State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-03-15


Massachusetts" and finally,
5. That the National Antimasonic party
had become so disorganiZcd in the last
Presidential election as to render it imprHc-
ticabie for dniimdSOnS, as distinct party,
10 maintain distinct nomination for The
Presidency"
The sum of the whole matter was, that
the question of masonry and antimasonry
was no longer TO be held ofany account in
the Presidential election that no third
candidate ought to be brought forward to
take the votes of those who should be I'M
willing TO support either Mr. Van Buren, or
Judge White; that n National Anlinasohic
nomination could not be sustained, and
National Convention ought not to be hold
en- and finally that the only alternative
left for Massachusetts was to go with the
rest of New England in favor Of Mr. Van
Buren,
70 show still more plainly the drift ofihc
resolutions, it will lie seen by those who
may take the trouble To examine them,
that they contain not n single expression
disappearing, in direct terms, of the alarm
ing assumptions oil power by the national
administration ; but that in regard to the
Whote Of them, it was deemed sufficient sim
ply TO say that ''they (thc mecting) arc OPP
posed to an unnecessary exercise of eXccu-
tive patronage )" while n very full response
was given to the common cant of the Van
Buren, party, against sail monop0iicS, here
ditdry magistrates and Privileged ORDERS"
Thus far you had succeeded in accom-
pishing your great design but II further
point was still to be gained. 1t was to pre-
vent the antiInasons of other states from
going into n national convention, whereby
nomination might be made adverse to Mr.
Van Euren. Pennsylvania held at this
moment an important station. Antmasoll-
ry, soon after the adoption of your Nassa-
chusettes resolutions, obtained signal tri-
umph in that State; and it was known that
measures would soon be taken there having
an immediate relation to the question oftho
Presidency. The antimasons of Pennsyl-
yania were well known to be almost uni
yersaly opposed to Mr. Van Buren,; and
It was not without great apprehension
that yourself, and others who wished TO
carry the antlmasons for him. contemplated
the result Of a convention in that State,
touching the subject of the Presidency and
II national convention.
In this state of things, the Mass. Antima-
sonic subcommittee made Il most eXtraor-
binary 1t was to address long
letter to the Antimasonic State Committee
of Pennsylvania, to be laid before the An
timasonlc Convention of that State, about TO
assemble for purposes connected with the
question ofthe Presidency. The letter was
Immediately published in your paper.
1t began with pr Jessed desire "of a.
verting the tendency TO severance of the
antlmasons i'll the several States on the
subject of the next presidency" With how
much sincerity this profession was r,ade,
the letter ITSELF taken in connerion ,pith The
proceedings Of the Massachusetts conuea-
ton TO ,ohich Ihave referred, will show. Its
positions are the following:
That nomination of a distinct Antima-
sonic candidate not before the people ought
not to be made. On this subject the com |
nllttee thought proper to say "we applied !
for advice in May last to President Adams"
whose " advice" they represented ud-
verse to such nomination., and sent an |
extract from, it with their letter.
The question of a nomination ola "dis- !
tinct" candidate being thus put at rest by !
the 'advice" of Mr. Adams, the Massachu-
sets committee next proceed to say:
That a nomination of neither of the |
then before the public could be
made upon antimasonc principles that is |
no nomination could be made upon anti |
masonic principles, unless it was ichOHy ir- |
respective of all the great questions of ma
tional policy which agitate the Union.
Upon the grounds thus taken by the |
Antinasonic Committee, it |
was apparent that no nomination could be !
made by a national antimasonic convention
which would, in their opinion be entitled
to any consideration by the antimasons of
the United States. 1t could not nominate
an exclusive" candidate, for that would |
be against President Adams advice; and |
it could not nominate one who had been
named by any other portion of the people, |
because that would he an ant-masonic |
- and therefore il, plainly, could |
not nominate any body. Having take this I
ground, the committee suggested "whether !
we had not better act separately as states,'
and that "each State party can, undoubted- /
ly manage its own state affairs best" To .
show conclusivcly how those who control |
Antimasonry were disposed !
to manage the Estate affairs" of that com
the committee were careful to /
transmit, with their letter, the proceedings
Of the Massachusetts Antimasonic Conycn-
lion, TO which have alluded, with re-
Inest that they might be laid before the
pennsylvania Convention by which pro-
,eedings 1t was rendered apparent to that
Convention that the Massachusetts antima-
sons had determined to 90, at all events,
Tor MIR Van Bnren. Having thus taken
ground which rendered it evident that no
NATIONAL convention could he holden CiM
he concurrence Of W SsachusettS, the com
nlttee, after all, profess n willingness to 90
nto such convention! But, say they,
Zach state must go into it uncominitted; and
t the Pennsylvania Convention makes no
domination and specifically instructs its
delegates 10 the National Convention, TO
which Iln,L NM