Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-03-04

voue Eaacys d lie Bssrsr .argas.


~sBsnver RepniSsisaB' . 4 think 1T proper 10
stana. 4hroutch the medium Of your paper,
that this step has been taken without niJ
knowledge. advice OF consent. When an
Tsitsbure q few DAYS since, i was asked Wy
several persens whether wished to be con-
slaered q candidate or not. i answered. uHi-
formlv in die negative. My reasons then
given were, (and have not since changediny
op,inion,j that %.Alleghany including Tue cIiy
OF Pittsburg was by Gar the most poPoons
county in the district that IN PittsDui6 anu
ats vicinity was concentrated and used hueh
oFthe manufacturing capital Of the western
country, and consequently, at our iorrner e
lection, when two members were 10 oe chos
en- in the district, q great majority had aeci'
qjed fbat one Of them should be taken Teth
Aleehany county; and that it would he M
polite and upfalr at special electOn, VIXEN
pcrhaps the polls weald be thiniy attended
10 disturb that decision, more eSpeeEaiiy "h11
The candidate takenfrom new county eoeia
not expect success hut by taking advantage
OF the unfortunate divisions that were hkely
TO take riacein Allegheny county. :.
But Il seems that ara to be the anu
Masonic candidate" 1t IS true ana hot'hor
fsit hla,y ever shall be, Masen; j always
have been frora principle, opposed 10 the IN
stitution, seriously believing II such an oracr
wgs necessary, It was at ether times, IN 9th
or countries. with govegqsuents dihGre1ty
organised from ours: and thai at AL eTents IL
has long outlived its usefulness. bu' can
not see how holding these opinions III relation
20 Masonry, qualities mcto represent The dis-
trict an Congress, or why 1t should be mace
the standard hy which to measure & man
fitness for office. Indeed were a Candidate,
as am not, should feel hunbled were lie
lected without other and higher claims upon
t1RA n
MaSon--But the term " Anti Aasens, &C
corCing TO its political acceptation at thistime,
is designed TO comprehend those only wine
will engage to denounce every maa as uhht
for office who belongs to the Masonic order.
Now in regard TO myself, j ann not prepared
TO engage in this kind of political crnssiie a.
galnst the members OF that fraternity indis-
crminaieiy. / admit, however, there are
good men among gs who have laid Themselves
under such obligations, bW was 1t discreet
and prudent for thea to do so? i think not
AN adherence to this rule would have depTiF-
ed us, in the revoiutionary war, OF The servl
ces of net only Washington, bat many 9th
ers who. under Providence, were made the
Instruments by which we obtained our 1nde-
pendeuce But again, II the prnc.pie oil ex-
clusIon be a good one /, why not extend IT, and
make the PLASTIC. n iarge as the sore! Let
our prose ription list comprehend Lawyers,
Doctors, Merchants, Mechanics and lahour-
-ers OF every description Tor surely ii we can
not entrust Masons with the supervision OF
Our roads and the management OF ourspapers,
Ut would be unsafe to put our hyes and pro
perty Ia thelr hands. When a nan wants
the services of Lawyer, Doctor or Mechan-
ic, ne inquiries .for, and employs The most
skillful and efficient character he can get,
whether he be q Mason or not; and Hso, why
should ,ve tie up our hands, and limit oar
choice 10 relation to our public offices! 10
me it would appear nnwIse and lmprudeat to
do so, nor do | believe measures OF the vio-
lent and proscnPtvenature proposed, would
be calculated to put down the hiasons; 1t APP
pears TO me, such measures would have a ten
.dency TO build them up.----''Whsre there is no
law, there is no transgresslon, and without
fransgression there should be punishment"
There's no law in Pennsylvania agalnsttree-
masonry, or making any thiag connected
with it crime. But the constitution of Penn
ayivania recognizes theeNcluslon iTona "hold-
eng any Office of honor, trust or profit under
tho government a severe punishment, and
prohibits the Senate, the high court OF I'M
peachment, from iniletIng any greater, even
for the highest crines and rnisdemeanors that
an Office. caT commit In the abuse OF ins au-
thority---and ii is this igp1sipous and terri
BILE punishment that the Ant s2asons are anx-
Ious the people should iniiict upon an order
of men, very numerous and highly respecta-
BILE, who have committed no crime known TO
sthe laws Of our country--Nouid net mea-
ssure Of this kind he considered oppressive
and tyranicai, II enforced by an absolute des
pot? and should it be thought less so, when
enforced by the peopleP Again, repeat that
s&he man must have thought little and read
less, who would calculate 10 put down Ma
sonry by such steps asthese.
Men never forget their errors, but are OF
ten con6rmed-in them, by Observation-Disclosures
land intolerance. Masons are like other men,
and have little doubt, II a cruel system of
persecution, was adopted, we should find ma
my of them suffering maf.p'otons with unshak-
en- hrmness, rather than iorsake AN orderthey,
at this time, care little about.
But this is emphatcalIya free government,
and the people arc attached to it, because it
is so. And every thing tinc'ured with cruel
ty and persecution will, in the end, be dis
@countenanced. and fTowned down, by re
action in the public sentiment, and hence |
conclude, thai ii we wish 10 get clear of ma
sonry, the surest method would be, not 10
give 1t AN importance it does not deserve, by
violence and persecution. For in sober truth,
/ can see nothing short Of persecution, that
wliiiSeep the naSsesllc order much longer alive.
Hitherto 1t h:tS been sustained exclusively
by kind Of magical influence, arising FROM
thc mystical and allttSnp clouds, III which it
has been carefully enyeloped But these
clouds have been dispersed, and the Uoil Of