Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-10-06

I
ny The use Of all The I,eaccabie, legal. and
eonsfRsftonaf n'to's in your po,csr
that the most effective means OF this
Character, which has presented itself
20 you. is by the exercise of your elect.
I'VE franchise: that deeininc ever, man
unit Tor Office. who. IN accordance
with the principles established OH the
trials III New York. considers his Ma
sonic oaths and obligations as snperinr
To his obligations To the constitution
and laws Ut his country. YOU will sup-
port no nan for any otiice who holds
that principle ar adhcres To tie society
whose principle It is: that you con
slder a mans allegiance to his country
h's highest earthly obligation. and tha,
no man Is lit To be trusted with one of
the Offices at the country who will per.
init doabt to rest on the fact of his
allegiance. These understand to be
your principles, and I see nothing in
them which does not commend them 10
every man whose mind and heart are
sound: Tor there can be no question a.
mong reasonable men, that in a govern
ment Ike ours, the constitution anil
laws are our only sovereign; that the
peace, order, prosperity and happiness
OF the people depend on the steady,
faithful and effectual administration
OF our laws; that any secret society.
which. by the force Of ysterioas oaths
and obligations, and by the extent
iof ITS combination, seeks to disturb the
action oil those laws. TO set them at de-
nance, To ride over and control them.
to usurp the government, to hold the
peace and happiness Of society at
their mercy, and to establish 4 reign of
terror over the initiated and unini,i.
ated, IS political monster "a fearful
as the IarisiJie Tribunal of Germany,
or InqMsition Of Spain, and ought 10
be extirpated, without delay; by the
use OF all the peaceablc means which
the constitution and laws Of our cnun-
try furnish. am further sure that.
: IN our country. il is but necessary TO
establish the fact of the existence of
such 4 society to insure it's annihilation.
But..ent!eme,., though your resolu-
ton asks Of me no pledges or promises.
yet the name and style of the Con.
ventlon from which it proceeds, Mc
.1nt- Masonic Contention. may be con-
sIdered both by yourselves and our
fellow citizens, at large, as necessa-
: rily involving by implication such pro.
misses and pledges; and it is therefore
proper that | should be perfectly oper
and candid will, you, that there NAV
be no misapprehension betw cen sand
that you may be able TO disembarrass
yourselves at once. bv changing vour
nomination, If you find that YOU have
acted under mistake in passing this
resolution.
, You must understand, if YOU are
not already appraised of il. that, in
very carly life, | was myscif initiated
into the mysteries Of Free Masonry. |
have been told by Masons that my ewes
were not opened, because never took
the Masters degree: but my curiosity
never led me thas far-and although /
soon discontinued my attendance upon
lodges, mot having entered one even
from curiosity for more than thirty
years, ! beIie'c) it proceeded from nc
suspicion on my part that there was
any thing criminal in the institution.
or any thing that placed its members
IN thc slightest degree, in collision
with their allegiance to their country
and it's laws. On the contrary. having
been before my initiation. assore,l w
gentleman IN whom ] had imnlioii
confidence, that there was nothing in
the engagement which could AFFECT
either my religion or politics, (Which
Considered as comprchendinr the " hole
range OF my duties, civil and religious,
and as extending not to tive first de-
gree only but To the whole Masonic
order, and being further Informed that
many OF the most iIlusirious men of
| Virginia, with General Washington a,
their head, belonged TO that order, and
had taken the degree Of Master, l did
not believe that there could be any
thing IN the Institution at war with
their duties as patriots. men. and chris
tlans; nor is il vet possible for me 10
believe that they could have under
stood the engagement a. involving any
such criminal obligations. I have.
thence forward. continually regarded
Masonry US nothing more than a so
cial aud charitable club. designed for
the promotion Of good feeling among
its members and for the pecuniary
relief Ut their INDECENT brethren. I
have, indeed, thought very little about
~ Tor thirty years. II had dropped
IRON my mind so completely. that 1 do
not believe ] should have been able 90
gam adnIitance into any lodge az
all strict IN their examinations. where
| should have had 20 depend alone OF
my memory; and so little consequence
did attach 60 it, that whenever Ma I
sorry has been occasionally introduced
as subject Of conversation, have felt
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