Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-10-04


OF my eoon'rymen Wr Ina, office Not only have not
sought the office, bu, have, lerg since look ed a, il,
Nth Tar more OF dread than OF dsse heins fully aware
lie vaiu responsibilities, and Of tho TACT
ed by past experience, that degree OF pu,y md ia
tell gensc thai be exered 10 The disebarxs u 10
duie', can protect its po'ss'sor from rep sssnaion
and APP tsioD.
Give mo to add, gentlemen, that on. n, ,b. lac,
quarters ftom which could have antieips,ed ,usb an
honor. s ,hs An iMasoDis Convs uon; b.ssu,e adopt,
iog Zoo besi iy, am happy to hnd1 the current ~.
mo'a OF The day, had supposed ,ha, The very principle.
OF your union Of indissrimina,s ion
ga,ns' all persons throughout the U.ited a,es " no
bad ever borne Tho name OF Mason; ,ha, YOU would
put In nomination person who had ever be Gu mason
hims,l aud would no., moreover, pledge himself TO
become parry 10 such war OF underestimate exier-
nina ION, and WELD tho appointing power Of the I'll, Sc
M dor your Dictator who would in short beeom. the
Ptesde OF Your party instead Of being The Pre- ,i
81 the United Sta.. am happy TO ind ,ha, hi, IL
an error; for should have been gtevsd Tor nv soun
try 10 The rise OF any party tina, shou aft 81 10 ,ezs
upon the reins OF govet and, throusa the
ey OF an auoma'on Pre'dep', TO dires, s powers 10
the v1dicuvs purposes OF parry prescription and psrse
cu'ion; and should be grieved for my.eIf to learn
that Ners had been hing in my life and character
mat could mark me out asa hi inst umen, for the
cuiion OF suso purpose ain relieved from both these
by learning, since your blsge here.
that you have NJ otter set in vi w than 10 eff Ct TO
s"eri 'ho supremacy OF tho lave Of the aud tina, you
seek TO disturb no poruon Of The peace fui viruous
el'izen, OF our country Ia the .nj ymrn OF those
sa igns when are secured 10 them by their ts1siiu
uon aud laws ou, on The contrary, that the ptnc le
which has embodied YOU Is seii-defsnee in n e
erjoy ment Of tho'e rGh'; tha, having become con-
vinced by the disclosures made under GA h by
morous aud eeablo wi'nesses in the tras which
have been agi a'ins Tho Safe OF New York for
several year aud by Your nvss,ig a,Ions COO,
ON tho dseo'ures that the Masonic Ssesiy has be
como ome ndous political engine j,h no er and
tbs dipo"t on to Sc, the laws OF the land deanee
mark out and sacrifice i,s victims at pieasur aud with
IMMUNITY, and to silence all individual oppo.ioa by The
nJs er,ou ierrors which il difuss
muni'y, you have come to the deirrrn
ths noxiou, inst, uon, you cam bv the use Of all the
pedeedbc, legal and constitutional means in your
pO,oe'; that is mo,l ell means of this Ter
which has presene itself 10 you /, bv The exercise OF
your elective franchise; that de.nins every nan un6
Tor efc', who in asco'danei with Inn prnspies -sah-
soed on he trials in New Yo H. considers his ason
&c oah' and obligations as superior 10 his oblg atoms to
tho constitution and laws OF his csnpry you vii sup
por' no mao for sny ofcs who holds that pm pie
adneres TO The society whose principle ia s that yon
consdsr mans allegiance TO his county his hi hes
earthly obligations and TIA, man 10 h 10 h. ,ruse
with one OF the offices Of the coupTy who will permi
doubt to rest on the fact OF his allegiance. There
urd r''and TO bs your prin ple!, and nothing Ia
them which does not mend them TO every man
whose mind and heart arc sound for there
question among ressonabls men, that in Tree govern.
men' lks ours ihe constitution 10 onr only SOW
mat tho peace, order, prosperity and happiness OF oui
people depend on The steady, faithful aod esc ual ad
mip'raion OF our law tina, any lecrrt sociey which
by the foree OF mysterious and obg and nv
tho ex'en OF lie eombna'icn seeks 10 disturb the action
OIL more laws 70 sci Them al defiance, 10 ride and
con roi 'hem TO usurp The hold tho lives
peace and happiues Of sIeie,y their merey and 10
establish reign OF terror over the initiated and unini.
