State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-08

! which we had before avoWed, and reltera- |
ted them for the purpose, as expressed in
the preamble, of deciding whether we
would, with the frmness and consistency of
antimasons, maintain and carry them out,
in the approaching contest" To talk Of
"puncipteS" and of " frmneSs and constan-
cy in carrying them out" grated harshly
on your cars, and promised no aid in the
contamination of your scheme of dividing,
distracting, and destroying the antimasonic
party, to the end that you might, the more
efiectually, accomplish the long medtated
! purpose of carrying it over in detail, to the
ranks of your new allies. You well knew
that in national convention these princi-
pies would be discussed and you knew
that, in such a convention, formed so as
fairly to represent the antimasons of the
United States, the candidate to whose inte-
rest you had transferred yourself, could, in
no probable event, be nominated. Resolu
tons which talked about principles" and
frmness and constancy," and National
Convention, you very readily perceived
laid train by which all your plans might
be exploded and all your hopes dashed.
The truth was, sir, | did come to the
point-and the true point. And that was
the very reason why l met with opposition
from YOURSELF and your CONDUCTORS. 1t was
the point of asserting our otd principles,
maintaining our old ground, and coming TO
the resolution to walk in the good oil Wdy.
To show that this was safe way, adver-
ted to the unanimous support given to Mr.
Writ in 1882; and urged the importance
of maintaining the same combination of
principles now which was so happily bodied
forth in the support given to him on that
occasion. But, to avoid the force of this
suggestion, you contend that the present
state of things is very different from that of
1889. HO,o different? Then, you and
wanted to express, in the election of
President, our disapprobation Of masonry.
MIR Writ decidedly expressed such disap-
probation and he was selected as the can
dldate. And has it ceased to be Of any
importance that such disapprobation should |
be expressed | do not think so whatever
you may think upon the subject. But was
disapprobation of masonry the only induce
ment to the support of Mr. Writ? You
knOtC, sir, it was not. What did you write |
and publish to the world, as the sentiments |
of the Antimasonic Convention of Massa- |
chusetts, on that occasion? embodied it |
in postscript to my last letter to you, and |
l now repeat it:
"We hold the national welfare, and the !
purity of our national institutions, para
mount consideration; calling upon all CHI
zens to unite in ridding the country of the
MIsRULE of JAcKsoNisM, and the misrule
of FREEMAsoNRY. The incompetency of
the present Chief Magistrate, surrounded as
he IS by the ,corst influences, and HIS DEPAR-
TURE FROM THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
ON WHICH ALL FORMER ADMINISTRATIONS
HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED, would, in the event
OF his reelection, almost compel us to doubt
of the capacity of the people for sound dis
elimination i'll self-government."
The Irrational ,ceifare, and the puriiy of
our national Institutions" were with you,
then, the "paramount considerations" as
they ought to be no,c; and they called, in
your opinion, upon all citizens to unite in
Kidding tie country, not only of the "mis-
rule of .fieenldSonry" but the "misrule of
JackSontsm" also. This looks very much
like making it a question of principle, as
indeed it was 1t now suits your purpose,
however, to represent the selection of Mr.
Writ as intended merely to secure a cooper
ation"ofone ofthe organized divisions in the
country, which had fixed upon candidate"
and whose cooperation " would have given
reasonable prospect of success" But
what an admission do you here make? In
what strange position do you place our
party and its candidate, on that occasion,
when you represent it as selecting him
from the ranks of the national republican
party, for the purpose Of securing its sup
port; and yet without any regard, real or
protested, to its principles, or those, touch
ing the subject of national policy, of the
candidate whom we had selected /?
But, as though it has entirely changed
the state of things since 1882, you speak of
the manner in which "that course' of the
antmasons "was met, and prostrated and
betrayed" by the party to which Mr. Writ
belonged. But how does this affect the
question of our duty now? five selected
Mr. Writ, upon the ground of finding in
him representative of the principles of
.antimaSon,y and .Anti-JackSonism, did the
want of " cooperation" affect, at ALL the ;
correctness of our decision? If others
failed TO cooperate, on them be the respon-
sibility. However wrong they may have
acted, our principle was right; and if it
was right then, it is right now, unless u
most rapid and alarming increase of the
misrule of Jacksonism" has diminished,
and, in fact, annihiated the necessity Of
uniting in "riddtng the country" Oft .
But you see a pertinent difference be- ,
tween 1882 and the present time, in the
TACT that there is now an abundance of anti ,
masonic letters; by which you refer, |
suppose, to the letters of Mr. Webster, Gen.
Harrison, and Judge White, disclosing their
opposition to masonry And does this dis ,
pense with the importance of National ,
Convention? Least of all--does it Justify
us in turning aside from all those who have ,
frankly done homage to our principles, to
take up man who, though asked to come
out, plays non-committal, lest he should I
offend the hosts Of adherng masons, who ,
are Welding him their vinnrnns snnnnrt 2