Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-12

! ton in the United States which is based
upon ancestry is the Society of the Gin
| cinnati, which was founded in May, 1888
| just before the disarmament of the revo-
| lutionary army 1t was intended as a
| memorial organization 10 perpetuate the
| fellowship and patriotism which had dis
| tinguished the officers in the Continental
army. Its first meeting was held in Yer
p,anck House. near Fishkill on the Hud-
| son, which had been the headquarters
| of Baron Won Steuben and his revO.u-
tionary soldiers.
| 1t was intended that the organization
should include in its membership only
officers of the revolutionary army and
their descendants in the male line. 1t was
decided that branch should be formed
for every state and Gen. Washington was
made the president of the general So
ciety. All of the French and most Of the
other foreign officers were members OF
the original organization and Baron Won
Steuben was its first grand master.
All original members were required to
have served at least three years in the
revolutionary army
Admission unless earlier honor
Requirements. disability Incurred
during time of service. eThe membership
was at first limited to such officers and
their descendants in the direct male line,
although a provision was made for the
descendants through the direct female line
in default of male descent and TO col
lateral branches if judged acceptable to
thn
cinnati was vigorously opposed as an
organization by many classes Of Ameri-
can citizens on the ground that it would
tend to promote class distinction and
form an aristocracy. The very idea OF
primogeniture. as introduced in the pro-
visions that the membership should de-
scend from father to son, was pro-
nounced un-Amcrican.
All of the revolutionary chiefs who had
not been in the army objected to the new
organization. Franklin.
The Society Morris and Jefferson
spoke publicly in oppo-
Vpposeu' sition to the Society of
the Cincinnati, and the legislatures OF
Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Rhode
Island passed resolutions censuring it.
special message to the legislature censur-
| ing it, and Justice Burke wrote pamphlet
! signed ''Cassius." in which he stated in
the strongest terms that the organization
| Of a society whose membership was based
| upon heredity would tend to undo all the
good work accomplished by the revolu-
ton. This pamphlet was translated into
French and used by Mirabeau in arousing
| l, for France
| eral years later
Even the fact .nat Washington was the
president general Of the society did not
| make its existence popular At the nrst
general meeting. held In the city tavern
Philadelphia, in 1884, Washington en-
deavored to broaden the heredity limits
of the membership provision. but this did
not change public sentiment toward the
| society, and no action taken by Wash
| ington during his public career was as
| obnoxious to many American citizens as
his Endorsement of the Cincinnati.
Washinstons interest In the Cincinnati
! was heartfelt, however. and in letter
written to Rochambeau. dated October
-, 1884 he expressed the hope that the
| new order founded in America would
bind in closest ties the men who had
risked their lives togethet in the founding
| of the new republic.
| Washington continued as president gen.
eral of the Cincinnati until the day OF
/ his death, and was succeeded by Alex
| ander Hamilton. The society made little
/ advance, however, and comparatively few
outside OF the original members were in
| duccd to join. When Lafayette visited
| the United States in 1894 he was the only
| surviving major general. In their en-
| ,husiasm in welcoming him, the Ameri-
| cans lost sight of their antipathy to the
Cincinnati. the organization in which he
was united to the American officers 10y
| fraternal bonds. The opposition to the
cOrlnleteiy overcome,
| and for short period it was even popu-
X /:
This sentiment seemed only passing,
| however for in a few years the Cincin-