natrd poliica monster as fsariui as the IncisiSe
Tribunal OF G.rmsny, or IN. H,qi,fion Of Soain ana
ought to be extrpated without delay by The use OF all
'he psasesbs IN ans whicS the s,os ion and OF
our country furnish. am further sure that, in our
country, il Is but necessary abli,h the tact OF ,ba
existence OF such socieIy to insure it's snnhila ion
But, gentlemen, although your resolution asks 4 me
no pledges or promse', yet the and Style of the
Convention from which ii proseeds the Anti Masonic
Convention, may be considered both by yourselves aud
ur ie'io" snz ms at large as necessarily involving by
IA rnni. Il.
fore proper inai should be pe.fc,y open aud candid
with you, that there may be no msappf he nsiop be-
tween a. ard 'ha' you may be able to d"embarss1
yourselves at once, ~ shangins your alton, y
you mud that you have ac,ed under mistake pacing
his retoIuIiop.
Yon must understand, ihen, N you arc not already
app Sd OF It, that, In very early lite, myself n-
ated ino the mysteries oil Free Masonry have been
tol by Masons that my eyes were yer opened be.
sduse never took the M 'stst's degree: hui nv cur
osi never led me thus iar-and ai,b ougb soon d -
continued my attendance on lodges (uo, having enter
ed one even from curiosity more Than thirty yaars
beheve) II proceeded from suspicion on nv part
that there was any hing criminal in The instuion or
any hng mat placed Its memoersin The slightest
10 coiiiiioa wuh their allegiance 10 their sounry Al
laws. Va ms contrary. basIog been before my ir-
'ia ion as ured by gentleman ia whom had i'm peil
eonhd' ncs thai there Dosbiog in the enlargement
which could affect either my religion or poI,nes
considered as compreheLdIng hs wbo rar GO Of my
dues, civil and religious, and extending not 10 ,be
81 degree only but 10 The whole a,opic order) and
ong further informed that many OF the most Illus RI
GUS men OIL virginia WIN General Washington q, their
head belonged TO that ORDER and had taken The
OF aser did not believe that there could be any bps
To The insiiu ION at with their dues as pa rio
men, aud ehIi.isns nor lie yet possible Tor me to
'.isvs that they soud have understood The en-.
gagemen as involving any such criminal obIie atom.
Lave, thence forward, continually regarded Masonry
As no'hpg more Than social and char able club
designed Tor the promotion OF coed feeling atnoos ia,
members and for the pecutiay relief of their indgeu
ofe'h'Tn have, Indeed, thought very little about
"a ior thirty yeas. IL had dropped from my mind 80
completely that do not believe should have been
able 10 gain admance into any lodge at all strict in
their exanloa'ons. where should hove had 10 d. pend
done on my memory; and ite sonsr quenee did at.
tAeh 10 IT, that whenever Mionry has been oesas Quail
~ introduced as suhjeei Of conversation, have fe
more opposed to smile than irowp. Thinking thus
OF II, noihIog has mere suiprizsd NE than 20 see il
o'oWn in'o consequence in the Northern and EarerD
D a'es as P'li,sai engine, and the whole community
eSeeu against IT, as an a ir OF serious importance
had heard, indeed, the general rurnour that Morgan
had been kidnapped and very proba bly, murdered by
Masons, Tor divulgDg their secrets; but supposed il
70 DO 'he act Of few ignorant and erosious
does moved by their own impulse sipsy without m.
ans ton or know ledge OF ,he lodge. and ihus
have repeatedly and continually, both in cooversa ion
Masonry asa er subject for farce than rag, dy ard
nave been gtleVed al seeing OF my friends yoy-
ed 10 what appeared TO such wild and bitter and
III Jus persecution against so harmless an institution 40
rfte-mesonry have thought end rept atedy said that
seniIdered Masonry as having no more 10 { o with
p iiss iban any one OF the humorous clubs so bunor
ou'ly celebrate in ihe Spectator; and hat with re.
gard 20 the eIme in Mors ,ns cas-, n wa, ouit, A,
just TO charge That Masonry a. IL wouni be- 10
eha'g. the private deoqusnsies OF some proie.,iny
CHRISTIANS on shrlrianI,y nscI Thus have thou,bf
anu hu' nave continually spoken and written In my
PHrae Ietets 10 several OF my friends I, WINS no,
Until the period OF bling here tim, on ,hc os
sasion OF friendly visit from OF your members
aud NY 'akIpg 'be liberty TO rally him on the excessive
z'al which had been excited on an occasion 40
inadequate, that he paced before me de,aiI of some
Of ne proceedings on The nsl, OF the cons, ra,ors