The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-04-29
CONGRESS Of 5. 4. R.
Further History Of a Noble Society
Of American Patriots.

10 Meet IN MOrr1stOWn T0-mOfrOW-De-
bate Over the Uniting of the Two
Societies Late Attempts at Union and
the Cause of Failure.
At the convention of the National
Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution, which will be held in this
city tomorrow, the headquarters of the
National Committee will be at the Man
sion House. General headquarters of
the reception and other committees will
in the Presidents room in the Lyceum.
The exercises at Lafayette Hall will be
open to the public. There will be two
sessions, one at II o'clock in the morning
and another at 2. The dinner will be
served in McAlpin Hall at o'clock.
Among the speakers announced are
Vice Chancellor Pitney, Rev. Lyman
Whitney Allen, D. D., John Whitehead,
Hon. E. S. Barrett, President General;
E. M. Gallaudet, LII D., President D. G.
Society, S. A. r.; Rev. j. M. Buckley,
D. D,
After the formation of the New Jersey
Society and the, creation of the National
Society, the two associations, the Sons of
the Revolution and the Sons of the
American Revolution pursued their
separate paths, each intent on the same
patriotic objects. The Sons Of the Revo-
luton soon followed the lead of the
other association and formed a National
Society which was based upon nearly
the same plan as that of the S. A. r.,
about the only difference being that it
was called g General instead of
National. But there was a marked diff
ference in one respect between the two
organizations. The S. R. admitted the
sons of collateral branches if there were
failure of the lineal; but the S. A. R.
never adopted that principle, adhering
strictly to the rule which limited mem
bers to lineal descendants of the men of
the Revolution.
There were many thoughtful men in
both associations who deplored the
severance of the two bodies and strongly
desired union. Many overtures were
made informally by the s. A. R. to the
s. g., not receiving, however, very
courteous attention. But at the annual
meeting of the National Society of the
S. A. r., held in the city of New York,
April 30, 1899. Jonathan TrumbuIl,
president of the Connecticut Society,
moved the appointment of joint COM
mittee consisting of the presidents of the
State societies where there were two
rival organizations, to whom should be
referred the whole subject Of union.
Under this resolution Edwin S. Barrett
of Massachusetts, John Whitehead of
New Jersey and Gen. E. S. Greeley of
the District of Columbia were elected
from the S. A. R., and Mr.. Trumbull
was afterwards added. When the joint
committee met some fifteen to
twenty appeared for the S. r., but
Several meetings of this joint
committee were held during the sum-
mer of 1892, at which there was full
discussion of every possible point of diff
ference between the two societies. At
last Il plan of union and constitution
were unanimously adopted and a meet
ing of the two associations was called
for the 10Th of February, 1898. The two
societies came together, meeting in diff
ferent rooms in the same building, and
the plan and constitution were discussed
and finally adopted by both associations
and plan for the joint meeting was
formed, at which the union was to be
perfected by the election of officers.
1t ought to be remarked that the meet
ings of the joint committee were at
tended by the keenest minded men of the
S. r., by whom every objection to the
S. A. r. was raised, and it is but fair to
say that there could have been none left
unstated which was the the fair subject
of contention. The question of collat-
erals was debated with much warmth
and it was decided to admit only those
who could prove a lineal descent.
But, before the joint meeting Of the two
societies could have taken place, change
come over the members of the S. R.
A resolution was adopted postponing the
joint meeting, providing for the appoint
ment of a committee which should revise
the list of members of both associations
and eliminate the names of those whose
eligibility, in the view of this proposed
new committee, did not meet the re-
quirements of the new constitution,
which had then no legal existence. The
S. A. R. had been waiting for hours pre-
pared to meet the members of the other
society. from whom had come first the
proposition to come together in joint
convention and carry out the action of
the two committees. Just in the gIoam-
ing of that winters day came this new
proposition, which seemed, under the
circumstances, to be uncalled per-
haps it deserves a stronger adjective
properly to describe it. The S. A. R.
left no effort untried to change the action
of the S. R., but all attempts were use
less, and the union was not accom-
plished. AT that time there were twen-
ty-six State societies in connection with
the national society of the S. A. r.. and
Il.