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Meetings of the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey

Standing Committee

Mr. William Lloyd, Mr. Francis Barber, Colonel Clifford Stanley Sims, Mr. Robert Morris Boggs, Mr. John Clarke Sims, Hon. John Fitch, Commodore Charles Henry Baldwin, U.S.N.

Delegates to the General Society

Rev. Charles Clinton Beatty, D.D., Colonel Clifford Stanley Sims, Mr. Francis Barber Ogden, Hon. John Thompson Nixon, Hon. John Fitch.

Alternates

William Bowen Buck, Rev. William Henry Hornblower, D.D., Hon. Joseph Griffith Scott, Commodore Charles H. Baldwin, U.S.N., Hon. John Lambert Cadwalader.

Hereditary Members

The Standing Committee would respectfully suggest the passage of the following resolutions:

Whereas. At the annual meeting held in 1868, John Clarke Sims, Jr., was admitted a member of the Society under the provisions of Rule 2d regarding membership, as the great great grandson of Alexander Ross, M.D., who, it was averred by the affidavit of the late Zachariah Read had been a surgeon in the Continental Army.

And, Whereas, While it is impossible to prove that the said Alexander Ross, was not an officer as stated, and while the affidavit of Zachariah Read referring to the statements of those who were contemporaries of the said Alexander Ross, would go far to prove that he was in some manner connected with the military service during the Revolution. Yet as it is more than probable that he may have been confounded with his son, Dr. John Ross, who was Brigadier Major of the New Jersey Brigade, Continental Army, and an original member of the Society.

And, Whereas, The Society acted in good faith in receiving the statements made in the said affidavit, and the said John Clarke Sims, Jr., acted in equally good faith, believing as he did the said statements, and complied with the terms of his admission to membership under the said Rule 2d by paying into the Treasury of the Society in 1875, the sum of $250, and has been since and is now a member of the Society in good standing.

And, Whereas, It is known that the said Alexander Ross was a firm adherent and well wisher of the patriotic cause in the Revolution and that it is more than probable that he did render valuable service to the cause of liberty.

Now, Therefore, In view of the facts hereinbefore set forth and to avoid any hardship or injustice to the said John Clarke Sims, Jr., be it;

Resolved. That the said John Clarke Sims, Jr., being a great grandson of Major John Ross, who was an original member of the Society, be (in lieu of the action had in 1868 as aforesaid), now admitted a member of the Society, with all the rights and privileges of membership, including succession thereto.

Resolved, That this action being had for the purpose only of confirming the said John Clarke Sims, Jr., as a member (and not as a precedent), that his name appear on the roll of the Society with the date of his admission as heretofore.

Resolved, That the Secretary be and he is hereby directed to make proper marginal references to this action upon the minutes of the annual meetings held in 1868 and 1875.

Finance

The Standing Committee report that the present permanent fund of the Society consists of $3,500 New Jersey State Bonds, $3,000 West Jersey 6 per cent. Bonds, $5,000 New Jersey State Bonds Registered. $1,000 Pemberton & Hightstown R. R. 7 per cent. Bond. Cash on deposit $137.32, the whole representing a market value of $15,662.32. That they have examined the accounts of the past year, as rendered by Herman Burgin, the Treasurer, and find the same correct. By this there is shown to be in the hands of the Treasurer the sum of $759.71, after allowing the following disbursements made during the year:

Donations 200.00
Dinner 225.75
Secretary’s Expenses 11.50
$437.25

The Trustees presented the following report.

That on July 5, 1881 they sold the $500 U. S. 6 per cent. Bond belonging to the Society for par, and that on April 11, 1882, they purchased $1,000 Pemberton & Hightstown R. R. Co. 7 per cent. Bond 1889, at 116. This Bond is one of those issued under a mortgage dated July 1, 1867.

All of the bonds are registered in the names of William B. Buck, Clifford Stanley Sims and Herman Burgin, Trustees of the Society of the Cincinnati of the State of New Jersey.

