The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-15
FRIENDLY SONS OF ST. PATRICK
 ANCIENT ORDER George Washington Was a Member and Attended
 Three of Dinners.
NO CREED LINES IN
 BYLAWS OF SOCIETY
Lent Aid to Establishment of Freedom In Colonies
 of America.

" Aleh the Soc1eLy or the Friendly sons of St Patrick gather next Friday night at The strathefd to hold their annual banquet they will assemble as a duly constituted branch of the fla
 nous American organization of the same name which had it's institution in PhIladelphla, March IT, 1771.
 No creed lines were drawn in the original organization which had Zen { eral George Washington as an adopt ed member, the Father of his Country attending at least three of the dinners given by the society, viz: January i, 1IS2s March IS. -1782, and June IS, 1787
 The purpose of the society was to lend aid to the establishment of the free and independent colonies and give support to the Continental army General Washington, in his acceptance of membership in the society, wrcse: "A society distinguished for the firm adherence of it's members to the glor- 1ous cause in which we are embarked.s
 AS d tribute to the great teacher, Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland, the valiant sons of Erin chose to name their society after him that he who had been an inspiration to early Ireland might again be an inspiration to them in their work of assisting their establishment of equality and justice in the colonies which were destined tD become the greatest constitutional republic in the world.
 Catholics. Presbyterians. 11uakers and Episcopalians were united in the early Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the present day organiza- lion adheres to the traditions of it's founders, the patriots of 1771, who played no small part in the throwing off of the yoke of British rule
 Stephen Moylan was the first presi- dent, and John M. Nesbitt was the first vice president, with William Mitchell as secretary and treasurer
 Twenty-seven members of the early society subscribed $517 .50O to furnish provisions and munitions to the Conti- nenta1 Army John Nixon, a charter member of the soceity, read to the people of Philadelphia on July 12, ] TITS, the Declaration of Independ- ence. It was the first time that inn mortal document was read in public. Nixon became a colonel in Washing toms army and wintered with him at Valley Forge.
 E A reason for the specialization of the spirit of these early Americans of | Irish extraction and birth in the so- | eiety at PhiIade1phia perhaps is ex- Iolained by the records of the port of 1 Philadelphia. in the half century pre- | ceding the American Revolution. In l 1729 there were 5,655 Irish immi- l grants as against 267 English and Welsh, 43 Scotch and S4S Germans at this one port who entered to make a home in the new world & But the Society of the Friendly Sons Of St. Patrick of Philadelphia was not the first to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in America. This honor belongs to Boston where the Charitable Irish So- .ciety celebrated the event in 1737. The founders were Protestants as Ahere was no to1eration of Catholics Or Quakers in the Massachusetts col aony then but five years after the Rounding of the society it is believed i that Catholics were admitted and it is Known that Catholics were members lin 1770.
 President James Boyd. a Protestant. n his address to the society at it's Rentennial anniversary, St Patrick's sDay. 1837, said: "1n the persons 1 ssEho have had the honor to preside spver you during the last 25 years. 0 1 shave been Protestants. and five have been Catholics.
 "Yet during all this time, it is be- l dieved that majority at all meetings shave been of the Catholic persuasion Fhe Friendly Sons of St. Patrick were instituted in New York city in A7S4. It's founders were Irish offic- CTS of the Revolutionary army. Out Of it's organization grew the Irish Immigrant society and the Immigrant sIndustriaI Savings bank. It cele-
 
 a national and immemorial custom, sto commemorate the glory of Ireland, to drop tear upon her sorrows and express hope for her regeneration. g Commodore John Barry, the Father Of the American Navy, and a native sof County Wexford, was a. member of the Philadelphia society Barry as recently eu1ogfzed by President Will sson at the unvei1ing of the Barry me 1noria1 monument in Washington He TS- s--I., who became great American. He brought his heart to this country and laid it upon the altar of American s1i iberty''
 Asa early as 1762 we find St. Pat sFick's day celebrated in New York Aeity and sas early as 1766 evidences of the influence of Sons of Erin to as- aeist the cause liberty are found there sTn the co1ournns of the New York t4azette of March 20 of that year there appeared the toast list of the Est. Patrick's day dinner. After toast Ing King William as matter of form sfn the KiI1g's colony, the diners pro- ceeded to drink the following toasts: E 'sSuccess to the Sons of Liberty in "A merica, may they never want money, fnterest nor courage to maintain their Aust rights A May the enemies of America be Branded with Infamy and Dfsdain.''
 Success to American manufactur ers." as I've we never want courage when i've come tao the Trial" sf May the enemies of Ireland never eat the bread nor drink the whislxey sof it but be tormented with itching Cyithout the benefit of scratchiing'' z And the sentiment of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick is the same today sas it was in 1766 with American hearts That will always hold a warm spot for 1 Erin, cherishing the thought that she l will some day again take her place 1 among the nations of the earth
 The speakers at The Stratfield on the 17th will be Judge John J. Walsh, l Rev ". A. Keefe, of P1ainfeld, Conn; Mayor Clifford B.. Wilson, Bridgeport; Mayor Joseph R. Dutton, Bristol. Ct; | T1o11 Thprl1es E. Devine Waterburv: