THE : 0 at Ne burgh - Gen. George Washington By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T WAS just 150 years ago that the cur- tain was rung down on the last act of the mighty drama known as the Amer ican Revolution and, appropriately enough, the stage setting for this act was the Hudson river, which had been the scene of so many impor- tant events during that struggle. More particularly the town of Newburgh, N. Y. It was here that Washington and his Continental army, after the victory over Corn- wallis at Yorktown, had settled down on their last camp ground of the war. In the Hasbrouck mansion, a small, sloping-roofed farme house, Washington had established his head- quarters and here were living with him Martha Washington and members of his military fami- ly, officers who had followed his fortunes faith- fully during the war—Col. Tench Tilghman, Col David Humphries, Maj. Benjamin Walker. Col. William Stevens Smith, Hedijah and Jonathan Trumbull, Jr, son of the famous “Brother Jonathan” Trumbull, governor of Con- necticut. 4 The camp of the semi-circle extending from along locale was the stone Baylies in a four miles southwest of Newburgh to the village of New Windsor on the west bank of the Hudson, now a suburb of Newburgh. On the summit of a high. less hill overlooking the valley had been erected a big, oblong wooden known as Temple or the New Public building which was used for holding religions tinentals, On April 19, 1783 (the anniversary of the Rat tle of Lexington), a courier rode hastily through the streets of Newburgh and drew up before the Hasbrouck mansion. The burden of his patches was the proclamation of congress for the cessation of hostilities. At noon of the same day the proclamation was read to the officers of the army who were assembled in the Temple for that purpose and In the evening It was read to every regiment in the army. Although the signing of the treaty of peace was still several months in the Soptember Toms) i American Revol was at an end, soldiers was pliched tree. buile the services for the Con des. futnre (it was not slened until tion began the work of demobilization and as the officers prepared to other, perhaps forever, it occurred to Gen. Hen- ry Knox, commander at West Point, to whom had been given the delicate task of disband- ing the army, that there should be some way of perpetuating the ties that had bound them together during the dark days of their struggle for liberty, hen, there idea of paying tribute to thelr fellow officers who had lost their lives In the struggle and of finding some method of support for the widows and orphans of the dead heroes. The proposal of Knox to found a patriotic and memorial society met with the Instant ap- proval of the other officers of the army and it also had “the acquiescence and hearty appro- bation” of Washington. A meeting to organize such a soclety was held at Verplanck house, the headquarters of Baron von Steuben near Fish. kill, with that doughty German soldier presid Ing and Knox serving as secretary-general. The name chosen for the organization was the Society of the Cincinnati and the selection of that name Is easily explained. ‘The ecolo- nists were mostly agriculturists and many of them had been educated in England where Roman history was ever the Inspiration of the scholar. 80 the name of Society of the Cincinnatl was appropriate for them because they, like the Cincinnatus of Roman legend, had left the plow for their country's service and like him. now that their service was over, were returning to the plow again. The order, or medal, of the soclety was also In keeping with this idea. It Is a baldheaded eagle, suspended on a blue ribbon with white borders, typifying the union of France and Amer. lea, On the eagle's breast Is shown Cincinnatus receiving a sword and Insignia from the Roman senate and in the background Is his home, his wife and his plow. Around this scene are dis played the words “Omnia relinquit servare rem publican”—He left all to serve the republic. On the reverse of the order Is Fame crowning Cin- cinnatus with a wreath, inscribed "Virtotis Praemium”~the reward of valor. In the back- ground is a seaport city with open gates and ships entering the harbor and below this are Joined hands supporting a heart inscribed “Esto Peorpetua”—Be thou Faithful, the command of the society. The design for this medal was the werk of Major L'Enfant, destined for future fame as the man who was to plan the new Capl- tal of the Nation, Washington, D. O The membe of the society Was composed of officers of the Continental army, native or foreign, who had served three years or been hono discharged and to thelr direct male nts by order of birth, through females Now take leave of each foo, wing the a Henry Knox in default of males and then by collaterals if judged acceptable by the ¢ Individuals dis tinguished for their patriotisin were to be ad- mitted as honorary for life and the state branches were always to meet on the Fourth of July, eral society was y third ye an the anniversary of May 13. 1'S8. It agreed at the first wiety, members while the ger meeting that in or. der to secure the fund for the desired relief of the widows and orphans that all the officers should contribute a full month's salary, as soon as congress appropriated an equal amount. This would make a very considerable pension fund, the interest on which alone was to be expended. Strange as it may seem, the organization of this patriotic and fraternal organization soon became the object of bitter denunciation by a large number of citizens of the new nation. The first mistake on the part of its founders had been in limiting the membership to officers, both native and foreign. Unlike the G. A. R., which followed the Civil war, and the American Le. gion, which followed the World war, the Soclety of the Cincinnati did not include In its member. ship the common soldier, Then the memberships were made hereditary, to pass down to posterity by the rule of prim- ogeniture, and In this provision the patriots detected a move toward the perpetuation of a “military aristocracy.” And then, to cap ‘he climax, there was the golden “decoration” which went with a membership. Were not such deco rations