611 nn £ 286 "''''^^ A-"'kMn I will venture to read to you a letter written by the Father of his Country, the original of which is in ni}^ possession. "Newburgh, May lo. 1783. Sir, Your letter of congratulation contains expressions of too friendly a nature not to afTect me with the greatest sensibility; I beg therefore you will accept my acknowledgements for them and that you will be persuaded I can never be insensible of the interest you are pleased to take in my personal happi- ness, as well as in the general felicity of our countr;y^ While I candidly confess I cannot be indifferent to the favorable sen- timents, which you mention, my fellow citizens entertain of my exertions in their service; I wish to express thro' you the particular obligations I feel myself under to Mr. Smith* for the pleasure I have received from the perusal of his elegant Ode on the Peace. The accomplishment of the great object we had in view, in so short a time, and under such propitious circumstances, *William Peartree Smith, A.M. (Yale 1742), Mr. Boudinot's father- in-law. He was one of the projectors and a charter member and trustee for many years of the College of New Jersey ; Mayor of the Town of Eliza- beth, 1765; member of the Essex County Committee of Correspondence; chairman of the Committee of Correspondence of New Jersey; member of the Convention to nominate delegates to the Continental Congress, 1774; member of the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, 1775; deputed (to- gether with Elias Boudinot) by the Provincial Congress to convey a written message to the Continental Congress; etc. must, I am oonfKk'iU, fill every bosom with the purest joy, and for my own part, I will not strive to conceal the j)leasure T already anticipate from my approaching retirenieiit to the placid walks of domestic life. Having no reward to ask for myself, if I have been so hapi:)y as to obtain the approbation of my countrymen, I shall be satisfied but it still rests with them to compleat my wishes, by adoi)ting such a system of- Policy, as will ensure the future reputation, tramiuility, happiness and Glory of this extensive Ivmpire; to which I am well assured, nothing can contribute so much, as an inviolable adherence to the principles of the Union, and a fixed Resolution of building the National faith on the basis of Public Justice -without which all that has been done and suiTered is in vain- -to effect which, therefore, the abilities of ever}' true Patriot ought to be exerted with the greatest zeal and assiduity. I am as yet uncertain, at which time I shall be at liberty to return to Virginia and consequently cannot inform you whether I may be able to gratify my inclination of spending a little time with my friends in Jersey, as I pass through that vState — I can only say that the friendship I have for a People from whom I have often derived such essential aid will strongly dispose me to it. Mrs. Washington begs Mrs. Boudinot and yourself will accept her best comp*** and thanks for your good wishes, and I nuist request the same favor, being with sentiments of esteem and regard, Sir \" most obed' & most H*'''^ vServant C»° Washington. Hlisha Houiiiiiot Ivsti*^*^" The Society of the Cincinnati was founded tluvc days after this letter was written, with Charity, Patriotism and Friend- ship as its su])p(jrting pillars; and we are here to-day to attest that we expect and intend to transmit the Order tt) our suc- cessors with its principles unimpaired. By reason of the rules governing its membership, our Society is necessarily compf)sed almost entirely of men well past middle life, so that it coni])rises a group of "Ivkler Statesmen," a corps d'elite of patriotism in whom the traditions and teachings of the revohitionary epoch are bred in the bone. vSuch a body must in the nature of things be well fitted to gauge the conduct of our national affairs in the great events transpiring. Many of us were impatient with the extreme patience dis- played by our government before drawing the sword. Let us not forget, however; that our ancestors suffered for manv long years, grievous wrongs at the hands of a monarch German by birth and characteristics, abetted by a short-sighted and subservient ministry before they appealed to the ultima ratio; and that even then, in spite of the manifest justice of their cause and the years of reasoned agitation in its defense, our forefathers were wholly unable to convince and carry with them into the conflict a very considerable body of influential citi- zens. In this latter day, we have a vast and heterogeneous popu- lation which had experienced the full effects of a crafty and subtle propaganda. American pacifists, alien enemy pre tended-pacifists, Fenian and Clan-na-Gael anglophobes, and native germanophiles all worked tooth and nail to befog the issues and make the worse appear the better reason. Nevertheless, as, one by one, the particular pacifist fallacy involving submission to foreign aggression reared its head, it was firmly and successfully throttled, and thus slowly but surely the patriotic masses were brought to a better appreciation of the vital issues involved and to a firmer resolve to maintain their rights. Finally, every hostile effort at home, in and out of Congress, having been defeated, our great President, by addressing com- munications