The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-09-16

! punished by exclusion from othce;" Let us see
what Gen. Harrison has said ON these points.
date of November IA, 1885, maybe fouRd let
lei from him to the Chairman and Secretary of
the State Committee of the Anti-Masonic party
/ in nsvlvania.-whiuh is creditable to his
Judgment and feelings. He says;
siYou will readily conclude, gentlemen, from
thissstatement, that have never been partial to
| the Masonic order But should feel that had
been deficient in candor and disappoint your ex-
pectations of the eexplicit reply" which you re-
auest. II | we've not to add, that should it ever
he nv fortune TO be elevated to that high Office
to which have been designated by the Partially
| of some of my fellow-citiZens, could, ON no ac'
| count suffer my opinions Of masonry to influence
my conduct to the prejudice OF those VINO differ,
| and amongst whom, however they may err IN
| relation to masonry, are to be found a full pro-
norton of the talent and the public and private
| virtues of the nation"
s'If masonry is an evil, it must be corrected
| by public opinion, by the people themselves, and
not by their agents, and least Of all by those ichO
administer the Government Of the =. States.
| By them no qualifications of a citizen could be
| admitted which is not declared by the Constitu-
ton itself, no participation withheld in the adj
vantages which it is its great object equally to
secure to every description OF citizens"
These sentiments, correct and honorable as
| they are did not suit the taste OF the Anu-Ma-
| sonic party; and the most Objectionable act OF
General Harrison's life is the precipitancy with
which he reverses his opinion, when informed by
| Mr.. William Ayres that sit was believed ne had
| been misunderstood" Mr.. Ayres says alsoi
| ssIt Is not expected or desired by the Antl-Ma-
sons, in this section of the country, that the pow
ers of the General Government or any OF Its de-
| partments, should be exercised TO suppress ma
sonry. The appointing pOtccr IS the only one
| in the hands OF the executive for the correction
| attar 10
cations of applicants for office. should be hap
DIV to receive your views III relation to the lore
| going"-T Niles, same vol, page ga
| 1t is impossible to read Gen. Harrlson's answer
without lamenting the illffTnity OF hatnlan ma
| ttre. Wholly regardless OF ms former OPINION,
he rushes headlong into the arms of the party
| whose leading maxim he had not only condemn
ed, but shown to be inconsistent with the spirit
| of our constitution, in the Succinct paragraph
| Just quoted. few days afterwards, ON the zoth
| November, he replies thus:
| ESLest | should be misunderstood also in ano |
Their particular, | must take leave to say, that
whilst | deny the right of the general govern.
ment or any of its departments, to interfere
with the concerns of the people, in relation to
their party principles party movements, IN all |
cases where the laws of the URion are not VIC
lated, | cannot be supposed to mean that it is |
not the duty of the appointing power
TO ENQUIRE INTO THE PRINCIPLE |
OF THOSE WHO ARE CANDIDATES |
FOR OFFICE. For my part, hesitate not
to SdU that tootad as soon think Of appoint |
ing to an office under this republic, one Of the
spTigS of English Nobility, scion from the
pure tory stock of the house Of Eldof, or Loac-
Their or ,JeyaEinSoil, OrWeHeSley,GS aTl.4DleTican
eitrey, ,cho toould assert his right to enter into
anu ENGAGEMENTS COydBLN:4IIO.N,
,ohich ,0otId release him from his paramount
obligations ofdtety to the constitution and tdl0s
Of his country"
Niles, same Vol. page 245.
Snow as no American citizen has in fact ever
been such a fosl or mailman as to assert his
right to dc this but as the AntiMasons charge
the whole body of Masons with the crime, they
construed the letter in the only way in which it
can be interpreted--as an admission of the fact
principle upon which the party stands"
You admit that General Harrison's "senti- |
ments are correct and honorable" in his first
letter, as above quoted, but, as it regards his
second, your kind sympathies cannot suppress
a lament for the "finfrmity of human nature."-
Heretofore 1 always thought laments were re-
served for the dead, but as General Harrison is
living, in his perennial bloom with the people,
1 would respectfully suggest to you to reserve
YOUR laments for the 4th of March next, when
there will be 'EweePing and wailing, and gnash-
ing of teeth" at the White House.
But to return to the argument. In what par
ticular Gen Harrison's last letter conflicts with
the first, or by what kind of nlodus ope,dndi he
'erushes into the arms" of the Anti-Masons, does
not S'appear" to me. What does Gen. Harrison
saw? That che would as soon think of appoint
ing to office under this Republic, sprig of Eng.
lish nobility, sc. American citizen who
would assert his right to enter into any engage
ment or combination to release him from his para
mount obligations of duty to the constitution
and laws of his country" I ask you, generally,
is not Gen. Harrison right? AS Gen. Towards
italics and mine are different, ask the atten-
ton of the reader to this, and | will abide his
conclusions How Gen. Harrison can be made
responsible for the construction, the inte,pre-
tation given his letter by the Anti-Masons,
does not appear to me. However, it is en-
tirelv gratuitolts On the part of General How
ard to say, that they gave At any such inter
probation, and it is entirely neao idea that an
Epistle or other writing, can be "only" inter
pretea in one way; e. e. take my italics in place
a s,
taken, the Interpretation will be differ-nt. To
say more upon this point would be useless, it is
eeclear case" to my mind
Secondly, come to tho charge that the Har-
risburg Convention nominated William Henry
Harrison '1or the purpose of securing the votes
of the Abolitionists." If they did, they shot as
wide OF the mark as Gen. Howard did at the Lex
ington market, whsn he said, "l don't want any
Votes but Jackson votes" What was the con-
sequence? Col. Heath placed him behind the
polls The following extracts will show what
sound Judging men the Harrisburg Convention
were. The General certainly designs paying
them left-Itanded compliment; viz:
December 18th, the Emancipator said owe
shall wait to hear his sentiments" January 16,
1870 the editor publishes his Yincennes speech