Wilmington expositor. (Wilmington, Del.) 1831-18??, 1832-03-02

. y - is III.
nelghbourirg state, there is such evidence as
must convince every candid mind The ma
sonic obligations assumed in this state, as ads
mltted by masons, are SO nearly identified in
every essential particular. with the oaths taken
by masons in New York, which led to the MUIR
der OF Sitizen, and the defeat of all attempts
to bring the offender to Justice, that it wou'd
seem; the only securit, in any community,
against similar result, is to be placed solely
In the good character and moral sense of ma
sons az men, or in the entire abolition of aa-
'lsonry, and not in the principles or obligations
of the masonic constitution.
The undersigned regrets, to add in this in.
stance. that there was evidence in repeate case
es, before the Committee, of the justification Of
the murder of Morgan, by masons in this state
lof highly respectable standing as citizens. In
most cases the parties so charged, were called
land denied the allegaton but in some instans
ces their explanations went to confirm it. 9th
Iers evidence on this point, might have been ad-
duced, but it seemed to be admitted by MAJ
Jority of the Committee that the fact of such
Justification was proved Whether any sup
posed warmth of excitement, aside from re-
cogntion OF the masonic principle thar one who
dlscloses masonic secrets ought to suffer DEATH,
will sufficiently explain justification, under
any circumstances. of the crime of murder, the
Assembly must judge for themselves. The
undersigned believes such testimony to be i'm.
portant as developing the influence of mason
| &c oaths upon the minds of upright and intelli.
lgent men.
i II. The allegation, that these oaths are in
direct violation of the civil oaths and the du-
ties OF witnesses, jurors and public officers,
must be admitted, if the foregoing facts are
true. They are bound as masons, if their oaths
las such are binding, to conceal those if they
RI Lo,.
Ter OF approaching danger whenever it comes to
their knowledge, and to obey all signs or sum-
mons communicated to them by brother
No man can obey these injunctions, as ma
son, and at the same time and in all cases con-
: form to his duties as witness, juror orofficer.
81 And II he can explain away the literal and fair
elimport of his masonic oaths, why may he not
. laIso explain away the literal and fair import of
] his civil oaths? Ought any citizen to assume
81 obligations of a nature which may thus subject
: him to violation of one or the other Of his
: oaths?
= 1t had been repeatedly asserted and it was so
: commended before the committee, that masons
ii and masonry of this State, had no connection
e with, nor dependence upon the masons and ma
!. ,onry Of other States, and as natural and nee
lcessary consequence of that proposition, that
s they were not to have imputed to them, either
s directly or indirectly any participation in the
II criminal proceedings ofmasons in other States;
e although such proceedings might result from
= the principles of the institution, and were no
n more than literal performance of the oaths &
s. obligations universally imposed upon its menu
Is bers. And perhaps it was the proper course for
: the committee; until satisfactory evidence was
" prodused, that the oaths, secrets, ceremonies,
,r and usages among masons, were uniformly the
same throughout the U. States; to con6ne their
;c investigation to the oahs. secrets, ceremonies,
a. &c.of masons as practised in our own States,
m and the lodges here established. And such it
IA would seem was the intention of the Legisla-
e. ture, in adopting the resolution with the limit
n ed words which it contains. But very early in
e the progress of the investigation good evidence
,dI was offered to the Committee placing the facts
beyond dispute, that masonry was of almost uA
of Universal extent, and not only the same Tin all
n particulars enumerated in other States, we'll
al as among the masons and lodges of this State:
!. but that it had been matter of congratulation
d. and exultation among masons, that throughout
i, the whole civilized world, there had been ne
n. discrepancy variation in the signs, grips,
crets, oaths, and usages of the order; and that
AZ they had been kept in entire secrecy from the
40 rest of the world.
r. These facts being established by both adhe.
A. ring and seeding masons, some of those who
n. were examined having received the obligations
T. and attended to the usages IN lodges in other
in States, particularly in Massachusetts,, Connec,
e. ticut, Vermont, New-York, Pa, and North 8
r. South Carolina, in our own country, and few
in the European lodges. 1t is conceived thai
K thereafter, the examination should have taker
is more extended range, & that evidenCe should
h. have been sought after and received by the
he Committee of the. practices, ceremonies and
d. proceedings OF masonic bodies, or individuals
of in such other States and Countries, with view
OF to full development of the merits or demer>
IT'S its OF the institution, in which they must all
IA have had their origin; and consequently that
IN witnesses ifexamined from manuscript orprin-
al ted books at all, should have been indiscrimi.