Norwich bulletin., 1921-11-03
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI

THE SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI
 The Society of the Cincinnati is the oldest of our patriotic societies and in many ways the most exclusive. This Society was formed immediately after the Revolution and before the conti- mental army was disbanded. Its origi- nator was Gen. Knox, and the object course among the officers and to cher was to keep alive the friendly inter- ish the memory O1 the Stl DS5-c III which they had taken part.
 With the fondness for classical anal ogies, which characterized that time they likened themselves to Cincin- natus who~was taken from a plough to lead an army, and returned to his quiet farm as soon as his warlike duties were over. They were modern Cincinnati.
 The organization was affected dur ing the army's encampment on the Hudson River, near Fishkil, N. Y. on May 13, 1T83. The original meetz l ing was held in the Verplanck House | which was at the time the headquar- | ters of Baron Steuben, the German 1 officer who did so much for the Amer | ican army a few winters before at | Valley Forge.
 The object of the Society as stated 1 at the time, was ITO perpetuate as well the remembrance of this vast [ event (the war of the Revolution) as | the mutual friendships which have 1 been formed under the pressure of common danger, and in many instances l cemented by the blood of the parties 1 the officers of the American army do l hereby, in the most solemn manner,
 associate, constitute and combine
 themselves into one society of friends,
 to endure as long as they shall en-
 dure, or any of their closest male pos 1 terity, and in failure thereof, the col lateral branches who may be deemed
 worthy of becoming it's supporters and
 members"
 The society chose the eagle as their
 emblem, on which appears, as the principal figure, Cincinnatus receiving a sword and other military insignia presented by three Senators, while in the background is his wife standing
 at the door of their cottage, near
 which are a plough and other instru- ments of husbandry.
 Membership into the Society of the
 Cincinnati was accorded to all conti-
 mental officers who had served with
 honor and resigned after three years service, or who had been honorably ! discharged for disability, and in turr to the oldest male posterity, of sucf
 officers. In failure of direct male de. l l scendants through intervening fe male descendants, and in failure of al direct descent, the collateral descend
 ants who should be judged worthy O l becoming members. The first genera meeting of the Society was held il Philadelphia on May T. 1784, at Whicl T 4-f. ,i,-to {af present, at which an amended consti
 tuition was adopted. under which 3 society was authorized and organized l in France. Although Gen. Washington . was the first president of the Societ, l and held office until his death, tn . Society was immediately and continu
 Ously unpopular throughout the ,Unitet
 States. Many persons felt that it wa 7 the beginning of an hereditary aris
 tocracy, and others discerned the for nation of an armed league to seize al the military and civil offices in tn
 Republic.
 Even so conservative a statesman
 as Benjamin Franklin questioned tn i Society's influence, while John Adams l Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson | were aVoWedly hostile towards it. Tn fact that many members of the Frencl
 nobility, who had served with the Am s ericans, including the Marquis q g Lafayette, were members of the Soci
 ety gave some reason for the popula . impression against the Cincinnati an
 opposition did not cease until after tn 7 critical period of the American his
 tory had passed and the Union Wa
 firmly established.
 ' The presidents of the Society fol
 1 lowing Washington, in order name
 have been: Alexander Hamilton, c. (
 Pinckney, Thomas Pincl1ney, Aaro / Odgen, Morgan Lewis, William Pop : ham, IT. A. s. Dearborn, Hamilto Fish, William Wayne and WinsIo1