of the very essence of the Old world feu dal aristocracy? So, in spite of the faet that the great “Father of Our Country” vouched for the patriotic spirit of the new society and honored it by becoming its first president, the tribunes of the people raged against it and declaimed against it as an insidious influence, to such an extent that the time came when It was as much as a man's political life was worth to appear in publie with the insignia of the Cincinnati pinned to his bosom. France, Just swinging into its bloody revolutionary period, took a hand In the fight and even the great Mirabean thundered against the Cincinnati and warned the young Republic against its dangerous tendencies. The young Republic was quite willing to believe him. It was not only the tavern orators and the political pamphleteers that pitched into it, not merely the rabid republican followers of Jefferson who viewed it as a dangerous menace to the Republic's new institutions—some of the most conservative statesmen and publicists of the tifie raised their voices and employed their pens against it 4 Jefferson was publicly. hostile to it. Benjamin Franklin, then representing the republic at the court of France, wrote home ridiculing the pur poses of the soclety as an attempt to form an order of “hereditary knighthood.” He expressed the wonder that any set of American gentlemen should, In the face of the provisions of the Articles of Confederation against “ranks of no- bility from exclusive order Invested and Probably the new order was the Revolution™ panlike, they man, he was more ready to remember grateful nd re * set thems ives and their posterity apart their fellow citizens of the Republie in an with all the privileges insignia of aristocracy of the Samuel! Adam the “father of While his were most influential enem ¥ fat views were states severe. No said, ward the services of the set of men had oF gle, but it was astounding that any " : should imagine that a people who freely and tre i nent the rele was os “reconciled to the odious hereditary distin tion of families.” Ie of the Cincinnati tary military no in so short a time, and be could not but lament, looked upon 1 3 “as a stride toward a heredi ility as rapid as ever was made a8 a grievous misfortune to the states, Mustrious a man as Washington sanctioned it." to the John Adams added his voice 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 pamphieteers Joined the chorug of condemnation One of these, Aedanns Burke, a Revolutionary veteran and a Judge of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, wrote a bitter pamphlet over the signature of “Cassius” 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 it into French and published it In England. Washington tried to stem the tide of opposi- tion to the child of his sponsorship by advocat- ing the repeal of the provision making the mem. berships hereditary. But it was too late. Pub lie suspicion had been aroused and the patriots of the “rank 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, a counter movement in New York, nucleating In a society organized on the alleged basis of “pure democracy” Ro unpopu- lar did the Cincinnati become that candidates for public office curried favor by denouncing “the aristocrats” from the stump and instances are related where men publicly divested them. selves of the eagle and the ribhon at the polls, vowing that they had severed thelr connection with the society, Rhode Island went te the length of disfranchising all members of the hated or ganization and one by one the state socletios in Georgla, North Carolina, Virginla, Delaware, Connecticut and New Hampshire abandoned their charters and the once propitious Roclety of the Cincinnatl was in a falr way to oblivion. The visit of Lafayette, In 1824, revived a temporary interest in it, but it was many years before popular apprehension had become so ap peased that It was safe for a man who asked preferment at the hands of the Americar nub. lie to profess that he was a member of the hon. orable Society of the Cincinnati, America’s first association of war veterans, (® by Western Newspaper Union.) 5 Bible Called King of All Textbooks Journalism to practice rewriting sto- ries from the Bible Is but applying an old idea In a new ssvironment, The English Bible has long been king of textbooks for him who would know how to write the English lan guage, In addition to its instruc tional value, the course at ought to serve as a chastener of van i ing to know what the youngsters of Texans would make out of the account of the death of a certain royal ter- “Aud when Jehu was come to Jez reel, Jezebel heard of it: and she painted her face, and tired her head, looked out at a window. And young, finds himself getting puffed up over his technical skill al] that is again, to make him know the limita- tions of his craftsmanship. is to set him to reading St, Luke's report of the parable of the Prodigal Son. All things considered, there never wus a better reporter than Luke, He wasted no never spent tiie on introductions} he had per- fect words: he understanding of color, move His account of a 27:28) has not been centuries, [Ir ment, background. shipwreck (Acts stirpussed in nineteen beging gently as a zephyr: “And when the south softly, posing that pur O86, wind they loosing thence had ob tained their they sailed ong cloge hy Crete, after there tempestous urose against it a wind, called Euroclydon And when the ship was caught, and let her drive” The wind did not rise more rapidly un the swell of the narrative nor fo gh foliohifnlile subside more delightfully, ix to tell the tale ily by the discovery that ter told. The Old f \ ment Is full of Cian not be het master? “And he lifted up his face to the and sald, Who is on my And there looked ont to And he sald, Throw her down, So they threw her down: and some of her blood the wall, and on the horges: and he trode her under foot.” For anybody vivid, who wishes (0 write Incisive English there is more useful than persistent study of the phrase ology of the Bible.—~New York Sun. strong which WHEN SHES HE UPSET SUFFERS iN Constipation Drove Her Wild made her feel cross, head achy, half alive. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers