The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-03-16
Freemasonry.

| A petition from certain, citizens OF
Ohio was presented to the Senate, OF
the United States. the latter part of this
month, praying Congress to refuse char
ters to any secret associations, and to
| repeal the law under which the Masonic
Hall Association OF the District of Co
lumbia obtain ed its charter. naY
The petitioners based their hostility
to the ancient institution of Freemasonry
on several serious charges, which, if well
founded would have fully justified their
action. ssa .fa@Ses.fe xIF
Our duty as asapublic journalists, leads
us to examine these charges, as the or
ganization thus assailed extends over
all the world, and claims to have been
established with the praiseworthy object
of inculcating the practice of social
and mora. virtue.. s - f,,f ,a~--.-..
A careful study Of its history has con
vinced us that it is, what it processes to
be, a beautiful system Of IN or slity. veiied
in allegory and illustrated by symbols.
There are no secrets as to its principles
and objects. tr I9frg l-5
The first Of the charges referred to,
is that masonic associations are dangerous
to republican governments.' Nothing can
be more untrue than this. E sa@ aa
Monarchy is hereditary, Freemason-
ry an elective institution In the one
the sovereign claiming to rule by All IN
herued right divine, is regarded as the
fountain of all honor and power, in the
other, the people are acknowledged to be
the only source of control
All offices in the masonic fraternity,
being in the gift OF the craft. govern
mens is strictly elective, aud, conse
quently republican in It's form and char
acter.
Freemasonry dangerous to Republican
| Institutions. II might as we'll be assert
ed that knowledge was dangerous TO
Freedom. The true model of a well or
dered republic Is a just and duly conSti-
tuteci masonic lodge. t-s
Oar own great Washington, the mem
| ory Of whose virtues, va.or. and patriot.
| ism will remain forever enshrined in the
hearts of his countrymen, was one OF
the greatest ornaments of the fraternity.
Identified as he was. with the institu
| tion, if it had been antagonistic in It's
principles or practice to republican gov
ernment, would he have contented him
self with presidential chair when he
might have mounted royal throne.
The wiseacres of Ohio, whose minds
| it may be impossible to irradiate with
the light of truth, also assert, that for
long time, masonic societies have direc
ted their efforts, in this country, towards
the support of slavery and the inception
Of rebellion in its behalf. Ia reply to this,
- xl,c -,
strictly enjoined 'to be q peaceful and
quiet citizen, t1ue to his government and
just to has country; not to countenancc
disloyalty Or rebellion, but patiently to
submit 20 legal authority, and conform
with cheerfulness to the government Of
the country in which he lives The
| charge of melting to rebellion, &c,
is, therefore, as false as that Of 'perve t.
ing the nation, and forbidding to give
tribute to Cesar which was brought
| against the founder of Christianity.
Who does not know that the essential
characteristic of Masonry, when not
perverted, is charity, and that Brotherly
lore, Relief and Truth, are the corner
stones of the Masonic Temple? How
then can that be a apro-slavery institution,
which teaches its members to aid in the
erection of that universal and eternal
temple, which will. one day, inclose AZ
humanity within its precincts?' TA
The petitioners say that Freemasons
are 'b .und by barbarous oaths repug
nant TO law, human and divine
This is another infam BUS falsehood.
The solemn obligations which masons
voluntarily assume have been entered
into by some of the wisest and most VIZ
tuous men of all ages and countries
since the days of King Solomon. Would
they have bound themselves by 'barhar-
Gus and unlawful oaths?' yac Hsst
+ Again, tbs charged BY the petitioners
that tie youtA Of the country are taught
in masonic lohges the pernicioas prac-
tice Of conspiracy and that these insti
tutions, through the use OF vague signs
and symbols. insiduously calculated to
deceive, .habituate the young and inno ~e,st
to the ways Of dupiicity and demoraliza-
ton The alusion to the young aud
innocent is easily disposed of, as no one
not Of flawful age can be made a mason.
As to tue rest, We have the best au
thority for stating that a desire Of knowl.
edge and a sincere wish of being ser.
viceabie to his fellow creatures 8 the
'open sesame for every man to every ma
sonic lodge On the face of the 81 obe. and
il any evil thing be discountenanced by
Freemasonry, more than another, it is
disloyaliy. or conspiracy against, law
ful government. Its signs and symbols,
constitute universal language under
stood by all Masons; true, they are secret
and inviolable. This, however, is man
iiest necessity, for we're it otherwise,
how could one mason know another
with whom he had not been previously &C
-.&l, -:
symbols are only vague to the uninitiated,
but to masons- instructed in those du-
ties towards God and man which mason
ry inculcates. they are full Of meaning,
truth and power. Wherever the light of
has dispelled the mists of
ignorance, or the torch of science re-
Yealed the hidden wonders of creation