The Washington herald., 1909-04-30

congress Of the society Of the Sons OF
the American Revolution. being held in
Baltimore to-day A hundred OF more
descendants Of Revolutionary siTes have
gathered in the Monumental City 10
honor the memory OF their ancestors and
10 commemorate their heroic service in
the cause OF American liberty and Of
human rights throughout the world. The
delegates 10 this congress win partlci-
pate in an extensive programme OF patri-
otic exercises, routine business, and en-
teTtainment Saturday they viii go TO
Annapolis. Nd, where the congress viii
resssemble in the State senate chamber,
the scene Of Washington's surrender Of
the command OF the Continental armies.
There the annual election Of officers viii
be held
The Sons Of the American Revolution
s one OF several patriotic organizations,
the membership Of which Is composed OF
descendants Of Revolutionary people. All
are working toward the same end. though
5y different routes Their object, geneT-
ally speaking. Is 10 keep alive the spirit
IF patriotism which animated the fathers
Of the republic 10 promote social inte-5j
course among their members, and 10 eau
cate foreigners in the duties and respOQ-
sibilities, as well as the rights and priV=S
ileges, OF American citizenship.
There are numbered in the ranks Of the
Sons OF the American Revolution Eneal
descendants Of more than 1900 active
participants in the struggle for American
liberty. OF the ffty-six signers OF the
Declaration OF Independence, forty are
represented in the society Oy 100 patriots
Of to-day. There are found upon its rolls
descendants of Israel Putnam. Patrick
Henry. Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Boone,
Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris. Roger
Sherman. Richard Henry Lee. the Mar
qUis de Lafayette. Gen. Joseph Warren,
OF Bunker Hin. and other patriots Seven
hundred members showed their live pa
triotism by enlisting during the Spanish
War
Among the prominent names on the ros-
ter OF the society are those Of Presidents
Hayes. Mckinley, and Roosevelt; Vice
President Morton. Thomas F. Bayard,
John Sherman, Gen Horace Porter, Gems
Nelson Miles and Frederick D. Grant;
Joseph Wheeler. and Wade Hampton.
the Confederate leaders; Ambassador
Hill the late Ethan Allen Hitchcock.
who vas descended from the Green
Mountain BOYS leader, ex-SeCretaries Of
the Navy Long and NewbeTry. AGmirals
EDILEE- Lt[WEf- CtILef- ana QUIET Sd
fighters; Justice Brewer. Of the Supreme
Court; Cows. Hughes. Of New York; Had
lev. Of Missouri. and Fort. OF New jersey;
Senators Root. Frye. Lodge. Depew. Dill
lingham, BUikeley, Perkins. Smith. of
Michigan: Daniel. Warren. and Crane: /
John D. Rockefeller. and scores Of Con-
gressmen. State judges, chUrchmen, and
other prominent men all over the coun-
try.
The Sons Of the American Revolution
claim credit for the creation Of Flag Day.
June 4 They have rad inGexed the rec
OTds OF 350.0o0 Revolutionary patriots
They are pressing a bill 70 prevent the
desecration OF the national flag, and are
seeking To promote appreciation Of the
national anthem. The Star SpanEled
Banner. To encourage patriotism in
the youth Of to-day. the society has inau-
gurated q plan Of giving TO students prize
silver medals for the best ESSAYS on
patriotic subjects i has printed IN
thirteen languages and circulated among
immigrants 1.000.000 copies Of pamphlet
on the meaning Of American liberty. the
naturalization Law. &c. Il IS putting sub
stantial markers on the graves Of Revo-
lutionary dead.
The society has erected monuments 10
Gen. Stark. in New Hampshire. TO the
prison ship martyrs IN Brooklyn. 10
George Rogers Clark in Indianapolis,
and completed the pedestal for BaTtholdfs
Statute Of Liberty in New York Harbor
It has marked and preserved such his
toric sites as Dobbs Ferry. y. Y; Ben
nington. Vt. the John TrumbuIl home,
the Nathan Hale school house. Coochs
bridge. Del. where the American flag Is
-
tie, the Washington headquarters in New
York and al Morristown. y J. and
has made a part OF Stony Point battle
ground and has set a memorial al Fort
Washington, y Y
The organization OF societies based
upon participation IN the Revolution
dates back 20 the days Of George Wash
ington. He founded the Society Of the
Cincinnati which was then composed OF
men who had actually fought under the
American flag in our first war against
the British. The scope Of this society
was thus limited It was further limited
by the fact that under its organic law.
the law Of primogeniture regulates mem
bership; that is only the first or eldest
sons Of Revolutionary warriors. and the
direct descendants Of such sons. have
been eligible TO membership such eligi-
bility being confined IN every case 10 the
eldest living son OF each family
Shortly before the first centennial Of
the American republic, in 1876. the inter-
est OF the public was aroused in Revo-
Iutionary matters. The current patriotic
feeling took concrete form first in San
Francisco IN the organization OF the Sons
of Revolutionary Sires. In the shadow
OF the Golden Gate, 5000 miles from the
scene Of the great conflict FOR human
rights, the first modern patriotic Revo-
Iutionary society was formed. Its iftera-
ture was circulated throughout the coun-
try and some OF Il reached New York.
some people there did not think that
California should lead in a movement Of
that sort Finally. IN 1883 a few men
gathered in New York and organized the
Sons OF the Revolution following an ef-
fort at organization in $50 and again In
1875 Thus the seed planted by California
had sprouted at last IN the metropolis.
It was not long before the Revolution
srv society idea spread INTO other parts
of the country. The New York society
Of the Sons OF the Revolution. instead Of
encouraging the organization OF inde-
neudent or autonomous societies in other
states. permitted" the organization Of
auxiliar= bodies elsewhere. This was not
satisfactory 10 many people. New Eng
land wished TO have Revolutionary. So
cieties. but refused to become auxiliary
10 New York which had furnished far
less Revolutionary troops than New Eng
land had A society was organized in
philadelphia which refused 10 De auxil-
fary TO the New York society Some New
Jersey members OF the New York society
organized, by correspondence and per
--f- C4oN1 IN,
shire. Vermont New Jersey. Delaware
ararrIand Ohio Indian Illinois EEast