Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-12-19


We did not publish the lucuhraons OF this man.
fr various reasons First, We know noiE!ES anu
could learn nothing Of him. and not being I" MaS':n
could not undertake TO make ourselves respOns'o.
nuy wny Tor positions sulneG ty HIN Ill lie ihH'
SECOND as explained above, we relied on .nI
known gentleman OF this tity, dis'ingns';s .aJ
prominent member o! the orGcr VINO ma" mo. n"h
i.,.ch indignation the subject 10 ~hc" "u !, md
cnion rele rel when called on nun 49, ,; II. :,
.ho nrnr,sad m rnr,s,, IA with ma ter showing 'n'
he sicnll.d lodge Of negroes III ,",e o'y TN.
under any circumstances be rtsaf1ed y! 's Nh q.
sons "a a Masonic body. nor us ''o'.D'' ;s,ru i,
TIM, tb. ,oI ,,e VA. ire uar anl spurious iso"
',, Wv 1 EJ, ind ben OF would b" chart"rec ny
3D. crar5 cdns in this District, ina Us Ho o'1"
+ ,I.. in ,hi. country had or would ASSUME me IT,
-, hill ~ of c!lart-ing such lodge Ill ,his Det.",
p,s where, whSru O Grand Lodge already tN's'S"
% &c a,rln.;ye Jurisdiction over such Tiatcr'--
,rb;l, thus awaiting q communication from iha "IS"
Masonic functiouary, we find III tue Kchuiohu En
1yi,rr OF Yesterday Washington letter Oh 'ho SUI
,-c. over the initials uf tho man, Thomas, contain,
illg the following grossly caunnl"us, lnPef'he'' ""'
unwarrautpd illusions 10 US personally :.
1--WE Immediately wrote TO the STAR reminding IL
that the sc negro Masonic lodges, Us II syieu hen,
we're unlawful assemblies, innsnueh us ine ufaii'l
Lodge Of Maryland would not be- guilty u! Gsg'''c'
IN. Aiasonic order by granting charters Tor hc@io
In5gas 1hs Sur took no notice of the con:lnuiica-
ton, which we requested them tn publish, pfooao's
caring more about Its respectable c"ioFsh suu'n.
bers than for the regular members vi 'ne "'ae''
order. Whether the editor Of the Star VISITS resu
,ari, th.sa negro lodges or not we cannot say; but
At any rate he appears TO feel an ardent attachen,
Cor his woolly headed 'colored brothers. As 10 well
known here the editor of the Star Is nor M
He certainly could not find admission 10 any regular
Masonic lodge in this city, ,,.o
yious to i.s publication upon anonymous authority
nv either editor of the Enquirer, both OF whon Kno"
M nsrsouav, and, also the lnvariabe course OF the
SIR upun all matters bearing on the necessary uo-
nestle discipline at the South too we'll 10 permit
,bam IN send out Intentionally through the agency
If their journal any such lmputa'lons upon
no IN far though We have enqulred tar and neal,
re cannot learn of the existence ot such au ihui'l
dual here as "Caleb b. Thomas we only Know
that whuever the writer Of the letter I" The Enquirer
signed C. b. t. may BE-. wherein he refers to US per
sonslly he has shown himself TO be an impertinent
fool who has gone out OF his way to get I'M" PRINT ms
fal.ehnods concerning US because, fcrsoouI' we oI
not feel warranted in assuming respnnsloilty iof NJ
statements concerning Masonic matters, when We
Lna nothiuy of him personally, could find no one
who did know aught nf him personally. anu cou'o
only find that he not known to The Masouic OF
der here :; .;,,, wa =.
,iyed the following brief note from our irielh OF Tue
Richmond Enquirer, which is just what, under The
- RICHMOND, Dec Il, 1856.
MR WALLAcH Editor of the Star, Washington, d. Z
Dear Sir-In the Enquirer nj 10 morrow ISSUED uis
mornlug> there is lser Washington which re accts
upop YOU | did not read 1t ua atec 1t WAS puphshco
csr should not have appeared III me PSpeTr 10, an
sure il doe, you pisce haze no idea that Mr. hitehie
saw il either rercI thai the Enquirer sspuid be even
lie unconscious medium OF attack upon brother ed'
,or Of The Democratic prcss and gentleman WIN "ao'n
| hold friendly relations Yours, ic"pec iu"y,
In conclusion. we have TO say that in the course OF
our Investigations on the subject we have Very re-
Gently satisfied oursef of tho existence aud regular
g call-ul Masonic IOtpe-
i'm Alexandria and Norfolk, Va, aud that IN kirh'
und there negroes who have been initiated into
them though 80 far they have no organized lo1ge III
that city, aud take this Occasion to call the ateii
ton of the police Of those cities To tneih.
