208 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



Besides their complaint non nioncratae pecuniae, 

 the officers of this state and of all the others were dis- 

 satisfied on the ground of the opposition shown by the 

 South Carolina government to the confirmation and 

 spread of the new order of the Cincinnati. For not 

 only did Mr. Aedanus Burke, one of the Chief Judges 

 of this state, busy himself to some purpose in a 

 pamphlet addressed to the people, showing that if it 

 was not the object of this Order, at least the certain 

 consequence would be the establishment of a race of 

 hereditary patricians or a nobility but Governor 

 Guerard also, in his address to the Assembly, pro- 

 nounced with great vehemence and bitterness against 

 the Order, declaring it highly injurious and in direct 

 contravention of the laws, and of a republican system 

 and manner of thought. It was not possible to check 

 the progress of the Order at large, although they 

 could impose certain restrictions on the South Carolina 

 officers. 



The Order of the Cincinnati was established early 

 in the year 1783, and rapidly grew in numbers and 

 strength. The generals, brigadiers, all the American 

 officers are members of this society. They called 

 themselves merely " the Society of the Cincinnati," 

 and the Order consists of the Grand or General So- 

 ciety and subordinate State Societies established in 

 each of the several states and, if necessary, to be sub- 

 divided into Districts. Major General Baron von 

 Steuben was chosen as the first Grand Master, with 

 the title of President. + The Provincial or State So- 

 cieties, as well as the General Society, had their Presi- 

 dent, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice- 

 Treasurer. An annual correspondence was instituted, 