The cash surplus is deposited in the Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Co. of Philadelphia to the credit of the Society of the Cincinnati of New Jersey, the account to receive 2 per cent, on the daily balances.

The Trustees would request the adoption of the following resolution. Resolved, that the Report of the Trustees be accepted and approved. It was accepted and approved.

It was Resolved, that the Trustees be authorized to dispose of the bonds, the property of the Society in their hands and invest and reinvest the same according to their best discretion.

Donations

Your Standing Committee recommend that the su mof $25 be appropriated to each of the following persons : Mrs. Buck, Miss Mary DeHart, Miss Sally Dayton, Miss Elizabeth Barber, Miss Julia Pennington, Mrs. E. F. Allen, the Misses E. and S. Lloyd, Mrs. Dunham, and Miss Mary Cumming. Recommendations adopted.

Miscellaneous

In the absence of the President and Vice-President the meeting having been called to order, Mr. William Lloyd was elected Chairman.

A prayer was then made by the Rev. Dr. Hornblower, Chaplain of the Society.

The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed. The Assistant Secretary read the principles of the Society.

A letter was then read from the President, his health not allowing him to be present. This letter enclosed the following address.

Brethren of the Society of the Cincinnati:

As I am unable from physical disability to attend the 98th anniversary of our Society (July 4th, 1882), I can only express with deep emotion my regard for all the members thereof, and my full adherence to those immutable principles adopted by the founders of the Society. We, as a Society of friends, now represent those who fought and bled to establish an independence, and you have again listened to the reading of those principles ordered to be read at every annual meeting, as follows: “An incessant attention to preserve inviolate those exalted rights and liberties of human nature for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high rank of a rational being is a curse instead of a blessing. An unalterable determination to promote and cherish between the respective States that Union and national honor so essentially necessary to their happiness, and the future dignity of the American Empire.” Two hundred and fifty years ago our forefathers in England were forced into a civil war to establish these same principles of human rights, which had been encroached upon by the acts of tyrannical rulers, which resulted in the great improvement of the government of that country, and the establishment of those principles of liberty which were brought with them into their new home in America. But the colonies of America had forced upon them against their earnest protest domestic slavery. The independence of ’76 freed us from the tyrannical rule of the King and parliament of Great Britain, but it did not free us from the curse of slavery; only a terrible civil war here could free us from that. But this happy result has been reached, and we have now the hopeful prospect of a republic with “that union and national honor so essentially necessary to their happiness and the future dignity of the American Empire.” Any one familiar with the opinions of the American people at the time of the adoption of our present excellent federal constitution, and of the difficulty of prevailing on them to accept it, must be convinced, I think, that had it then been understood, that a court established by the government of the United States would have the authority to try a citizen of a particular State, for an infraction of the laws of that State, as had been recently decided by the Supreme Court, their opinion being delivered by a judge trained in this State, it would have been rejected. But although I deem this to have been a strained construction of the Constitution as it stands, I am not alarmed. Two circumstances render such action endurable and perhaps desirable, and recent events have shown that a much older decision which held that a citizen could sue a particular State, which was speedily reversed by an amendment of the Constitution might have been more wisely left to stand. Therefore, I am not alarmed. Because, First, The great principles of democracy, “that all good government is designed to produce the greatest good to the greatest number,” has become the accepted opinion of the great majority of the American people, and in the main controls the action of all our political parties, and is fast becoming the creed of the world. Second, Our republic has assumed dimensions not contemplated by its founders. Instead of thirteen sovereign States we now have thirty-eight, and soon will have fifty, and possibly, before another century is closed there will be a hundred, covering all North America, and governing hundreds of millions of inhabitants. We now have and will continue to have a home rule in each particular State, prescribing what is right and prohibiting what is wrong in domestic matters, which differ so much in one locality from those in others having a different climate, different pursuits and habits. While as to those matters that are common to all our citizens and are essential to the happiness and dignity of the American Empire, a general government rules all the citizens by uniform laws. This is “imperium in imperio,” once deemed a contradiction in terms and still misunderstood by many, but found by experience to be wise and efficient, and which has been clearly established by a constitution new to the world. The nineteenth century has been prolific of improvements in government, as well as of the arts of life. Railroads, telegraphs, and telephones added to a free press, free schools, and the Christian religion are fast improving society, and it may well be hoped will continue to do so for ages to come. Strong bands, firmly established, may well be deemed necessary, to keep together such a republic. But it must not be forgotten that united sentiment and liberal toleration of differences, are essential to success. The founders of the Society adopted as their model, the great Roman Dictator, Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus, who, having accomplished the purpose of his appointment returned to his citizenship, an example they were about to imitate, and inscribed on their banner as his great characteristic “omnia reliquit servare rempublicam.” This character each one of us is bound to imitate when necessary, and at all times we should strive so to live, that it may truly be said of each of us, “he gave up all to serve God and his brethren.”