10 the Editors Of tie Enquirer:
Gep,l.meu: The Evening Star OF yesterday con-
taued a long article attempting 10 excuse ls"i Tor
20, publishing notice whlc! sent II some NV"
week ago. of the existence III TINS District, vi Ger
tain unlawful gatherings 1T negroes, calling mem
selves Masonic lodges" That notice was perfectly
unexcep,ionabe in lis manner and entirely correct
n all It's statements. 1t simply set forth plan
statement of facts III regard i" what appeared {" me
aud others to be H!urmlng and schnunious stare ul
things existing among The negro population OF this
CIV The facts having CONE 10 my knowledge, /
deemed j; my duty, as good citizen. and as en.'
Der of the Masonic order, TO expose them. accord
ngy made the exposition 10 the editor ot tue Star,
but he declined publishing IT, ana took no noticn
respectful language. Now, after almost two weeks
have elapsed finding himsef forced, by my article in
the Enquirer. TO break silence on the SUBJECT lit
ines out with lame excuse for negectg TO no
tce ma,erof so much Importance 10 the pubic. his
excuses are, Let. That c. Is. L. was unknown 20 him;
and, I'd. That he waiting 10 ascertain whether
my exposition, which lie refused to publish, was
statement of facts. AZ to the name, Z. g. T., that
was im,nateria, 80 long as the statement of facts
could not be denied. These he couid not deny. r.
no coufesses in his paper Of yesterday, that he was
aware of the existence Of negro olgesn this city, and
also in Alexandria aud Richmond. And M TO the
spuriousrtss of the negro lodges in this city, lie could
have no reasonable doabt, since, according to hi.
own confession in the Star of yesterday, HI had been
fully appraised o! their spuriousncss 10y distinguish
ad and prominent member OF the order" Ills con.
fession ie as follows:
..Second, ms explained above, we relied on n well
known gentleman OF this city, distinguished and
prominent member Of the order, who manifested
much indignation tho subject to which our publ
cation referred when We called on hun about II,
aud who promised TO furnish uS with matter showing
that The called lodge Of negroes in THE city could
not under any circumstances, be regarded by regu-
lar MACON. as Masonic body, nor It's members as
Masous; that the lodge was irregular and spurious,
inso,nnch as no such body had been or would b"
chartered by the Grand Lodge in this District, and
as no Grand Lodge in this country had or wolld as
sumo the responsibility o churtcr!nS such lodge IL
,hi. District or elsewhere, where Grand Lodge
already existed having exclusive Jurisdiction over
suoh matter.
From this, then, it appears that tie editor Of the
Star was fully of the correctness of the state
men;s contained iu tho article whic. lie refused To
publish. Why, then. when respectfully requested to
do co. did he not publish the article If tho subject
OF the article had been one OF only private interest,
then he could have very properly declined noticing
il; but being ono of vital Importance, involving not
only the responsibility of the Masonic Order, but
even the safety Of our citizens there certainly exist
ed no valid reason why he should n-g!ectit HIS do
ing So exposed him TO suspicion Of not wishing to OIL
lend his "colored subscribers" who are believed to
be numerous. The scandal aud olfence given 10 the
Masonic Order, by the existence of these so.cailed
negro lodges, well known to the editor of the
S.ar and therefore, he should have promptly ackno~
lodged the receipt Of my article, even II lie did moi
choose to publish it.
In regard TO the charge, that the Star has been ir
the habit Of Publishing negro marriages in juxta po
sion with those of respectable white citizens, hi.
columns are standing witnesses to the tact. He Is al
80 fully that this has been made subject o
COMPLAINT by our citizens.
In regard TO the Stars Democracy, We are not die
posed to question it. He has certainly shown him
self during the last campaign firm advocate Of ou
party.
to friend, and member of the Masonic Order, before
sendiny i: TO the Star He concurred in il entirely
but advised not to sign my nsne to 1t, as 1t nigh
expose me to attack from soma of the gangs Of FREE
negroes that infest the city. deemed my duty t.
make the exposure. let the risk he what 1t might. Ii
this matter have been actuated only by the best o
motives. had no personal hatred againt the edlto
of the Star to crafty, but only looked to what con
sidered to be the duty Of every Mason and ctizen-
Had the Star extended to ua promptly that couries.
which we had Il right. under the circumstances TO ex
pect our article would not have appeared in the col
umns OF the Richmond Enquirer. &. b. L.
Washington, Dee. II, 1880.
For the Enquirer.
"IIow sharper than serpents tooth.
i. 10 have thhnse.s e!iid."