The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-22
Society of the Cincinnati
(Continucd from First Page

made MANY wild assertions. ami mother
bv Count de M%;rabean, published IL
Paris in 1873, in which he predicted the
dir, calamities which the Cincinnati
would bring upon the young republic
In Difference to puolc sentiment
Washington, at the first general laettlh3
of the Society in Philadelphia in May,
17s4 recommended radical changes ii
the original "Institution' the principal
one being the abolition of the hereditary
feature and in compliance with hl>
wishes they were so made.
The amended institution Constitution.
WIS. however. subject To ratification
by all the State societies. a negative de
claration by one having the effect OF 4
veto. Most of them accepted 1t. but III
1S,u. the year after W;%ishington deceaSr,
animosity TO the society having dlsap-
peareu, the subject was again brought
before the General Society and the Con
stitutiOn of 11S4 having failed Of ratltl
cation by all of the State Societies It
was declared that he Society remained
as originally proposed by the original
Institution of 1888, under which it how
exists. its motto-Esto Perpetual being
affirmed.
No change has been made in the orr
ginal Institution. excepting what i
known as the Rule of 1871, adopted by
the General Society III that year, under
w-.ch Il qualified descendant Of any Re
volutionary officer, who was eligible but
failed to claim his right, may become
a member of the Society.
The Societies of Massachusetts, New
York. New Jersey. Pennsylvania. Mary
land and South Carolina, t1ourIHhllg up
on their original organization, because
| of their having large cities for the places
of their annual meetings., have MAINTAIN
ed Il continuous existence and 4 similar
existence may also be claimed by the
Rhode Island Society for one hereditary
nAHmber still survived when, after Il
dormancy Of forty-tiye years. 1T was re-
vived and r~c-organized in 1876, II
think this venerable gentleman was iv-
ing when THE society in the State of
Rhode Island and Providence Planta-
tons was Te-ldmltted to the General SO
ciety, .Aprll Is, 1881.
The Massachusetts and New York so
cities were organized at-thc canton
ment ON the Hudson New Windsor, n.
" June, 1888.
The New Jersey Society was organized
at Elizabeth Town, n. j., 18th June,
1888.
The Rhode Island and Providence
Plantation Society was organized at
Saratoga Barracks. on the Hudson.
(Schuylerville), n. Y, June 81, 1888.
The Soutn Carolina Society was or
ganizcd at Charleston, S. c., 10Th, Aug.
1888.
The Pennsylvania Society was organ
lied at Philadelphia, Pa, 4th October.
1888.
The Maryland Society WAS organized
at Annapolis, Md, Goth November, 1888.
IND~ nr,o,, g tho Sfnfn SnnIn-
ties in Georgia. North Carolina, Virgin
in, Delaware, New Hampshire, Connec-
ticut and Rhode Island. after a few
years Of life. ceased to hold meetings but
in none did dissolution take place by
unanimous vote. In Rhode Island the
permanent fund had, long before, been
partially distributed and the balance
placed in trust when. in 1876, through
the existence Of one hereditary member
and the c~onjOint action of legally quall-
fed descendants of other original mem
bers. the Society in that State was re
vived and r~e-organized and was read
mitted to the General Society in 1881.
The Connecticut Society was organ-
lied at West Point, y. y. 4th July.
1893; formally dissolved 4 July, 1901;
re-organized at Hartford. Conn. 18th
July, 1883: rc-admittcd to the General
Society 18th June, 1893.
Tho New Hampshire Society was or
ganized at Exeter, n. H., 18th Nov.
1873; had Il continuous existence to
July. 1875. since which time there is no
record Of any meeting. \ provisional re-
organization, made July 4. 1896, by quail
fled descendants of its original members.
has applied for re-admission to the Cen
cral Society.
The Delaware Society was organized
at Wilmington. Del. 4th July, 1873: ap-
pears to nave dissolved by a distribu-
ton of it's permanent fund, 1SO2-4: was
revived and ~re-organized by descendants
of original members. at Wilmington.
Del, Feb. -, 1898; is now in a flourish
ing condition and, having been provision
ally recognized by the Genera Society.
May Is. 1896, anticipates full fellowship
Herewith 1T its next tricnnial meeting.
The Virginia Society was a large and
comparatively 1CurishinG one. holding its
first meeting at Fredericksburg, but sub
se1ucnt meetings at Richmond. Tho
difficult means of travel III those early
days prevented even fair attendance ut
It's meetings and the emigration Of large
numbers Of It's members to the public
lands to the westward. there to build up
and develop the tlourishing States of the
ONO and Mississippi valley, soon dis
pcrsed the membership, not only of the
Socitly Ill \lfSlllla DuL also III North
Carolina and Georgia. The Virginia So
Getty was organized at Fredericksburg,
Va. 9th oct. 11S3. Its first president
was Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates and n
quorum. competent to transact bust
ness. was declared to be forty mem
lers. changed to thirty, twenty. ten, nine.
seven until finally i'll December, 1924,
after having. for over forty years, an
mlally distributed III donations to in
ligcnt members or their widows or hid
rcn, the annual income Of tireir perma-
nent fund. the standing committees. uIl-
der Il we'll considered resolution. by the
full society, Of May, 1907, duly trans
ferred the funds of the Society to the
Seminary Of Learning. denominated the
Washington Academy. near the town of
Lexington, in the county of R]ockbridge.
as an endowment to the said Seminary =
where these funds now remain as an on
doWment of a chair of military science.
In 1880 qualified descendants Of ori-