The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-13
TODAY IN HISTORY
lay OF the Society Of the Cincinnati.
FRIDAY, MAY 13. 1910.

Birthday OF the Society Of the Cincinnati.
Today IS the birthday OF the Society
ol tnc Cincinnati. an hereditary patriotic
society. which was organized on May -,
lIS". oy the american and foreign off
GERS OF the Continental army, The or
Sanlzatlou was effected during their en-
campment on the Hudson river near
tlShkill ~ The original meeting was
ncld IN the Nerplanck house, which WAS
az the time the headquarters OF Baron
Steubcn.
The object of the society. as stated
at the time. was ITO perpctuate as well
the remembrance OF this vast event CHE
War OF the Revolutiom as the mutual
friendships which have been formed un-
IN many Instances ccmentcd by the blood
OF the parties. the officers of tho Amer
lean army do hereby. In the most solemn
manner, associate, constitute and COM
plne themselves Into one society OF
friends. to endure as long as they shall
endure, or any OF their closest male
posterity, and in failure thereof. the col.
lateral branches who may be deemed
worthy of becoming its supporters and
members"
As the officers were about to return
10 their farms, which they had left 10
ilsht the battles OF the Republic. they
named the organization the Society Of
lhe Cincinnati, after their Roman pro-
totype. Luctus Quinctius Cincnnatus.
They chose the eagle as. their emblem.
on which appears. as the principal fig
nre. Cincinnatus receiving Z sword and
other military insignia presented by three
senators, while in the background is his
wiie standing at the door Of their cot
tase, near which are a plough and other
instruments Of hushandry.
Membership in the Society OF the
Cincinnati was accorded to all Cont
mental officers who had served with hon
or and resigned after three years serv-
ice. or who had been honorably dis
charged for disability, and In turn TO the
oldest male posterIty of such officers.
I'm failure of direct male descendant. the
honor passed to male descendants
through intervening female descendants.
and I'm failure OF all direct descent, the
collateral descendants who should be
Judged worthy OF becoming members.
was held in Philadelphia on May /. 1884.
at which delegates from the thirteen
states were present, at which an amended
constitution was adopted. under which a
society WAS authorized and organized in
France. Although General Washington
was the first president OF the society.
and held office until his death the So
ciety was Immediately and continuously
unpopular throughout the United States.
Many persons felt that il was the be-
ginning OF an hereditary aristocracy and
others discerned the formation Of an
armed league to seize all the military and
civil offices in the Republic,
Even so conservative a statesman As
BENJAMIN Franklin questioned the So
cletys influence. while John Adams,
Samuel Adams and Thomas jefferson
were avowedly hostile towards it, The
fact that many members of the French
nobility who had served with the Amer
leans. including the Marquis de Ldfa =
yettc. were members OF the society. gave
some reason for the popular impression
against the Cincinnati, and opposition
did not cease until after the Critical
period or American history had passed
and the Union was firmly established.
The presidents OF the society follow
ing Washington. in the order named.
have been: Alexander Hamilton, Charles
CotoSwOrlh Plnckney. Thomas PinckneN,
Aaren ogden, Morgan Lewis. William
Popham. II. A. S. Dearborn. Hamilton
Fish, William Wayne and Winslow War
rem. the present head Of the society. The
last meeting OF the general society was
held in Charleston. s. c.. I'm April. 1908.
and the next triennial meeting Will be
held at Newport. r. l., in May. 1911. The
reported at the last meeting. was SAC.
There is limited list of honorary mem
hers.