The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1829-04-30
THE MASONIC CONTROVERSY.
IFrOm The W y. Rochester Crq},sman.l
To Mr.. Henry Yates, a Rcnouncing Mason

| AS your remuneration OF masonry has
only Just met my observation, trust shall
not incur deserved reproach, merely on
account of the lsteness of the period, at
which address myself TO you on the sub
ject. And trust II will not be deemed ob
trusive in me, or any other citizen, to give
| some passing eonsiderations.t one, who as
sumes so bold an-httllude before the pub.
| lie a. you have done. address myself not
TO those editors of the publick prints that
have dishonoured their columns by giving
your production a place; but ! appeal di
| rectly to you, who in your turn are dishoD
CURED, by the vile presses that have pub
lished your splenetlck effuSion. But think
not, that am about io expose any secret
| tollies, or tergiversaiions by which your
| private peace may have been disturbed.
wish only to invite your attention To the ex
posure you have made of yourself. wish
| only TO set yon up glass, wherein you may
see clearly, what you have invited The pub
! lick to look at and wonder, that is yourself
| A specimen ofsuch rare consistency ofcon
duet as you have presented, ought not to
nave sept in uDpretendng silence and OBJ
scurty: you were therefore in the right in
publishing il TO the world.
are now a renouncing mason--and in
'eed have passed on To antimnspnry itself
--or, may not the rather remark, that q
remuneration is the . lowly ladder" bl
which you have descended from respect
able place in the estimation Of society, toa
bide with the pestlence and night, which
fills the dark chambers, where the demon
Of anti masonry dwells You have taken,
shall prasume, masonick odths-and To give
you an advantage, which anti masonry is
extremely Jealous ofossuming, in the out
set Of a controversy, ] shall suppose that
you took upon yourself the first oath, under
some circumstances Of compuleion. You
were undoubtedly compelled to make nppli.
cation for initiation into a lodge--compell.
ed 10 be initinted--and consequently com.
PEELED To take the oath required--ppd what
is more important than all, and often most
difficult, compelled 10 present pretty tol
erably fair character, or you could not have
been permitted to undergo the other com
pulsions ] have mentioned. And having
been compelled TO take upon yourself tho
first obligation, it necessarily follows, that
you were compelled on from one immor-
aI,--" naIawfol''--" extra j6dic isl''--..s all
amanilne"- "-hydra headed"-"execrable and
blasphemous oath"--to another, withor,
one moments interval between them allow
cd you for consideration and reflection.
You had only TO touch the tip Of your fin.
ger To the first link in this adainantln ne
chain" and you were hurried on by a mag
ical influence, you poor dear man." could
not resist TO the eud snd through period
Of thirteen years; TO which If you add the
rcm,inng eighteen, you have thirty one
years, at the end of which, you have nj
length found yourself able to resist the du.
ress, (which has enslaved your spirit thro'
the whole prime, and vgour, and manhood
of your being. But it seems your moral
sense, and moral courage have the one
been increasing in ocuteness, and the 9th.
er in strenglhi in an exnct proportion TO your
wears The ardour, and FIRE, and indie
pend eul spirit, and thirst for exploit Incl
dent Ia youth which it seems you did not
feel. have been slumbering in your bosom,
to ligh, up the wasting fires, (which the frost
of sge had nearly exiinguished. Verify
YOU are n most favoured ono. know not
that the annals of history or biography fur
nish your parallel. You have verified
much, which in my less enlightened mo
ments, ! had accounted mere fable and
fiction. You indeed realize the story Of
poor old Aeson, who though lame and do.
criped--
crushed with years and bending TO the grave
was restored to his youth by the irresisti
bic power of sorcery and wiicbcr0f.
You leave one to infer, that during the
ast eighteen years, your ardour for ma
sonry mas been abating. Permit me then
to enquire, whether during that peri
od, you have ever know ingly violated a
single point, Of either Of the exccrable
and blasphemous oaihs" you ackpowledgo
yourself TO have taken? and if you have
been guilty ofany such violation will you
be 30 obliging as state the particulars,
whorin any such supposed violation may
have consisted? perceive |! am pressing
falling man" rather Too iar"--I there.
fore desisi, by supposing your masonlck liic
I'LL your remuneration, To conform strict
y TO every onth you have been compelled
TO take. and TO every part and point there
of. While J nm thus liberal with you, will
obigc the public, by giving catalogue OF
OF the crimes your "cxecrable and blasphe
nous oaihs have compelled you 10 com
init; You have probably been sworn MS
witness, a juror IN some Judlcial tribunal;
Won have probably promised, upon cath, the
ne erformance OF some publick trust; and you
certainly rsn have no objection 70 inform
ing 20 good friend, whenyou have want
only vola,ed any such oath, or oaths; md
assisted a mason right or wrong and # all
renouncing masons would give full ex
posurc of all their y!ilsnics, committed in
OBJ d,ercc TO their oalhs, they would shed
a brond food Of light upon subject which
stands vastly in need Of illumination. Bot
they roor souls. have been moniious ma.
sons, and pure pair OTIS. and peaceful cltl.
zcns. all at the same time end doubt not,
they would with one voice declare, that o..
monp the FIST mnsonck commands enjoin.
ed up, n ihem was--