Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-08-07
Right About, Face T!

es~0@Ns ~>SSNSS
Twenty years ago the party opposed
to the Democracy were riding on the
anti Masonic hobby. A man named
MORGAN, of New York, had published o
book, purporting to be revelation o.
the secrets Of Free Masonry. Shortly
afterward, he disappeared and was never
heard of. 1t was conjecturcd that he had
been murdered by the Free Masons, and
in consequence, a strong feeling was ex'
cited against that order. This was siez
ed upon by designing men, and made the
basis Of political organization, ad
verse 10 Gen. JAcKsoN's Administration
Some Of these anti.Jackson, Anti.Ma
sonic opponents of Democracy, met in
Convention at Pittsburg, Pa, on the lltt
November, 1885, and, instructed theil
delegates to the State Convention, tc
vote for the nomination Of DANIEL WEB
sTER as q candidate for the Presidency
The delegates, HARMER DENNY, WM. W.
IRWIN, and three others. wrote letteI
to Mr.. WEBSTER, requesting him to sub
nit to them his "opinion respecting the
order Of Free Masonry, an institution
whose principles and obligations the
people Of Pennsylvania firmly believe
to be dangerous to civil liberty, and in
contravention Of the established right:
Of American citizens"
Mr.. WEBSTER replied. His letter
may be found, at length, on page 24O o.
The 49th volume Of Miles, Register. We
have room for no more than the follow.
ing extract. which we give just as il
stands, emphasized passages and all:
"I have no hesitation, gentlemen, in saying,
that however unObjectonable may have been
the original objects of the institution, or how :
ever pure may have been the motives and pur-
poses of individual members, and notwithstand-
ing the many great and good men who have
from time to time belonged to the order; yet,
nevertheless, il is an institution, which, in my
Judgment is essentially wrong in the principle
of its formation that from its very nature, il
is liable te great abuse that among the Obliga-
tions which are found to be imposed Oh its
members, there are such as are entirely incOm-
patibe with the dutyof good citizens and that
ALL SECRET ASSOCIATIONS, the members of which
take upon themselves extraordinary obligations
to one another, and are bound together by Sc
cREr oArHs, are, naturally, sources of Jealousy
and just alarm to others are especially unfa-
vorable TO harmony and mutual confidence
among men living together under popular nsti
tu,ions; and are dangerous to the general cause
OF civil liberty and good government. Under
the influence of this conviction, 1T IS MY oPIN'
ION, THAT THE FUTURE ADMINISTRATION OF ALI
SUCH oATHs, AND TIE IMPOSITION OF ALL SUCH oB.
LEGATIONS SHOULD BIZ PROHIBITED BY LAW"
Such was the position Of DANIEL
WEBsrER, and such the doctrine Of ad
vocated by leading Whig politicians in
1885. And, after lapse Of twenty
years, we find the same opposition party
basing its organization upon secret po
litical society Of the worst possible fea
lures.
The writer Of this article is not Ma
son, and, OF course. knows nothing abou
them. We believe, however, that the.
are not sworn to he-to deny their con
nexion with the Order. We have alway
understood that, apart from a.judicia
oaths, there was nothing in Free Masonr.
inco onsistent with the loftiest principle
Of Christian morality. The charg
against them, Of secretly ruling the coun
try through their Lodges, is now regard
ed as an exploded delusion. But tn
Hindoo Order was organized for this spe
+ cifc purpose. The very men who, TWEEN
ty years ago, were clamoring Tor the sup
; prossion Of Masonry, were lately extol
ling Hindoo Lodges as the salvation
the country! "N blind guides, tho
strain out q snas and sUallow aeamel.