to both groups of belligerents, the purpose of which was misconceived at the time and the astute statesmanship of which is only beginning to be recognized, succeeded in placing upon the record for the whole world to note the fact that Germany was unwilling to disclose any part of what she would claim should she be victorious, whereas the Allies disavowed all desire for conquest and announced their purpose to exact only adequate guarantees against future aggression. The demonstration was convincing; so that when shortly the in- cvitablc break came, we were able to present a united front, keen to redress our individual wrongs, but also with entire understanding of the identity of our cause with that of our allies and glad to throw the weight of our sword into the bal- ance with theirs in the struggle to safeguard the future path- way of civilization. We have passed the Rubicon. The outlook for the speedy success of our arms and the immediate fruition of our hopes is none too bright. Before they are achieved, we, too, shall doubtless be called upon to bear very heaxn*' burdens ; the blood of our vers' best may flow and many loving hearts break in quiet homes. It is so hard for those who are left to realize, in the face of grim actuality, that it is indeed sweet and fitting to die for one's country! None the less we face the future bravely; content, whate'er the personal loss if thereby we ensure our countr>^'s gain. So, at last, in spite of the turmoil and confusion of modern life and the engrossing struggle for material wealth, it is evident that the heart of the nation remains sound and our people have not lost their vision. Many noble voices have been raised proclaiming our duty in clear and convincing accents. The wise and venerable Hliot, who long since discerned that our place was with the Allies fighting against barbarism; the beloved and distinguished Choate, "the first citizen of New York," devoting his last days to the cause of his country- with fairly youthful enthusiasm; the patriot statesman Root, frowning down the disintegrating and impractical suggestion that the President should be urged to disband his cabinet and remodel it on foreign and novel lines. Men like these of whom, thank God, there are many, fortify our faith in on/ essential integrity and national health. If any had (|uestioned the soundness of our younger gen- eration they had only to look to I'rance, where a gi)odh- lunnlxr of the best we had (among them X'ictor, son of my old and good friend John Jay Chapman) showed that we too have our young Lafayettes "preventing" the national flag, but, alas, laving down their lives for the cause they had made their own. Not reluctantly did they make the sacrifice of greatest love, Init willingly, gladly. As one of themselves, the young poet Seeger, wrote, not many days befon^ his death : "Nay, rather France, to you they rendered thanks, "(Seeing they came for honor not for gain), "Who, opening to them your glorious ranks, "Gave them that grand occasion to excel, "That chance to live the life most free from slain "And that rare privilege of dying well." And as the lilies of France followed Lafayette, so have our stars followed our young heroes into a foreign land to expel the ruthless invader. Yes, Brethren, our army with the gal- lant Pershing at its head is in glorious, heroic, immortal France ! Does it not thrill your soul to know that the time is at hand when we shall repay the debt which we for so many years have been proud to owe ? And did not your heart throb to read that yesterday, as a battalion which had been sent to Paris to celebrate our national birthday marched along the boulevard, "the Americans were greatly surprised to see a number of chil- dren, orphans from a nearby institution, kneel in the street as our flag was carried by?" The brave, modest hero of the Marne told us that France needed our help and needed it soon. How happy we to have been able so speedily to respond with that advance guard of splendid and seasoned regulars as earnest of the promise "we are coming, Papa Joffre, five hundred thousand strong!" Those live hundred thousand will be followed by other five hundred thousand, and they by just as many more as may be needed, as fine and fit as any fighting men that ever stepped on the earth and as brave as those who preceded them in the field and in the air or drove ambulances in the danger zone. To sum up from only a few of the vast accumulation of con- vincing proofs, I think I may say that we Brothers of the Cin- cinnati believe that if the spirits of the departed take account of the things of the earth, then the souls of the Great Wash- ington and of the noble Lafayette approve the record of the last eventful months. We need not fear that those whom we have sent to effec- tuate our stern resolve will not acquit them as befits their cause and their country. Let our prayers, our hopes triumphant o'er our fears go with them, and let us steel ourselves to suffer any loss and endure any hardship in order to insure liberty for our posterity. Thus when we gather here again, at some, let us hope, not distant day, we shall find our fondest aspirations realized: "Peace on earth to men of good will." LIBRARY OF CONGRESS nil l!||li 11 III :'\ '''1 011 801 761 4 • UBRABV OF CONGRESS 011801V6AA HoUinger Corp. pH8.5