Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-10-21
ANTI-MASONIC.

BLACK Rock, Sept. Il, 1881

Il
the 10th inst. addressed to Judge Rochester !,
and myself, requesting opinion as to the ex- =
pediency of adopting proposition, which 1t .
seems is now subject of discussion among .
che members of your Lodge, for surrendering n
its charter.
/ have not had the pleasure of seeing Judge C.
Rochester since the receipt of your letter, but Il
that he is shortly expected home. v
For myself, however, have no hesitation in II
the present excited state Of the public mind,
/ should deem it to be an act, not OF magma
nimity merely, but of patriotic duty to the
cause of public peace and tranquility, to give
up your charter at once and forever.
The present state of my health does not per-
nit me to go at large into an examination of
he principles and practices of freemasonry;I h
aut will cheerfully submit to you brief ac-
count of my own masonic knowledge and ex-
perience, as furnishing the motive to the advice /
: have Just given.
l Joined the masonic fraternity in early life, I
becoming member of the Ontario Lodge
az Canandaigua, which at that time was the on
" lodge in the state, west of Cayuga Lake.
By the partiality of my brethren. J was soon
advanced to the office of master, the duties of
which discharged for several years. The on
ly professed objects and principles of the in-i
stitution, as then explained and understood,
were--1st, the dispensation OF charity to wor-
thy but unfortunate members and their tani-
lies and more especially to such as were stran-
gers: and, prompt and cheerful observance OF
and obedience to the laws Of the land: Sd. a ri
gid practice of all the moral virtues, and 4th. a
uniform demonstration of respect for religion
and its rofessors-without, however, requi-
ring declaration in any particular creed Sim
pie however, and even meritorous as were the
objects of the institution, yet for the purpose
no doubt of giving an air OF importanc and
mystery to its proceedings. they were surroun-
ded by profusion of useless pageantry and
show; and yelled in impenetrable secrecy, by
the administration of high sounding and ter
rifle oaths; denouncing by extravagant penal
ties, the violations of the secrets of the society
| was induced to continue a member OF the
Lodge for several years. not only because
saw nothing in its principles or practices (un
less the obligation to secrecy may be consid.
cred as such that was injurious to the inter.
ests of society: but because it afforded one o
the very few means we then enjoyed Of socia
intercourse; as it brought together once {
month many of our principal Inhabitants. scat
tered over an area of or 10 millions of acres
1t is however, now more than 20 years since
have been a member, with single except
on) within the walls ofany Lodge. withdrew
from the society because l believed that all its
useful functions, if not entirely superseded.
were at least much more efficiently performed
by other and more recent institutions. having
the same objects in view; and because the UNI
meaning pomp and parade with which its ope
pations are carried on, were uncongenial witt
my taste. 1 never advanced beyond the thirt
degree in masonry, and can truly say. tina
during the time was member | never sa
the influence of the society exerted in the ad
vancement of any political measure. For my
self, / never inquired, seldom knew, or still
less cared, whether candidate for any civi
office. was mason or not; and such bcliev
has been the general sentiment of other uason'
have never known masons. SUCH to be en-
gagged in any unworthy. much less criminf
,roect, until the affair of morgan.--- AT tn
>ne Of his abduction was absent from tn
state, and on my return it was wholly impo'
sible. among the various and contradictory RI
nours and conjectures that aaoat,
form any satisfactory opinion in respect to til
particulars OF the transaction. t'or more tha
TWO years after the event took place, althoue
satisfied that Morgan had been forcibly and i
LEGALLY seized and brought to this frontier. n
prevailing opinion was, that he was ali
and either lay concealed in some part of Ca
ada, or had been sent to sea. But 1t has sin
been abundantly proved. that he was deliberat
" and foslly murdered, and that too by m
aons:-- and what renders the transaction ST
more alarming as regards the future credit al
usefulness of the institution murdered
Inasons actually believing that they were di
charging duty imposed on them by mason
obligations!
If then, there are to be found among t
members Of any of our lodges-and that the
are. the lamentable case to which have a.
ded too clearly proves, any so weak or so
fatuated as to believe that their masonic OBJ
cations require or authorize them to comm
acts of such atrocitv, in disregard of their CT
il duties and in violation of the express COZ
mand of God. surely it is the duty of eve
Lodge TO surrender its charter, and thus pl