Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-11-04

feet every DEPARTMENT. Common prudence de-
mands. thar the means should be capable OF rea-
ching them wherever they exist, and suscepti-
BILE Of safe application, in their utmost extent.
such means we have, and we are familiar with
their use. They consist in the honest exercise
of the right of suarage, and the mostPatriotici
employment of official patronage. lhe eviis
of freemasonry operate upon the moral ana
political condition OF the nation, and can be re-
moved only by moral and political means
Ii is the exalted excellence OF our PolItical IN.
stitutions, that they are especially designed ana
adapted to secure our rights, all OF which per-
tain to us as moral beings. In voting, every
elector should always be governed by know
ledge of his rights, and the desire OF Preser-
wing them. There can be no higher political
duty than this.
But the use of our right of suffrage against
freemasony is termed prescription. Proscrp7
lion cannot be imputed to party, because II
Justly opposes what is wrong. 1t IS no pro-
scrintion to be resolute and active in detecting
and denouncing opinions of which the obvious
tendency is to unhinge society; or to resist, ny
every lawful means, the influence OF men, VINO
commit crimes and confederate to support each
other in their commission. To call such de-
lection, denunciation and resistance, proscrip-
tion, could never satisfy an honest mind. 1t
would be like stigmatizing, with an opprobri-
Gus epithet, those public benetactors, who
teach men, that all violations OF duty are GRIM
inal and disreputable, and make their best ex-
srtions to discourage them. Prescription can
apply only to those, who oppose and lessen the
influence of their fellow citizens, because they
innocently and with good motives, think and
act differently from themselves. Such pro
scription deserves apprehension, because 1t IN
vades the equal rights of others, and is aVers'
to the Improvement and happiness ofiall.
The offences of freemasonry upon our indi
vidual and national rights, if they had ,beel
committed by foreign nation would, by tn
law of nations have justified public war
avenge them. Shall we fall in love with Grim
because those who commit it are near us? Sha
we spare the destroyer because we can subdu
him peaceably? Freemasonry can be destroye
by the votes Of freemen, and by nothing else
All who are truly opposed to it, will alway
vote against it. And they deceive nobody bl
themselves, who profess oppositson to it, an
yet dare not express that opposition by the
vote.
No good reason has been rendered, or CT
be rendered, why freeman, who is oppos'
TO fresmasonry, should not vote against it,.
The application of the rights of suffrage agir
it is lust, peaceable, effective, and may be
comprehensive as the evil which alarm US.
And no other means can be described, or ii
agined, which unites these characteristics
Voting is the only decisive means by viii
public opinion can be distinctly ascertain
upon the subject. And since many perso
not initiated into the society, openly come
themselves with its fortunes, and make eve
exertion in their power to sustain it, by the
votes, we cannot safely, if we would, beta
ourselves to any other resort but the ball
boxes for its destruction. These persons
feet to consider themselves as entitled to t
praise Of all candid and unexcited minds.
the course which they adopt: and profess to
neither masons nor antimasons; claiming
respect of the community for their indiaerer
to its rights and welfare. If it had not be
for the support of the order, by interested a
pronigate politicians, who were not membe
the forfeiture of public confidence justly incl
red, by its crimes, would have been so CARR
home TO the minds of its most worthy me
hers, as long ag5 to have induced its ent
dissolution. 1t is an undoubted fact, that
men, who are neither masons nor antimasol
are answerable for the continuance Of the ord
They have kept it from sinking into annihi
ton by its sins, and are thus equally censura
with its members. No association of m
however impudent and hardened, can wi
stand, for years, the Indignant, well found
universal rebuke of their fellow citizens.
treated, the worst members would be dri
from the face of the sun, and from public OBJ
walton. into the fastness and caves ofthe ca
to take npon themselves the skulking hal
along with the hagi,ions purposes, of fell
and the best would be compelled to abando
1t is attempted to make antimasonry odi'
because it is political. but these atten
must recoil upon those with whom they Of
nate. None but tyrants can think the us
political means degrading. And there Sc
TO be peculiar effrontery required to imp,
it in country where every thing most me
rable, in its history has been inseparaby
nected with political movement, and e.
thing most animating in its prospects, is
pendant upon political action and supervis