Exile, poverty and chains.
Courage, child of Washington,
Though thy fate disastrous seems;
We have seen the setting sun,
Rise, and burn with brighter beams.
Thy country soon shall break thy chain
And take thee to her arms again.
Soon after, the lateness of the hour, and the necessity of terminating the fatigues resulting from the variety of emotions we had experienced during this festival, caused us to separate. Returning to the City Hotel, I recollected how often I had heard the order of Cincinnatus mentioned in Europe, and attacked by some persons with violence as tending to destroy republican equality; and quoted by others to justify the orders of knighthood, or privileged orders of European monarchies. However, what I had seen since my arrival in the United States, did not show the existence of any order created or tolerated by the laws, and destructive equality; but to dissipate all doubt on the subject, I made inquiries next morning of one of our friends, with whom we had dined, who called to visit General Lafayette. He presented me a small pamphlet containing an account of the origin and regulations of the Society of Cincinnati. A perusal of this pamphlet convinced me that the character of this society had been ignorantly or maliciously misrepresented in Europe, and that it is no more a privileged society in the United States than the Benevolent Society of Paris, or the Bible Society of England. The Society of Cincinnati is nothing more than a voluntary association of the ancient officers of the revolutionary army, united with the double object of perpetuating the memory of their patriotic labours, and for the aid of such members as age and infirmities may render necessitous; as to the ribband and badge worn by the society, it is only regarded as an ornament which the members wear exclusively on public occasions, and not as a decoration authorized or sanctioned by the government.
The Society of Cincinnati has nothing in it dangerous to equality, since it possesses no privilege. However, from all parts of the union, accusations were made that the founders of the society wished, under the guise of benevolence, and patriotic recollections, to sow the seed of a hereditary nobility. It is difficult to determine at present whether the founders, or at least some among them had, or had not some such prospective view in making the proposition; but it is certain, that the article of the regulations allowing the sons to succeed the father, were very capable of giving offence to republicans as jealous of equality as the Americans. Every one attacked with vivacity, the absurd principle of hereditary transmission, which found enemies throughout the country. Among the writings which appeared at the time on the subject, a letter of Franklin, addressed to his daughter, who had sent to him in France the papers announcing the formation of the society, which has all the piquancy and originality of that author, placed this matter in a very ridiculous light, and contains such conclusive, and at the same time, such pleasant arguments against hereditary nobility, that no one can read it without being convinced.[[11]]
The sentiments of Franklin, and the opinion of the public, did not prevent the formation of the Society of Cincinnati, but reduced it to its just value; that is, every one became accustomed to regard this corps merely as a benevolent association, and with pleasure paid a tribute of respect to the members, who had acquired a right thereto by their former services, and personal character. But the aristocratic principle of hereditary succession was so much ridiculed that few sons ventured to succeed their fathers in the society, and in some states they are no longer admitted.