Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-14

i
ny nave IN every form of misrepresentation
"nicn they could devise, laLored to darksu al
t'"ieugeot facts relating TO the outrages; and to
Oiot out the moral sense of the community.
:; i - OF the brethren i'll different counties
III tic state OF New York, have published address
es under their names, in which they have scIh,
rateiy contradcted facts established iudcially bv
many oil their adhering brethren, aud by many So
| ung "aSohs; and which, under this sanction of n
lawful oath, and subject to crosse xa,nuation Lc-
Tore the public, they would be compelled 10 odm;,
'i"ihar iaisehoods have been published in an ad
9ress OF committee of the Grand Lodge of Rhode
!Spo- ~ the Grand Secretary of tho Grand Lodge
VI NcW ORR has recently issued an official loitor
in winch he represents that body as extondug :, =
oependants, confident in the strength and deter
.neI 10 ou'orave all tae consequences of their de-
'eetea guii'' and the pubic indignation Nothing
I"'io account tor this universal course of false
heou. out the unhappy truth, that the men who re
1heaeed Ia 1t, have sworn, under the penalty of
oeath' TO conceal the secrets of Froemasonry, a
os' essential branch of which, consists in the
erines OF It's members. This course is counteuan
ceu ny the President of the u. States vino is +,
n.ason and who has recently appointed as Heads Of
'ie departments IN the National Government n
majority OF distinguished masons One of these
ileads OF DePartinent-the only one retained
OF the late Cabinet, has removed LARGE numbcr of
ms most competent and faithful deputies in Now
ork' Tor the sole cause of the zeal and patriotism
WIN whlch they sought to bring into inst dsrcont
the crimes and institution of Frce,nasonrv
The course of these transactions is RAPIDLY cor
roding and wearing away the very basis of ali nnb
nc ana private virtue in our country; and cradcat
ing that mutual confidence, upon which the busi
ness oil lie, ITS peace, and its enoyments essential
ly depend. When men refuse to bear tcstinnonv
III court, to public offences, of which they know
the perpetrators, and praised for it-w!ien they
petJure themselves, and not disgraced-when
tney are convicted of conspiracy TO kidnap free
ctiZen, and are applauded victims to the preiu-
aices OF fheE COMPLEMENTARY the distinction
right and wrong are practically superseded
fIr e.NIo,
my intelligent, numerous, and powerful society,
uinused and sustaining itself in all the places of
sociai hhuehce and honor-when in pursuance of
tnis INJUNCTION, the laws of the land, in the solemn
places OF their judicial application for the admopi
ton and punishment of the most anrrant n fances
are toully baffed, set aside and scorned-then the
social fabric is trembiing-then there can he I'm,
one alternative, that of reform or ruin--then
looking beyond, but not forgetting, all the cons;
derations OF attachment to the policy of encoura
ging TINS or that branch of national industrv-tbis
or thet scheme of financial mana gement-this or
thut exposition OF the principles of our political or
gahZatlon-ths or that object of all our oreign md
domestic policy, the considprato friend of his coun.
try VIII govern himself primarily, by the obvious
necessity toeyhich he is reduced of PRESERVING for
his country the power of determining for itself up
on any course of policy, and of disonparinu the
heart OF the body polite from the fanps of n mon
ster more blood thirsty remorseless and insatiable
than any which has ever come to prev upon the
hopes of man.
'hSiS 10 Il oedTlll8 OF frcc-maSOnry, not vet ON
praced IN this address which is replete with the
most distressing approximations. There is located
III boston, a masonic body denominated the Afri
can grand lodge which dates Its origin before the
american Revolution, and derived its existence
from a Scottish duke. This body acknowledges
no allegiance to any of the associations of Amer
ican masonry. Its authority is co-extensive with
our union. 1t has already granted many charters
to african lodges. We are afraid to intimate their
location, to look in upon their proceedings to
count their inmates, or to specify their resources
mi " nat are the means OF removing these Gangers?
The dangers are confined to no one mace in our
country, and to no one department of our social
interest; but extend t. all places, and infect every
department. Comm prudence demands that the
means should be cap ole of reaching them wher
ever they exist, and susceptible of safe applica
ton, IN their utmost extent. Such means we have
and we familiar with their use They con
sst ia the honest exercise of the right of suffrage
and the most patriotic employment of official pat |
ronage. The evils Of Freemasonry operate unon
the moral and political condition of the nation |
and can be removed only by moral and political |
means. 1t is the exalted excellence of our poIiti
cal institutions, that they especially designed
and adapted to secure rights; all Of which per
tam to us moral beings. In voting every elect
or should always be governed by knowledge of
his rights, and the desire of preserving them. |
I here can be no higher political duty than this.
But the use of our right of suffrage against
Freemasonry is termed prescription. Prescription
cannot be imputed to party because it Justly op-
poses what is wrong. 1t IL not prescription to be
resoute and active in detecting and deuounclno
oplnlons, of which the obvious tendency is to un-
hinge society," or TO resist by every lawful means
theinhuence of men, who commit crimes aad con- |
tedernte to support each other in their commission
10 call such detection denun cation and resistance
prescription, could never satisfy an honest mind
1t would be like stigmatsing with opprobrious
eplthet those public benefactors, whe teach men
That all violations of duty cTi minal nd disro-
putabie, and make their best exertions to aiscour
age thom. Prescription apply only to those
who oppose and lessen tho influence Of their fellow
citizens, because they inuocentlv and with good
motives, think and act differently from themselves
Such prescription deserves apprehension, because
1t invades the equal rights of Others and is averse
TO the improvement and happiness of all.
The argument TO show the propriety of bringing
this society to the bar of public opinion, and put
ting it down by political combination, is much fur
Their extended; but we have not room for more, and
believe, that in the abstract we have thus given
we have done injustice to the addresscrs, by
emitting any thing having material bearing on
the subject discussed.
We publish the following extract from a letter of
Jeremy l.. Cross dated New Haven, Feb. 7, 1880,
as appropriate appendage to the Anti-Masonic
Address. 1t is taken from the Salem (Mass) Re-
gister.
"You wish to be informed whether there be any
grounds for this declaration7 Whether have ever
| authorized any oath so to be given7 Or if have
ever given myself and whether was ever
Grand Lecturer Of the General Grand Chapter of
the u. S. AT
''In answer to the above inquiries, / would state,
that during the period that the late Gov. De Witt