chapters are
hidden to this pleasant STAIR by the Mary
Clapp Wooster chapter of New Haven.
To the Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
A friend sent me your short editorial on
the remarks of Senator Hoar spropos of
the Sons and Daughters of the American
Revolution.
Is 1t I'M -American to "serve one's coun-
try with unfsiling loysltyp This is what
is required of the ancestors from whom
the Sons and Daughters derive the right to
Washington is no grander badge of honor
than that from hign private or q simple
drummer boy. "Ich dien," the motto of
the first Prince of Wales, means no more.
There is no pride of aristocracy about 1t,
except to feel sure that when the colonies
were all but In despair, your great grsnd or
grandfather was true patriot and ran the
risk of his life. If he did not die on the
battlefield.
Take an example. In those days of dis
aster and doubt, man had large family
of children. He enlisted "for the war"
with two Of his sons. Two other sons and
several daughters remained at home. His
great grandchildren and grandchildren
claim descent as ''lineals." Then suppose
that. as In the first ease. the father did not
enter the service, but the two sons did, and
two sons did not take any part in those
sorrowful days, remaining Indifferent to
the struggle unto the end. Why should
the children of the stsy-st-homes derive
from their uncles rights which their own
fathers did not give them7 We must be
obtuse for we fail to sec that this would be
fair.
Such men az were unable to 60 into active
fight could still "eerve their country with
undinching loyalty" and their children
could still be Sons and Daughters of the
American Revolution" If the great grand
father were q patriot and the grandfather
traitor, the honor derived from the for
mer would not be vitiated, but to 60 aside
and claim right of descent through an un-
Gle, aunt or cousin seems to us like playing
"Hamlet" with the role of Hamlet left
out. For ourselves, we rejoice at every
Son or Daughter who unites with us, and
would give the right hand of fellowship to
every man or woman who has the blood Of
those brave days of old In their veins. But
If 1t has trickled through the arteries of
non-combatants, non-sympathizers and
those who profited by the suferfngs of
their country, then we would pass them
by on the other side.
Is there any injustice or question of
aristocracy in thisi "Bresthes there . man
with soul so dead" as to assert that IL Ii
un-Amerioan to be glad and rsjoios in the
fsct that those who csme before ~ were 20
loyal to their native land that their blood
within Us stirs to-day and leaps and throbs
when Bunker Hill or Yorktown II mem
toned, or when armies of the commonweal
threaten to march into our capital city and
possess IT.
Patriotism means utter devotion, or It
means nothing. From those who acted ~
such when ''these United s. ates" were In
the throes of birth We Daughters and Sons
claim deacent-not because cur great |
grandfather was rich or Q general, CT had |
. coat of arms or no coat ct ell, but be- |
cause he tried his ''level bsst" to be true |
citizsn.
A DAUGHTER OF tsPETER PARLKY,n
Registrar and Secretary nf the "Millicent |
Porter" Chapter, D.A. R of Waterbury, |
Conn.