Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-11-04
MO. II.

he'd their devotion to the institution, and by
Its own laws are only the more entitled to its
guardian care, BY all the hazards they involved.
That care, has been extended to them in every
form of expression tending to their relief and
comfort. Besides the exertions of their breth-
rem already alluded to, adhering masons have,
at great expense, established and circulated
newspapers to vilify all who were engaged in
exposing the crimes, and to call into action the
entire resources of the fraternity in behalf of
those who committed them These newspa-
pers have, with the most unblushing hardhood,
asserted the innocence and praised the virtues
OF the convicts, several of whom they knew to
have confessed their offences. They have COM
,mended the most stubborn refusal in court to
reveal the truth by masonic witnesses, as man.
ly frmneSS.-l'hey have in every form of mis-
representation which they could devise, labor
led to darken all knowledge of the facts relating
to the outrages; and to blot out the moral sense
of the community.
| Hundreds of the brethren in different coun4
ties in the state of New York, have published
addresses, under their names, in which they
have deliberately contradicted facts established
ljudicially, by many of their adheripg brethren
and by many seeding masons; and which, I'M
der the sanction of a lawful oath, and subject
to cross examination before the public, they
would be compelled to admit Similar false
hoods have been published in an address of
committee of the grand lodge of Rhode Island
and the grand secretary of the grand lodge
of New York has recently issued an official
letter, in which he represents that body as ex-
tending its dependents, confident in its strength,
and determined to outbrave all the consequent
ces of their detected guilt, and the public i'm
dignation. Nothing could account for this
universal course of falsehood, but the unhap-
ply truth, that the men who are engaged in it,
have sworn, under the penalty of death, to COM
ceal the secrets of freemasonry, most essen-
tial branch of which consists in the crimes Of
its members. This course is countenanced by
the President of the United States, who is a
mason, and who has recently appointed as
heads of the departments in the national gov+
eminent, majority of distinguished masons.
One of these heads of departments-the Post
Master General, the only one retained of the
late cabinet, has removed a large number of
his most competent and faithful deputies. in
New York, for the sole cause of the zeal and
patriotism with which they sought to bring in.
to just disrepute the crimes and institution of
freemasonry.
| The course of these transactions is rapidly
corroding and wearing away the very basis of
| all public and private virtue in our country;
and eradicating that mutual confidence, upon
which the business of life, its peace and its
enjoyments essentially depend. When men
refuse to bear testimony in court, to public Of
fences, of which they know the perpetrators,
and are praised forit-when they perjure them
selves, and are not disgraced-when they are
convicted of a conspiracy to kidnap free cit-
II izen, and are applauded as victims to the pre-
fliudices of their countrymen-when the distinc-
tons between right and wrong are practically
d superseded, by the systematic and solemn in
functions of wealthy, intelligent, numerous
and powerful society, dffused and sustaining
itself in all the places of social influence and
d honor-when in pursuance of this injunction,
! the laws of the land, in the solemn places Of
: their judicial application for the admonition
5 and punishment of the most fragrant offences,
l are fully bafiled, set aside and scorned-then,
{ the social fabric is granddaughter, there can
: be but one alternative, that of reform or ruin
then, looking beyond, but not forgetting, all
!, the considerations Of attachment to the policy
e of encouraging this or that branch of national
8. industry--this or that scheme of financial
q management-this or that exposition OF the
r principles of our political organization-this
l. or that object of our foreign and domestic pos
j, licy, the considefate friend of his country will
h govern himself primarily, by the obvious ne
:, cessity to which he is reduced OF preserving
n for his country the power OF determining Tor
ISL itself upon any course of policy, and Of dis
d engaging the heart of the body polite from
mi the fanrs of a monster more blood thirsty, re-
L morseiess and Unsuitable, than any, which has
!, ever come to prey upon the hopes of man.
~ There is bearing of freemasonry; not YET
,e embraced in this address, which is replete with
the most distressing apprehensiohs There
Idlis. located in Boston, masonic body denom'
mated the African grand lodge, which date.
ohits origin before the American Revolution. ane
!. derived it's existence from Scottish duke
a: This body Acknowledges no allegiance to any
:. of the associations of American masonry. =
" Its authority is eo-extensive with our union
RI Il has already granted many charters to Afri
Q, lean lodges. We are afraid to intimate thei
y llonation. TO look upon their proceedings, I.