Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1831-09-30
ANTI MASONIC.
WASHINGTON AND MASONRY.

The Journal publishes letter, purporting
to have been addressed to Gen. Washington,
by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. and his
reply to the same, These letters, with some
others, were published two or three years ago
in the masonic papers of New York. They
were then pronounced forgeries, and no evil
dence to the contrary was ever produced,
while Washington's letter has no date. ADJ
hitting, however, that they were not, Though
an institution that has murdered and bribed to
perjury, might be supposed to consider forge
Iry not very criminal acD what does WASH
ingon say in favour of Masonry! Nothing.
There is not a sentence, or part OF sem
tcnce, in the letter, favourable to masonry. 1t
lis evidently written with studied evasion.
Washinton's opinions as favourable to masory,
cannot, therefore, be gathered from his letters
to the brethren.
| These letters to and from the Grand Lodges
| of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island,
&c. although they 90 not produce evidence thas
] Washington approved of the masonic institu-
ton, contained evidence OF another descrip-
ton, equally important to the public. and
highly favourable to the cause OF antimasonry.
lWashngton's farewell address was delivered
on the first Wedne sday of December, 1896, II
which he denounced 'all secret associations.
as dangerous and pernicious. This gave the
& fraternity general alarm. Accordingly, every
Grand Lodge in the United States addressed
him as it were, simultaneously, about thu
, close of the same month, the subject, TO
the purpose of counteracting the effect of TIL
Instrumentation, and pledging him to the Order
\ This had not the desired effect Washington
: would not pledge himself to masonry Tn
craft were therefore obliged to be contente,
with slandering him secretly, and praising ant
IrIa Icit
every possible means to allay the suspicion
he had awakened in the minds Of the peopl
: Prospecting the institution.
. There has been evidence, conclusive, befor
the public, to prove that Washin gton was, il
iheart an antmasor; that in all instances wher
e he was called upon by his friends, to give hi
lopinion advice on the subject, it was uni
!, formly against the institution. Still he knew
$ its power, and its proscriptive and vengeance
: following principles, and was therefore guard
ed in his expressions, and intended only t,
: leave on the minds of his friends the impress
sion that he could say nothing in favor of tn
institution, and leave them to the irresistibl
conclusion that he disapproved of it.
t In addition to much other evidence OH thi
I point, we now present our readers with hi
I, letters to a highly respectable Divine, the
living in Maryland, on this subject. They ar
e written with caution. but contain declaration
which put the matter entirely at rest re
: speeding his opinion of masonry. From thei
Is, perusal every man must conclude that he wa
/ an -Anti-llGSenic Herald.
To the Editor Of the Centiaql gf the VaQes
Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., Tirgiaia.
,e SrR--Through the politeness of friend la,
5, on visit to Frederick county, was favore
d with perusa of several letters written b
/: (1cn WASHINGTON Not knnwinr ,ube Il, ar :, =