The herald., 1837-05-10
The Masonic Hall Concern.

The Masonic Hall Concern.
The letters, speeches. resolutions, proceedings and
tout ensemble of the cotcrie of leaders in the Ma
sonic Hall assembages, present picture Of morals,
talent truth, science and general knowledge which is
at once interesting and melancholy in the history Of
human nature. Having in conjunction with party lea
ders Of all grades and sizes brought the country its
present condition by their guarrels for the possess
sion of the ''money power" they turninground
and seem willing break down all the barriers Of NOR
ais Of law of ORDER merely because after few years Of
extravaganza, they have made the discovery that they
are not only not rich, but pay their debts. In
The letter addressed TO the President and published in
the dlsrepuable Wal-street organs of bankruptcy
; yesterday find the following passage:--
Our merchants, manufacturers and mechanics, have
repeatedly predicted the fatal issue of that pecy.-
"What was prophecy, has now become history = and
the reality far exceeds our most gloomy apprehen-
slons. Under deep impression of the propriety Of
conhnlng our declarations within moderate limits we
affirm that the value OF our real estate has, within the
last six months deprecated more than forty millions:
that within the last two months there have been
more than two hundred and fifty failures Of houses
engaged in extensive business that within the same
period decline of twenty millions Of dollars has
Cured in our local stocks including those Rail Road
and Canal Incorporatlons, which though chartered in
other States, depend chiefly upon New York for
their sale; that the immense amount Of merchandise
ia warehouses has within the same period fallen
In valua at least thirty per cent; that within few
weeks not less than twenty thousand individuals de-
pending uson their daily labor for their daily bread
have been discharged by their employers because the
means of fretanlng them were exhausted-and that a
complete blight has fallen upon community hereto
fore so active, enerprlsng and prosperous-the
OF cur rulers has produced wider desolaon than the
pesulence which depopulated our streets, or the
hagratIon which laid them IN ashes
We believe that Il is unjust 10 attribute these evils to
any excessive development of mercantile enterprze
and that they really flow from that unwise system
which aimed at the substitution OF metallic for pa
per currency-the system which gave the first shock
20 the fabric Of oar commercial prosperity by remo-
wing the public Dep9sltes from the United States
Bank, which weakened every part of the cdifce by
the destruction of that useful and efficient institution
and now threatens TO crumble II into mass Of runs
under the operations of the Specie Circular, which
withdrew the gol. aad silver OF the country from the
channels in which il could be prohtably employed
We assert that the Experiment has had fair, libe
raj trial. and that disappointment and mischief are
visible IN all its rcsus-that the promise OF q regula
ted currency and equalized exchanges has been bro
ken, the currency totally disordered, and internal
changes almost entirely discontinued. We therefore
make our earnest appeal to the Executive, and ask
whether II is not time TO lnterpose the paternal
thorty of the Government, and abandon the policy
which is bsgganng the People
There s who despises the general
character and pretensions Of Martin Van Buren, than
we do. We entertain this feeling Of contempt from a
personal knowledge ofhis meanness-hs avarice--his
heariessness-his creeping, crawling ambition, un-
relieved by single generous impulse, unirradiaed by
a solitary ray Of genius. II the soul Of is ray
from the Divniy-Martin's mental part is flicker
ing ncarnate light from the contrary directsn-pro-
badly part Of the creation which from the first
moment il crouched at the foot OF the Tree Of Know
ledge Of Good and Evil, and tempted Eve, has been
tka ALL = hos cloJ L.,
point Of ambtonrto to rule the democracy Of a new
Eden, in the Western world. We despise him, but
must be just Like the devil Martin has his merits
Now, in uttering these sentiments, we must bo per-
miiiod to say that the coierie Of Masonic Hal, =
who have got sp the recent assemblages, and pro-
mugated the sentiments, above extracted, are most
egrcgoasIy mistaken if they imagine such opinions
will go down with practical integencc-stern neg-
rity--or sound financial science
The evils which afict the country arc as much the
production Of themselves as they are of the govern
ment Mr. Biddc and Mr. Van Buren,, and all those
whs have joined madly their party standards have
by the vast expansions of the banking system, and
the terrible mania for speculation caused the evils
which the latter would uncandidly attribute 10 the
folly Of the government alone. A paper currency
bloaied beysnd all former times, is the Of the
evil Were il not for the gold and silver brought into
the cocntry and in circulation, the ration would
be brought to trade in barter in day and there
fore we might be than we are even al present.
Yet those men would send out Of the country this
gold and silver in payment Of our debts Let our
creditors across the water who have tempted the i'm
porters, wait their time with patience A paper cur
rencyto be useful must be eimited-banks,t to be vau
able, must make leans to real business men, not like
the Mechanics, Dry Dock, and others, be absorbed
entirely by brokers and spectators.
The doctrines opinions, temper, and tone Of the
Masonic Hall csterie, are all wrong From the revo-
lutionay violence Of their proceedings, and the gross
ignorance Of their statistics they would subvert the
whole moral tone of society, and produce more dan
gerous condition Of things than we now have.