The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-06-29

or, the whole details will be cheerfully rendered,
and We shall with confidence appeal to the public
for comp .ste Justification, with statement oftactS,
which, we are prepared to shew.' As 10 our
ceremonies and parades,' we take the liberty to
judge for ourselves, whether they are are not
unmeaning and useless We pay for them, by
voluntary subscription, from etcn pirate
funds; and it will be soon enough for us to attempt
to satisfy the MemorialstS respecting them, when
they shall be prepared TO shew' that those cere-
monies and parades,' however unmeaning and
useless constitute any portion Of their business, or
violate the Constitution and the laws
But are told that there ia still smother
Masonic body higher than all the others, and that
claims and receives from all the State, Grand and
Subordinate Lodges, supreme homage, submission,
and tribute That body is the General Grand
Chapter of the United States of America. This Is
another of the facts the Memoralists are prepar-
ed to shew We speak of this, only because we
wish to exhibit it n specimen OF the veraclty OF
the Memorial and the facts its sgnerS are so FULLY
prepared to shew' Jeremy l.. Cross is referred
to as authority, by the Memorialists. But neither
Jeremy L. Cross nor any other Mason has ever
made any such statement; and that for the very
best of re asons, because it contains not syllable
of truth The General Grand Chapter neither
claims nor receives any more homage, submission,
or tribute from any Grand Lodge or Subordinate
Lodge, than the Great Mogul of Tartary does from
the Congress of the United States. Tho two in
slitutions are as separate and distinct from each
other, as sane of the Memorialsts must know, as
though not Royal Arch Mason existed in the
world Besides. we would, in all humility, ask of
the Memoralists kindly TO enlghten US on the sub
iect as to how absolute and unqualified supreme
homage is to be rendered TO two bodies at same
time How the General Grand Chapter aud
Grand Lodge, are each absolutely supreme And
if compelled TO admit and we see no alternative
that the Grand Lodge holds supreme authority
and requires obedience to its ordinances and de-
cisons,' in a qualified sense while the Grand
Chapter is still said by them to be supreme over
the Grand ard Subordinate Lodges, the case will
then be fairly made out, that De Witt Clinton and
every other Mason may consider the Grand Lodge
supreme in its Masonic capacity, its subjects
and still acknowledge the ultra supremacy OF the
Constitution and laws of the land The view
will then be correct with this important difference,
that the ultra supreme homage and submission
they say is paid by us to the General Grand Chap
ter are rendered to the government of country
while our homage and submission to the Grand
Lodge as Masons and Subordinate Lodges, are quail
fled by, and secondary to the allegiance we pay to
our country as citizens.s With the motives of
the Memorialiss, we have nothing TO do. They
say they are not those of hostility to individual
Masons.' We can only say we wish they had been
productive of document more consonant with
truth.
FELLOW CITIZENS In making these declara-
tons, the Grand Lodge of Rhode-Island confident
ly appeal to the Great Searcher of hearts, TO test
their truth and sincerity. And we will not hesitate
when legally called upon, TO appear before any con
stitutonal body, clothed with competent authority
to substantate the facts herein set forth And for
the public decision, we are satisfied to cast our,
selves on your calm, sober, and deliberate judg-
ment requesting only to be believed. if in charity
we can be supposed honest, and to be disbeieved
ii you can make up your minds to think that we
have, unanimously agreed to become guilty of will
ful and premeditated perjury. We make this ap-
no tn NyN1 in rnfo and nj cr,pE
and we invoke the same spirit on your part. Dep
recaiing strife and contention, and wishing to pro-
mote peace and quietness, we have heretofore re-
NAMED silent. But finding this spirit of no avail,
and ourselves and our motives continually assailed
with seeming rancor, we are impelled by feelings
OF honor and self respect, to step forth in our own
defence. In doing so, we have been frank and open
in our communications, and believe we have held
up to the public gaze as respects ourselves all that
the public require to know and have sanctioned
our exposltlons by solemn appeals to God himself
Under this awful sanction we have declared utir-
selves free from any obligations that require us 10
act in any case in contempt of the civil authority
or in opposition TO the demands of common Justice
/ to all mankind. And we have, farther, forbidden
the observance Of any such obligation, by all and
any under our Jurisdiction
Have we not done all that can be re asonably de-
I manded OF US as Alasons or as men, to quiet the
fears of the community respecting US and our insti-
tuition And if so we would candidly inquire why
We, more than other bodies, should be driven to
dissolution, IN defiance of our rights as freemen.
As to political views as body, we have none, we
never have had any; and we challenge our oppo-
nent3 TO point to fact that will invalidate what
we say. AS men, however we have political rights
And driven to the necessity, if we find ourselves
lmPeHed to act to prevent disfTanchisement, we
snail claim the same right to do so, as our opps-
nents claim, to carry on a cruel and exterminating
warfare against US; We call the world to witness,
that we have sought no quarrel with our foes, we
nave gwen no Just cause of offence-and if thew
drive US to desperation the fault will be theirs. and
Inc sin must rest on their own shoulders. All con-
cesslons, consistent with our own feelings as men
OF honor, we are at all times ready to make for the
public good-More than that, we deem deroes.ory
to the character of American Freemen And If
we must be DISTINGUISHED we will never make A
voluntary surrender Of our rights for we value
them too highly, as the legacy bequeathed us by
! our fathers, to resign them and never will part
with them, till they shall be wrested from us by
the strong arm of arbitrary power.
BARNEY MERRY, Grand Master
EDWARD r. YsUNG, Grand Secretary
1T is certainly singular fact that the Memorial
tsts should haze charged us tcih holding the Ln1ss
and ordinances Of the Grand Lodge to be para
mount IN ALL cases" eUsn TO the ciuiI atthoritu
because ace render them " supreme homage and ODE
dience;" and then to state that "the General
C'Gto C"HPttF CLntMS ana TeceICeS Submission.
homage, and ht6ute, still paramount" TO these
IN me name Of common sense, zoe ,could inquire,
nhy IS u not as rational to grant that ,chicIi is
the fact; that though zoe consider the 4" latrs and
ordinanees' of the Grand Lodge supreme, that is,
Historically so, the ciUH authority claims and re-
ceices from US as citizens" supreme homage, sub
mission and tribute and thGtits laps and ordi
nancss are totth u.s. = p0ranaoAntl 10 fhose of the
Grand Lodge, as that zoe recognise this /" para.
mount Jurisdiction and G'thorityto erist in body
Of Royal Arch Masons, Of tchon, as Master Nd
sons, zee knotc nothing, and ocih tohom zoe hare
nothing in common? The case is very plain one,
according TO their oton statement for though they
Gtcct to think our authority paramount" to all
others IN ALL cases" still they haze brought ii as
charge against US, that IRE acknowledge another
authorny & paramount" to ours. Ifhis ,cere fact
a'ntytolotcs, that" implicit obedience" could
not 9e rendered 10 our " ld,cs and ordinances" If
oy mem zee set at noughf The doings of that sm-
preme BODY. is oery evident then. that the Me-
moTtaSts 10 make out the latter absolute supyema-
cy, are compelled to qualify the former bv eurtaiI-
tg me prerogdtiues they had before ascribed % t.
IN tbs principle, t1s state the facts:-Ov o,tt,ori
fy as body Of Hosons, is Supreme Orer 80 N,
gfgg 80