The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-12
From The .Ns,0 York Commercial .4drs,i--ec
LETTERS FROM JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS.-No. 3.
Quincy. 9Th Septemhef IG32
L. Stone. Esn .Atac YORK :

ot death or mutIlation, at, after DEATH for its
violation. such II is IN seIf, aud no explana-
ton can, without doing violence to the natural
connection between thought and language, take
away this its essential and unequiv0cal import
/ The objections !. To the oath. @ To
the promise. 8. To the penalty
J. TO the Oah-as double violation OF the law
OF the Land, and of the law of God. Upon this
there appears by your seventh letter. to be very
little, If any difference of opinion between YOU
/ and me. The principles assumed and admitted in
the introduction to your seventh letter. unQues
tionably with reference to law to religion
and mcras-and it is equally clear that they are
all dlsregarded in the administration of the
ic oaths. 1t lis vice of The institution, which no
example can justify, and which no sophistry can
extenuate. Your acknowledgment is magnani-
mous-your argument is unanswerable.
But if the administration OF the oath is of itself
violation of the laws bat Of God and man. as
well by him who administers as by him who takes
it, is it not further uockery of BOTH for the mas
ter, IN the very act OF tr2nsgressing the laws and
of suborning the candidate TO transgress them with
him, to say to him, " this obligation is not intend
ed to interfere with your duty 10 yourself, your
nelghbor, your country, or your God" Is there
not falsehood and hypocrisy, superadded TO the
breach Of law. and proclamation of the name Of God
in the injunction and explanation Itself? He calls
upon the candidate to perform an unlawful act
and he tells him it is to interfere with his re-
ligion poliucs-or, with deeper duplicity, that it
is to interfere with none of his civil, moral. or re-
ligious duties This self-con,radiction of WORD
Iig;ons Gra,;csr II ia tho vital snnrt s. ,hn
i, which armed with 6,ogers rho binds n p.rPP;i
lao md RaI,bas,, f;;rar5 Tfndor ,b evro;ai,
n,nGs or tho to,nre Ravo;lI.n =, his ast
,,os,ooa d., 10 ,b,rh, bo ,,,os sa,,; q r. Pr o
ossoss;a,;o g E;,r, uhr-.,,os -, ~. "t .ne
usr $3.50 ,ba pn-a nJ ta ;,,no3 h.,
ono - ,ho ;n,or,oIo,or;aa ~ ~; t.i.I E ai.e ~
D,va;iIsnN ~ ' ''"e0'S
Cue teujours dams mon cGur
Ill ~ -. r., eve, ,,
{. -. ~! Ia onnoua,;no ny
INV
H. Inc MURDER OF henry the Fou1th OF france
mao oeeh cohcerieu IN hasonc Louge noon, and
the Master had aomihistereo 10 the Perpe'rator as
part OF MS oath, me oc'sA-p'h W commit thAt
deeo; ne might with JUST as much reason @aa con-
sstencY, nave assured nun that nis oath would not
interiors WIN 1.s .eHgioh or Ponucs, or win his
duty 10 h,hsci, ms helgnoor, MS country, or his
uoo, as Inc MASTER Oh masonic Looge can now
give such an assurance to CANDIDATE tor admis-
SON. before administering 10 hih- inc oath oil an
Entered apprentice
= lothe Iromise:
Inc promise is TO keep Inc secrets oil Masonry
ana never 10 re'eai tnem 70 any human being, not
already initiated. nave already objected that
this promise Is lhuenhte. Inc promise knows not
the nature OF the secfets "hich he Is sworn to
Keep, NOT are they ever eApalhed 10 MIN. In
your Hh leuer, page ~ you nave exphcltiy stated
your own UNDERSTANDING oi "nai the secrets were
and that you nave always toond your intelligent
brethren feacy 10 concur IN that OPINION Your
definition oil them rs so clear and satisfactory, that
u 1t were IN ITS very Terms 20 explained by the
Master, before administering the osth, Mas once
ton would De removed
ine essentiat secrets OF masonry tyou sayl
consisted IN nothing more than the Signs, grips,
passwords, and tokens essential TO the preserva-
ton OF the society, from the ifosos OF inpostors
together win certain symooiicai emoiems' the
technical terms apPeHaihihg 10 whch serVed as d
s"rt OF universal language, oy wnich the members
OF the fraternity couiu d'stinguish each othei, IN
all places and countries where lodges were institute
ed and conducted Ike ihose oil the onited states.
| In NOTHING MORE. But no sucn expectation 10
! ever given to the candidates Tor admission, when
the oath is administered to HIM. or ever afterwards
and you very candidiy admit that this Is not The
understanding entertained Of the Secrets of Ma
sonry, by the " foolish brethren" Now herein
consists nv objection to the promise 1t Is to
keep secret, he knows not what-he never knows
and this indehniteness is essential TO preserve
! the graduation oil the OIoer. IL IS essential TO
keep alive the curiosity OF the candidate, who at
each degree that ne attaihs' IS always comiofted IN
his disappointment by the assurance That there Is
in the next degree, secret worth knowing
| Ii 1t DE SAID that the exachon OF promise to
keep secret must necessarily preeede the commu-
nicatlon OF the secret ITSELF and that therefore no
Promissor can know IN advance what II Is That ne
pledges himself 10 keep secret reply ina. my 90
Jectloh ~ 10 Tue ihGehhitehcss' h1t o"y VI INC so
cret tseil, put OF tne promise 'ueors ~ coS,is ol
law are sworn 70 Keep secre. me oouncis pI .,es
iehows, anu .helt oM" 9I jul Lii. ';, SI Lo
knows NOT what .he couaSl,s .. ms h', WI, U
wheh ne s"ears 70 weep ,'ien ~ ~ ~ s H.
thal .hey canhot eh'eao ooyonG VI. =,
ouly 10 decde the IN i've ohoa,;nn from,
mere IS ho.h,ne .nG. haoornas h;rJnG mon him
me moment "nen ~ ;S ;nnosant nS tbe sv,ant
ne masonic 81 he tSynn,;saL,nd afer lis
o9th OF MS oa. aI'a u Nv, nGar,ed VII, arc The
aullIss'on, ne I'1'i h Is hoan swarm n keen
secrets which NC ,s 81 he assont;ai sscrats q,
IN your wv, " &c oa'hs ,bc,nseves
.he Oruel' you 10 =. ~ C,nddstes for admiss;on
as as, ~ nv ~. Sacra,s vb;ch anv Ma
nese, the.e,'e' e nj H., has this heen he nm
son Is oounn W 49, Masons bere,oCnra WI,
uerlanoing oi ''~e's c ,b. Oa,hs revsr aaa22
men nave ehc ~, on Mnsonic RonLs unfinished h,
maze puo'c III I"e S;aa,a e.o,n ,ba ode
auihoIlly or wiinou' o'.e o a;E.rant in deeren
why nave thes oeINne 81 ,,;sI. ,.sict h,ve ar,se
places WY IN al, .ne ",a nS m w Which, ey,dsnc
rom the Muroer o. H.,s a N,i;,o,;nUs and De
o, tne .n,s y. ~ Tho ;ssne have not anthem
atles was essentia W NC odoad ~ Conr, h
tcated copies OF mem oeen P Iouueeu !" MI Nj.
Inc Masonic WITNESSES pese 49, 80 't Sas
Shusetls, IN Vetnlon1, III ienu n ~ ;nd;v;d
Oeen numerous dYehces VI Mas""'.' ~ 'iui,'uu