The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-07


 The plan adopted furthermore pro- vided that the general society should De divided into State societies and these again into district societies.
 The State societies were to meet an nually on July fourth, or oftener if necessary. the district societies as of- ten as agreed upon by the State so- cleties, while the general society was 10 meet annually the first Monday in May as long as necessary and after ward at least once in every three years.
 The rigid whigs of the country were alarmed and offended by the clause recognizing the right of primo geniture in membership succession. They regarded the society as an in- cipient order of nobility and an at tempt to establish the pretensions of the military to ranks above the mass of citizens. But every thing depends upon the point of view, for the King of Sweden refused to permit the few officers in the French army who were his subjects to wear the order of the Cincinnati on the ground that the in- stitution had republican tendency. This decision of the King disgusted Washington who in a letter To Roch- ambeau in 17S4, said, Considering how recently the King of Sweden has changed the form of the government of that country, it is not so much to
 
 get the better of his liberality as to anything which might have the sem blance of republicanism; but when 1t is further considered how few of his nation had, or could have. a right to the order, I think he might have suf- fered his complaisance to overcome them"
 Baron de steuben requested Major L L'Enfant, an officer of the French ar- my, to draw a design for the medal and order containing the emblems of the institution. This was very happily accomplished by the courteous French man and his design was accepted with the resolution:
 "The society shall have an order, by which it's members shall be known and distinguished, which snail be a medal of gold, of a proper size to receive the emblems, and be suspended by a deep blue ribbon, two inches wide, edged with white. descriptive of the union of America with France"
 This order. designed by Major L'En- fant, was a gold eagle bearing on It's breast a medallion, which shows Cin- cinnatus, with his family, near his house; he Is receiving from three sem ators a sword and a shield an army Is supposed to be seen in the distance, but if so it must be termed. even by the most sharp-sighted. microscopic army. Upon the rim of the medallion are the words: Omnia relinquit ser ware rempublicam. CHe abandons ev- erything to serve his country.) The sky of this medallion is of blue enamel; | the leaves of the sprigs of laurel which meet above the head of the eagle | and unite in the ring fastenening the eagle to the bar, are of gold and green enamel, the head and tail of the eagle | gold and white enamel. Altogether the order is striking and handsome and worthy the taste of the liberal- minded Frenchman.
 The certificate of membership is all so interesting. It Is twenty inches in | length and thirteen and half inches in breadth. The originals are printed on fine vellum. The plate was en- graved in France by J. J. Le Veau from a drawing by Le Belle. The de- sign represents American liberty as a strong man armed, bearing in one hand the Union flag, and in the other naked sword. Beneath his feet are British flags, and a broken spear, shield and chain. Towering by his side is the eagle, our national emblem. from whose talons the lightning of de- struction Is flashing upon the British | lion Britannia, with the crown fall ing from her head. is hastening toward a boat to escape to a fleet which de- notes the departure of British power l from our shores. Upon cloud, on the right, is an angel blowing a trumpet, from which flutters a loose scroll. Upon the scroll are the sentences "Palam nuntiata libertalis, A. D. 1776. Foedus sociale cum Gallia, A. D. TITS. Pax: libertas parta, A. D. 17S3. ("Independence declared A. D. 1776. l Treaty of alliance with France de- clared A. D. 177S. Peace! independence | obtained, A. D. 1783.")
 The certificate bears two medallions, l the one at the left, under the flashing | lightning held in the talons of the ea- | gle, Is the same as borne upon the | breast of the eagle in the order. or as we would call 1t now, the badge; the one at the right bears the figure of l Cincinnatus at his blow, ship on the sea, and a walled town in the distance Over his head Is a flying angel. hold ing a ribbon inscribed: "Virtutis praemium.,, (Reward of virtueO Be- low is a heart with the words, "Esto perpetua" (Be thou perpetual) Upon the rim is the legend. "Societas Gin cinnatorum Instituta A. D. MDCCLXX- XIII (Society of the Cincinnati, in stituted 17S3.D
 Mrs Harvey F.. Jones, of the Mobile Chapter, daughter of the late Bishop R. H. Wilmer, has a copy of the cer- tificate, issued by the New Jersey State Society of the Cincinnati, to her great grand father. Major Richard Cox of the New Jersey Continental line. II bears the following words: Be il known that Richard Cox, who has written his name on the margin, Major in the army of the United States, is a member of the Society of the Cincin- nati instituted by the officers of the American Army at its dissolution. as l well as to commemorate the great l event which gave independence to the | United States of America, as for the | laudable purpose of inculcating the du- | ty of laying down in time of peace 1 arms assumed for public defense, and | of uniting In acts of brotherly affec- tion and bonds of perpetual friendship the members constituting the same. In testimony whereof the seal of the State Society of the Cincinnati of New Jersey is hereunto affixed and the hand of the President. the seventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and nine.
 Joseph Bloomfield. President.
 Andrew Hunter, Secretary.
 Major Cox's certificate of member ship in the General Society was signed by Gen. Washington. The originals of these certificates are in the posses sion of pr. William Wilmer, of Wash ington, D. C., son of Bishop Winner, who is a member of the Society by right of descent.
 Major Cox entered the army when very young He married a daughter of Alexander Ross, born in Scotland l71S, died at Mt. Holly. New Jersey, 17SO; Hospital Physician and Surgeon, New Jersey Continental line.
 Major Cox was treasurer of the new Jersey Society for twenty-eight years; he declined further election on account