(Signed) Lucius Q. C. Elmer,

Bridgeton, July 3d, 1882. Pres. N. J. Cincinnati.

The Secretary announced to the Society that he had received a communication from the Vice-President, regretting that his health did not permit of his attending the meeting, whereupon on motion of the Revd. Doctor Wm. H. Hornblower, it was unanimously resolved, that we receive with much regret the announcement that our venerable and venerated President is unable to meet with us on account of increasing infirmities, and assure him hereby not in a formal but in a spirit of that brotherly love which animated our ancestors, of our high esteem and regard, and express our hopes that under Divine Providence he may be spared to again preside at our councils. That the President’s address just read be spread upon the minutes.

Resolved, that we hear with much sorrow of the sickness of our much esteemed brother, the Vice-President, and tendering him our fraternal sympathy, trust that he will by the Divine goodness be speedily restored to health and again permitted to join us in our annual celebration.

Resolved, that the State Society of the Cincinnati of New Jersey deeply regret the action of the New York State Society, in adopting on 4th July, 1881, certain resolutions reflecting on the action of the General Society at Charleston in May, 1881, in admitting by a vote of 21 to 13 the Rhode Island State Society to full representation, and further reflecting on the motives of the delegates from the several State Societies who voted for such admission.

As at the time of this action on the part of the New York State Society, the question of the status of the Rhode Island State Society had been finally settled by the action of the General Society, it was unnecessary to make further argument regarding the matter, and as the State Society of New Jersey on 4th of July, 1878, had by resolution formally recognized the Rhode Island State Society as a sister Society, the action of its delegates was in full accordance with the settled action of this State Society.

Resolved, that the Secretary be instructed to transmit to the General Society, the New York State Society, and the other State Societies a duly certified copy of this action.

On motion, it was resolved that the next annual meeting be held at Princeton, New Jersey.

On motion. Doctor Herman Burgin was appointed a Committee of one, to confer with the other State Societies in reference to Centennial observances.

On motion, the Hon. Joel Parker and the Secretary were appointed a Committee to draw up proper resolutions and forward them to Congress in thanks for the government appropriation in aid of erecting a monument at Monmouth (the following was forwarded to the Honorable, the President of the Senate, and the Honorable, the Speaker of the House of Representatives).

Trenton, N. J., 4th July, 1882.

Resolved, that the Society of the Cincinnati in the State of New Jersey composed of the descendants and representatives of the officers of the New Jersey line of Continental Army, beg leave to express its gratification and thanks for the substantial recognition by the Congress of the United States (in its recent action in making an appropriation towards the erection of a monument on the battlefield of Monmouth) of the services of the officers and men of the Revolutionary Army through whose patriotism and sacrifices our liberties were achieved and our National Government established.

Resolved, that the Secretary be instructed to transmit to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a duly certified copy of this action.