The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-23
AFTER 100 YEARS
MEMBERS OF THE NEWLY READ
MIrTED GEORGIA SOCIETY OF
THE CINCINNATI MEET AGAIN.
GOVERNOR TERRELL WILL BE
THEIR GUEST AT A LUNCHEON.

Societies in Convention Assem-
bIed-OHicers VIII be Elected and
other Matters of Importance At
tended tO-Thirteen Members Will
Attend the Session.
The first meeting of the Georgia So
ciety of the Cincinnati since it's re-
admission into the general society, and
the first gathering in more than 100
years of the members of the society in
this state, will be held to-day in Sa-
vannah. it will, therefore. be the first
meeting of the Georgia society, as
member of the general society, which
any of those present to-day will have
ever attended.
Gov Terrell will be the guest of hon
or at luncheon which will be given
at the De Soto at 1870 o'clock. There
will be but fifteen members of the So
ciety present, since the organization
is, by it's nature. very exclusive. The
function will be held in the breakfast
room of the hotel and will be a highly
enjoyable affair. The flags of the gen
eral society, as we'll as the Georgia
society and the original society flag,
float to-day from the hotel
Representatives from several states
will be present. The first meeting of
the society will be held in the Superior
Court room at y o'clock. There is a
good deal of business to be transacted,
and officers will be elected. The only
office now open is that of vice presl
dent. 1t is probable that the other Of
ticers will be elected. While the society
has not been in good standing for
many years, they have, nevertheless,
held regular meetings, and there will
not, therefore, be a great deal of old
business to be transacted.
Members Nearly All Here.
Several members of the society have
already arrived in the city, and with
the members who reside here, compose
nearly all of the gathering. There are
yet two or three members who are eX
pected this morning. The members of
the society, together with prospective
members who win be present to-day,
are thirteen in number. This is both
appropriate and coincidental, since the
original number of societies was thir-
teen, and the return of Georgia into the
general society completed the original
thirteen.
Those who will participate in the bust
ness meeting and the luncheon, besides
Gov. Terrell, are: Hon. Phil Cook,
Secretary of State; Hon. Walter G.
Charlton, president of the Georgia So
ciety; Col. G. Noble Jones, secretary
of the Georgia Society; Mr.. 7. Savage
Clay of New York, DIR. j. H. Bur
roughs of Norfolk, Hon. William H.
Milton of Mirianna, Fla, Mr.. George
Washington Wylly of Florida, Hon.
William Harden, Mr.. George F. Ten
mile, Mr.. Richard M. Charlton, Mr..
A. D. Harden, Mr.. w. D. bearing and
Mr.. D. E. Huger Smith.
Day All Cincinnati Meet.
Not alone in Georgia, but in many
other states in the Union the Cincin-
natl meet to-day, Washington's birth
day being the day set by the society
for the annual meeting. Some of the
societies, however, observed Saturday,
instead of to-day. That the chief ex-
ecutive of the state should be present
to-day at the Georgia society's func-
ton is most fitting, both because of
the fact that it is the societys re-en-
tire into the general society, an af-
fair of state Importance, and because
the organization is itself quasi-mil-
tary.
At the reeting messages will be sent
by the members to the various other
societies who hold their deliberations
on this date. Among the kilograms of
congratulation and greetings which
will be sent will be those to the New
York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Massachusetts, and Vermont societies.
Georgia has proportionately the larg-
est representation of any of the states,
the society now having more than the
original number of it's members.
History of the Cincinnati.
The Society of the Cincinnati was or
ganized in the state of Georgia in Sep
TENDER, 1888. On May Is, 1888, CONT
mental officers of the army met at the
Verplank House, near Fishkill-on-t the
Hudson, to organize a military order
to commemorate the securing of peace
and independence to the United States
and to form tie of friendship among
the brother officers, the right of mem
bership to descend to the eldest son.
The constitution which was then
adopted has never since been cN+.1ged,
defines it's objects and the right to
membership. The preamble reads:
1T having pleased the Supreme
Governor of the Universe, in the dis
position of human affairs to cause the
separation of the colonies of North
America from the domination of Great
Britain, and after bloody conflict of
eight years to establish them free, in
dependent and sovereign states, con-
nected by alliance founded on recipro-
cal advantages, with some of the great
est princes and powers of the earth"
The follows: ITO perpetuate, there
fore, as we'll the remembrance of This
vast event as the mutual friendships
which have been under the pressure Of
common danger and in many instances
cemented by the blood of the parties,
hereby in the most solemn manner as
sociate, constitute and combine them
selves into one society of friends to en-
dure as long as they endure or any of
their eldest male poSterity, and in fail
ure thereof the collateral branches
who may be judged worthy of becom-
ing it's supporters and members.
The officers of the American army
having generally been taken from the
citizens of America, possess high ven-
Grafton for the character of that illus
trious Roman, Lucius Quintus Cincin-
natus, and being resolved to follow his
example by returning to their citizen
ship they think they may, with pro-
priety. denominate themselves.
The Society of the Cincinnati, the in
stitution then went on to say: IAN in
cessant attention to preserve inviolate
those exalted rights and liberties for
which they had fought and bled-are
unalterahle determination to promote
and cherish between the respective
states that union and national honor
so essentionally necessary to their