El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-11


elusive organization in thu
United states which is based upon an
cestry is the Society Of the Cincinnati
which was founded in may. 1888. just
before the disbandment OF the Revo-
lutionarv army. 1t was intended as
memorial organization to perpetual
the Fellowship and patriotism which
had distinguished the officers in the
Continental army. Its first meeting
was held in verpIanck house near Fish
kin on the Hudson which had been the
headquarters Of Baron Won Steuoen ana
his revolutionary soldiers
II was intended that the organization
should include in its membership only
officers OF the Revolutionary army ana
their descendants In the male line; ~
was decided that branch sho I4 IL
formed for every state and Gen " ash
, iDe-fon was made the president OF the
| general society All OF the EI s-C-- q
most Of the other foreign oIIlceEss y -
members of the original orsanlAsS ~. LoLl
and baron Won SteuDen was Us
All ORIGINAL members were. required
IN have served at least three years ~
the Revolutionary army un illeass,,S.-- ~
hOnOrably discharged for dlsapl4ltS - ~
CURED during time OF service 1LS
membership was at first llnlreo 20 slS-
officers and their descendants IN tLle
direct male line, atInousiil - S-o7Ie-1
was made for the descendanls III , II
the direct female line IN oeIeuLI u ---9 ~
descent and to collateral Dr1nCLle9 -
judged acceptable to the soC-ssg- -
its BEGINNING, the Cincinnati was Wig
orouslv opposed as an organlzatlOn ~
MANY classes Of American clllzehs On
the ground that 1t would teno 20 pr
mote class distinction ana IoL -l-,-,a-
genfture as introduced In the PROV IS
ions that the membership should oes
cend from father TO son, was pro
nounced un-American
Has Many Ehemies.
All of the Revolutionary chiefs VINO
had not been in the army oo3ecte9 %
the new organization Franklln, MOI
ris and Jefferson spoke puollcI5 In ~ ~
/ position TO the Society OF lne Cin--l1
natl and the legislatures o. r e1 ms =
vauia Massachusetts and Rhode As-5nu
naSsed reolutfOns censuring It me
governor OF South Carolina wrote
special message to the legislature cen
suriug 1t and justice Burhe %IoSe
pamphIst signed ~Cassius" in Whicn ne
stated in the strongest terms, that the
ORGANIZATION Of a society whose mem
bershfp was based upon hereully Wou-u
tend to undo all the good work accom-
ni{sbed nv fhe revolution. This pam
/ phlet was translated into french anu
I used BY AIirabeau in arousing enthu-
! siasm for equality in france several
Even the fact that washington was
I the president general Of the society old
not make its existence popular. Al llle
| first general meeting, held IN tne ClLg
, Tavern. Philadelphia in 1tS4, W asnlns
7 ton endeavored to broaden the here0lly
I limits of the membership provision
I but this did not change pubic sentl-
ment towards the society and no acglon
I taken by Washington during his pubic
career was as obnoxious 70 many
American citizens as his endorsement o.
the Cincinnati
natl was heartfelt, however and IN q
letter written to Rochambeau, dated
October %, 1884 he expressed the nope
that the new order founded In America
would bind in closest ties the men VINO
had risked their lives together in the
founding Of the new republic
Revived By Welcome to Lafayette.
Washington continued as pr res. sll..
general OF the Cincinnati until the day
of his death and was succeeded by Alex
ander Hamilton. The society made lit
tie advance. however, ard compare
lively few outside of the original mem
bers were induced TO join When La
fayette visited the United states IN
1924. he was the only surviving major
general In their enthusiasm in Wei
coming him. the Americans lost SiEnL
OF their antipathy to the Cincinnati.
the organization in which he was united
to the American officers by fraternaI
bonds The opposition to the organlza-
ton was completely overcome ana Tor
a short period il was even popular
This sentiment seemed only passing,
however. for in a few years the Gin
cinnah was almost lost sight OF, only
few scattered members being SuIIl-
GENTLY interested TO attend the annual
dinner which is held in New York The
general meetings Of the society are held
triennially in a place decided upon by
the board, although Il Is generally un-
0eTErOnu that thew EnaU be held unOu
the soil of one OF the IS original states.
When the last survivor OF the orig
inal organization, Robert Burnett, died
In New Ork IN 1888 there were only
nominal organizations in three or four
states and il looked as though the so
ciety Washington had taken such in
terest in founding was likely to be-
come extinct In the latter part or
the Nineteenth century, however,
movement to revive the Cincinnati be-
came popular and organizations in
each Of the IS original states were ef-
tected within a rev years, Connecticut,
the first one. being formed in 1898 and
Georgia the last IN 1902. The mem ber-
ship requirements are sttu very rigid
and man who is a member Of the Gin
ctnnau requires no other genealogicel
record. and his son is eligible upon his
fathers record.
The order is based upon the story Of
Cincinnatus. the Roman general VINO
left his plough when his country needed
him and returned to il again when
his services no longer were required
The emblem of the society Is prectic-
ally the same now as originally adopted
1t consists of a bald eagle in gold sus-
pended from a blue ribbon with white
borders signifying the unity between
France and the United States. on the
eagles breast is Cincinnatus receiving
a sword from the senate, his VIE
standing al the door Of their cottage
with the pillow and other agricultural
implements in the background. Below
are two hands supporting a heart ana
the words, "Esta Perpe tua.' On me
reverse side is shown Fame croWnlns
Cincinnatus with a laurel wreath Inc
design Of this emblem was MADE Ds
Mai. LEnfant
There are in the country quite a
number Of these emblems which pc
longed to the original members Of the
Cincinnati. Most of them are in the
possession Of their lineal descendants
who have now acquired the right 10
wear them. for the number OF persons
entitled TO belong to the order Las in
creased with each generation and each
year more OF them are taking up their
privileges The most valuable insignia
/ for the Cincinnati was the