The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-11-09

Guv. Lincoln.
The one submitted to you is thu only one
which we were directed 10 communicate, and
tho only Que which referred to the letter IN
question We would with pleasure have stated
this fact at our interview with you yesterday.
YOU had made the inquiry, or if we had deem
ed il of any importance-and regret that any
DELAY of the answer requested should be caused
BY tho inquiry now made OF US. We did not
look upon it as of importance. inasniuch as the
call contained in the resolution was confined TO
a single point, yiz:-lhe request of copy of
your frs: letter TO the Aniuiasonic Commit
Ice. Your obi. servants,
j. DWIGHT, &c.
In the afternoon Of the same day Mr.. l.. ad-
dressed the following letter TO the Committee:
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Nav. 3, 1881.
Messrs J. DWIGHT, GEo. AsHMuN and ST.
MON SAsBoRN, Esquirss: Gentlemen-l had
prepared reply to your note of yesterday con-
tanning resolution of a meeting of National
Republicans, requesting copy Of a letter which
was written to the Antimasonlc Committee in
answer TO their notification Of my nomination
But as-I am informed by you, in reply to
my note Of inquiry of this morning, that there
were ether resolutions adopted at the Same
time, and these may have bearing upon tho
nature of the answer which | ought to give
must withhold any reply until | am permitted
to have view of the whole groupd-i req ct
as much as you can, that any delay has been
| accustomed by the omission your part ia
state this fact, or to communicate the other
resolutions, or, on my part TO make an earlier
enquiry-but it appears to me, that you must
feel the proprety OF the course which have
taken. | have tho honor TO be
! your eb'l. servt,
| SAM'L. GATHRoP.
This diplomatic letter closed the correspond.
| ~ ..I-. T. II
duty required them to follow it up at greater
length. The delay that had been already occn
stoned by an inquiry put to the Committee
twenty-four hours after they had received ar
assurance of a reply to the call contained ir
the resolution submitted to him, warned their
of the danger offollowing Mr.. l. in his attempt
to wander from the point to which his at, en-
tion had been directed. A copy OF his letter fo,
| publication was all that was asked of him-be
cause that letter was understood to contain ,
formal exposition Of his sentiments, and be
cause he had given repeated assurances that i
should be published. 1t was desirable that tn.
public should know what were his real senti
ments upon the existing topics of the day, ant
how far and in what manner they had beer
spread before the body that was holding him
up as their candidate. II could not be presun
ed that Mr.. l.. would Intentionally be a part,
to an attempt to conceal his honest opinion.
from the people whose votes he was now sole
itng,-nor could it be supposed that upon the
call being made upon him by personal and DO
litica friends, he would withhold that docu
ment containing his opinions, and nothing bu
his opinions, which had acquired a public char
acter by being transmitted for publication I,
the representatives of a public party-and Il
the possession of which no himself had giyer
the public a clam by reiterated, unqualified
and voluntary promises The attempt there
fore on the part of Mr. Lathrop TO mingle 9th
er matters with the one presented TO him, hac
too much the appearance of seeking for pre-
text Tor evading the call 1t was plain that thu
letter in question was not to be forthcoming.
The Committee, then, in obedience to tn,
instruction of the meeting, was obliged to lool
elsewherefor proof of the contentsof the all i'm
portant letter. And they have collected the
following facts concerning it which they deem
it their duty to lay before the public:
Mr.. Laihrop's first answer to the notification
for his nomination was committed to the mai
on the 18th or 18th Of October. Previous I,
its being sent to lis destination, it was shown
aud read to several MISUNDERSTANDING whom
were Hon OLiper 3 Morris, r. q. Chapman
Eli B. Hamilton, and Hanson Kno1, Esquires
To some all of these gentlemen he CAV
positive assurances that IL should be published
To one of them who remarked, that he though
that he (Mr. l. would have declined the nom
ination, he answered, that after the receipt O
his letter he did not suppose that he Antima
sons would continue him as their candidate, an
that if the Antimasonic Committee did not pub
lish his letter, he would furnish a copy himsel
if any of his friends should call him out-an,
that he had requested the Committee to pub
lish the letter. Similar assurances were mad
to others, and in such manner as to be perfecti
satisfactory. Some days after it had been sent
he called upon an editor of one of the paper
and remarked that he understood that the edi
tor had got an abstract of his letter. The edi
tor answered that he had not an abstract, Blu
that he knew the contents, and repeated thu
substance of thom. MIR. l.. replied that he hal
stated the contents Of tho letter cerrecily-bu
that he did not wish them published until III,
Antimasonic Committee should have an opper
tunity to do it themselves.
THE LETTER.
Mr.. J.. acknowledged the receipt Of the lette
ofthe Antimasonic Committee notifying him o
his nomination, and containing sundry resolu
tions Of the Antimasonic Convention concern
ing Masonry, &c, and approving the nomina
ton of Mr.. Writ for the Presidency. Thes
resolutions being thus brought 10 his notice, i
was necessary that he should be e. plicit in tn
statement of his views concerning Thorn. Fl,
said that he had never been a friend of Masonry
and that he also eqnaly disapproved of Anti
masonry. He referred to Gov Lincoln's recen
letter on the subject and approved of the senti
msnts se eloquently expressed by him He dis
approved of the nomination of Mr.. Writ, ant
declared hmselfthe personal and political frient
OF Henry Clay, and that it The assistance Of $,
humble man as himself could be- Of any avail
he should cheerfully give it to Mr. Clay. FL
also expressed decided appreciation of tin
American system and Of the Administration o
Gov. Lincoln. And in conclusion, if the Anti
masons, after this exposition of his sentiments
shonld choose to withdraw his name and sub
stitute another, he should not regret it,
This is the substance of Mr. Lathrop's frs
letter, and the character of it agreed with the
tenor Of his often expressed opinions among hi
friends. Well might he have anticipated tina
if he persisted III them, the Anti hIasnns would
not continue him thsir candidate He di,
not persist in them--and no is their candidate
On the goth Of October il was announced b.
the appropriate organ that he had accepted tn
nominaton-and about the same time il was as
certaned from him, that he had WITHDRAW
the obnoxious letter, and had sent another. from
which every thing unpleasant to Anti. Masoni
nerves had been excluded. "What combination
what mighty magic" wrought the sudde
revolution, the people must judge. The fact
however, is before tac world, characterzing thu
connection between the Anti Masonic part
and their candidate in no equvocal manner
They took up candidate, between whom ant
themselves there was no point of union in son
timent, and lie to continue their candidate la
stopped to suppress, and virtually abandon IN,
honest convictions Of his heart.
But this is not all. Mr. L. has not merel,
bnckled on the armor of Anti Masonry. TO WA
n