State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-01-12
MONTPELIER, (vT) JANUARY ID, 1896

unmindful of the violence, in the murder
of VIM. Morgan, threatened to all private
citizens in the midst of their lawful pur-
suits. lie was native of Virginia, and Il
citizen Of New York, whose name is held
in honor in the circle of his personal friends
as one of the brave defenders of New
Orleans. The deliberate blow that burst
upon him, for the publication of the truth,
and of his private sentiments, respecting
Freemasonry, was mortal stab to the, llber-
ties common 10 every Republican, which
should ne told in the voice of that nigh
ty cataract, whose waters drank up his
blood, until signal retribution is visited upon
the masonic lodges. The antimasons were
the foremost of the Democracy to lift the
Egis of the laws for his protection; and
persevering to bringhis reckless assassins to
legal trial; and when they found the ave-
nues to justice, in the possession of men,
combined with the criminals; and found
the courts, thronged with the retainers of
the lodges; and found the prosecuting At
tornies, cut off by legal forms from an OPP
portunity of proving the murder, and pre-
vented by every sort of obstruction from
bringing but very few of very many Grim
inals TO trial, until they escaped through
the statute of limitations, the antmasons
appealed from the magistracy to the whole
people, to the Democracy of the country;
that, in the plentitudc OF their sovereign
power, redress might be obtained for this
injury to their private rights, and personal
liberties, which redress could not be OBJ
tanned of any, nor of all the great rcposlto-
ries of the peoples power, the Judicial,
the Executive, and the Legislative united.
Antimasons saw and felt to the quick,
that by the same lawless violence, with
which the mouth of one freeman was
hushed III death, because it ventured bold
ly to pronounce the honest sentiments OF
a generous and patriotic heart, the life OF
every freeman was put in jeopardy: that
the people should punish this fearful out
rage upon private rights, lest, henceforth,
any set of men should undertake TO be
judges of liberty, contrary to the laws,
should undertake to prescribe for the pco-
pie what one should write and what one
should publish and what one should speak;
that the people must punish this violation
of their dearest rights, or expect an IRE
sponsibe judge, without any OF the usual
forms of law, to sit by turns on their trial,
and Having condemned one contrary to law,
lcxecuted judgment by The hand OF mis-
guided rabble. Antiinnsons saw and fell
that the people ought to punish this outrsge
lest death may come from any concealed
hand, holding the dagger of a secret com
bination who condemn the manner IN
which any Democratic Republican OF
these United States shall venture TO exer-
else the liberty of speech and the liberty Of
the press, liberties, which the God OF
| Heaven las given to every man, and which
our Constitutions guarantee, and the laws
and customs of our country encourage, al
low and protect.
In the prosecution of their high and fix
ed purpose, Antmasons use only consttu-
tional weapons, according with the estab-
lishcd usages of political parties: they
support, or reject candidates tor office, ac-
cording as the candidates receive, or re-
lcct, the cardinal principles of Aniimason'
ny; and they solicit all their fellow citizens
who value the right of private judgment
together with liberty TO speak, and &c
write, and to publish that judgment, sub
lcct only to the legal tribunals of Our coun
try, openly to Join and abolish the masonic
lodges from their high place among the in
corporated ins'itutions of our country: anC
in them, to rebuke the spirit OF violence
which widely threatens TO disturb the peace
of this favored land, in the name o
Lynch La,c, n masonic code of rapine
stripes and blood.
In obedience to the call of that Cnitet
States Convention, which, at Baltimore ii
1881, nominated for the Presidency thu
honored and lamentcd WILLIAM WRIT
another Convention will assemble OIL tn
first Wednesday Of May, next, at the cit,
of Philadelphia, in the Court House,
twelve o'clock at noon, for the purpose o
advancing the principles Of Anlmasonry
: to which Convention all the states are III
( vitcd to send Delegates, according to TIT
number of heir Senators and Representa-
lives in Congress; and all the friends
good order, OF sound principles, and o
individual rights, in opposition to the op
pressivc power OF secret combinations o
, men, and, also, to the Iawlcss arts OF IL
responsible and selt-c0nsIituted Judges o
life and death, destroying the peace OF TN
/ country and tyrannically threatening TN
life aud liberty of their fellow citizens, ar
earnestly invited 10 aid in the selecting q
the Delegates.
, HENRY DANA WARD,
. HENRY COTIlEAL of N. Y. City
National Corresponding Com
r mittee OF AntiInasons.
t Harrisburg, Dec. II, 1885.