Litchfield enquirer., 1831-11-10
EThs following letters are copied rom . but-
 fsIo Jonrnal. They have been on hand se- ver.l weeks, but we have not before found room for them:

UFe, the more redOHy HOIn tue AuOWIeu6o tudl yOu have long been masons and are not now attached'to any lodge. In your answer, we wish yoll to be fall and explicit on the ques- ltion pruposea above, both as to its efficacy in 'subserving the. purpose ayowed, and also as to ths manner in which it may effect the dilapida- ted fortunes and much abused character of masonry, You will grarify us as we'll as many other ofour fellow citizens, by adding to y our SWn opinions, what you may know, of Mr. Clayss opinion on the same subject, derived from your known intimacy with him. s"a '
 Your obt humble servants, .''f
 H. B. PoTrAR. JOHN G. CAMP.
 Q, +FoLLErr. CH. TOWNSEND. .s. J. A. BARKER.
 Bsask Rock. Sept. l2. 1881.
 T3enthmsa--I received your letter of the Aoth inst. addressed to Judge Rochester and nvself requesting ouf opinions as tO the ex- ,nediency of adopting a proposition which it seems is now a subject of discussion among tho members Of your lodge, for surrsndering
 I have not had the pleasure of seeing Judge Rochester since the receipt of your letter. but understand that he is shortly expected home. For mySeif, however, have nc hesitation m saving, in the present excited state ofthe pub lie mind, | should deem it an act. not of mag
 
 dause of public peace and tranquility, to give uD your charter at once and forever.
 The present state of my health does not hermit me to go at large intO an examination sfthe principles and practises of freemasonry; but | will chaerfully submit to you briefac- count of my own masonic knowledge and ex- perience, as furnishing the motive to the ad- vice have just given.
 joined the masonic fraternity in early life, by becOnainG a member Ofthe Ontario Lodge at Canandaigua. which, at that time. was inc only Lodge in the State west of the Cayuga Lake. By the partiality of my brethren, was soon advanced to the office of Master, the duties of which discharged for several years. The only professed objects and principles of the institution as then explained and under stood, were-lst, The dispensatiOn of charity to worthy but unfortunate members and their families. and more especially to such as were prompt and cheerful observ- ance of, and obedience to the laws of the land. Sd, 4 rigid practice of all the moral virtues, and 4th, A uniforGs demonstration of respect for religion and its prcfessOrs-without. how exesreQuiriDg declaratioHin in favor Ofany par ticular creed. Simple, however, and even mer- itOrious as were the objects of the institution, vet, for the purpose no doubt, of giving an air Nf importance aud mystery to its proceedings, they were surrounded by profusion of use less Pageantry and show and yelled in i'm penetrable secrecy, by the administration of high sounding and terrific paths. denouncing by extravagant penalties, the violation of the secrets of the society.
 | was induced to continue member Of the Lodge for several years. not only because l saw nothing in its principles and practises (unIsss the sbIigation to secrecy may be con- 1 sidered as such) that was injurious to the iatsrests of society but because it afforded one of the very few means We then enj"yed 0f social intercourse--as it brought together once msnth, many of our principal inhabit- ants, scattered over an area of eight or ten millions of acres.
 Nis, however, now more than twenty years since have been member. or (wth single exception) within the walls of a Lodge. | withdrew from the society because believed, that all its useful flnctiODs if not entirely su- perseded, were at least much more efficiently performed, by other and more recent institu- tions, having the same objects in view; and because the Wasneaning pomp and parade with which its operations are carried on, were un. S6ngenial with my taste. I never advanced beyond the third degree of Masonry, and can truly say. that during the time was mem- Der, never saw the influence of the society
 
 measure. For myself; never inquired, sel. dom knew. and still less cared, whether can, didate fHr. any civil office was a mason or not: and such I believe has been the general senti- ment of other rnasons. have never knoWn n masOns, as such. ts be engaged in. any unwor- thy, much less criminal project, until the af- fair of Morgan. At the time of his abduc- zion was ahsent from the state, and on my return 1t was wholly impossible, among the various and contradictory rumors and coniec- atares that were aAoat, to form any satisfacto. py opinion in respect to the particulars of the transaction. For more than two years after the event took place, although saiisAed that Morgan had been forchly and illegally seized and brought to this frontier. my evailing o- pinion was, that he was alive, and either law eopcealed in some part of Canada, or had been sent to beas But 1t has ainee been ahun- dantIT proved, that he was deliberatelv and Eodily murdered. and that too by masons :: and what renders the transaction still more alavnslsg as regards the future credit and use. f,iness of the nssituti0n--murdsrsi bv ma. cons actually believing ihat they were dis. charging a daty imposed op them by mason. e obligations
 IF then lhsre are to be found among the membsrssfaHy Ofour Lodges and thai there are. the lamentable ease Go which have al. Iuded too clearly pv6vee-so weak and 60 in- Estuated as tO bsIisse that their naasonie 0bli- gallons require or aushoriss them to commit 7 acts of such atrocity, in disfsgard Sf the civil duties and inviolaiion Ofthe express cnmmai d of EHUd. surely 1t is the duty of every Lodge Ae n,sppnsNdap skn NhArkop ri 4h,,a vNpnvanA 1ha