Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-04-19

bility," set themselves and their p~osterity apart
from their fellow citizens of the Republic In an
exclusive order invested with all the privileges
and insignia Of aristocracy.
Probably the most influential enemy of the
new order was Samuel Adams, the father Of
the Revolution" While his views were states
manlike, they were severe. No man, he said,
was more ready to remember gratefully and re
ward the services of the army In the great strug-
gle, but 1t was astounding that any set of men
should imagine that a people who had freely
spent blood and treasure in support Of equal
rights should, the moment the struggle was over.
be ''reconciled to the odious hereditary dlstinc-
ton of families" He looked upon the Society
Of the Cincinnati "as a stride toward a heredi-
tary military nobility as rapid as ever was made
In so short q time, and he could not but lament
as a g~rievous misfortune to the states, that so
illustrious a man as Washington sanctioned 1t"
John Adams added his voice to the general
clamor against the Cincinnati. The legislators of
Massachusetts,, inspired by resolutions from Cam
bridge, the university center, denounced the So
ciety as dangerous to the peace, liberty and
safety of the Union" A flood Of pamphleteers
joined the chorus Of condemnation.
One of these, Aedanus Burke, a Revolutionary
veteran and a Judge of the Supreme Court Of
DOuLu Cd1OlAuds WAOLC a w PhAIRniCt v
the signature Of "Casslus' denouncing the aris-
~tocratic tendencies Of the society, which put the
capsheaf on the condemnatory movement. The
pamphlet was reprinted In every state and found
Its way across the Atlantic. A copy fell into the
hands of Mirabeau, who translated 1t into French
and published 1t In England.
Washington tried to stem the tide Of opposi-
ton to the child of his sponsorship by advocat.
ing the repeal Of the provision making the mem.
b~erships hereditary. But 1t was too late. Pub.
lie suspicion had been aroused and the patriots
Of the frank and file" had placed their taboo
on the order.
One of the most interesting results Of the
feeling against the Cincinnati was the founding
of Tammany Hall, q counter movement In New
York, Indicating in q society organized on the
alleged basis of "pure democracy" SO unpopu
lar did the Cincinnati become that candidates
for public Office curried favor by denouncIne
'the aristocrats" from the stump and instances
are related where men publicly Invested them
selves Of the eagle and the ribbon Mt the polls
vowing that they had severed their connection
with the society. Rhode Island went TO the length
of DISTINGUISHING all members Of the hated or
ganization and one by one the state ~societie,
in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware
Connecticut and New Hampshire abandoned
their charters and the once propitious Society
of the Cincinnati was In a fair way to oblivion
The visit Of Lafayette, In 1924, revived
temporary Interest In 1t, but Il was many year
before popular apprehension had become 80 ap
peased that 1t was safe for q man who asked
preferment at the hands Of the American pub
lie to profess that he was a member Of the hon
orable Society of the Cincinnati, Americas frs
association of war veterans.
! 90 By Western Newspaper Union.l