The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-03-20
VOL. 5. NO. u.
From the Nese York Mercantile Jo,,'nal.l
Frecns0sO1s7.y.


A petition from certain citizens Of Ohio, was
latter part Of last month, praying Congress to
refuse charters to any secret associations, and to
repeal the law under which the Masonic Hall
Association Of the District Of Columbia obtained
in charter.
The petitioners based their hostility to the an
cient institution of Freemasonry on several
serious charges, which, If well founded, would
have fully justified their action.
1 Our duty as public journalists, leads us 10
examine these charges, as the organization thus
assaied extends over all the world, and claims
| to have been established with the praiseworthy
object Of inculcating the practice Of social and
moral virtue
| careful study of its history has convinced US
that 1t is, what it processes to be, beautiful
system Of morality, yelled in alegory and Illus
trated in symbols There are no secrets as to its
principles and objects.
The first Of the charges referred to, is that
sDlasoxic associations are dangerous to republican
gopeyn,aents.' Nothing can be more untrue than
| this.
| Monarchy is an hereditary, Freemasonry an
elective institution. In the one the sovereign,
claiming to rule BY an inherited right divine, is
regarded as the fountain Of all honor and power,
in the other, the people are Acknowledged 10 be
| the only source OF control.
| All offices in the masonic fraternity, being. in
the gift of the craft, government is strictly elcc
| tive, and, consequently, republican in its form
| and character A
| Freemaso3ry dangerous to Republican nstitu-
| tions 1t might as well be asserted that knowledge
| was dangerous to Freedom. The true model Of
well-ordered republic is just andstruly con-
| stifuted masonic lodge.
| Oar own great Washington, the memory Of
whose virtues, valor, and patriotism will remain
forever enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen,
was one ofthe greatest ornaments of the fraternity
Identified as be was, with the institution, if it
had been antagonstic in its principles or practice
to republican government, would he have con-
tented himself with presidential chair when he
might have mounted royal throne
| The wise acres Of Ohio, whose minds it may
be impossible to irradiate with the light of truth,
also assert, that for long time, masonic soce-
ties have directed their efforts, in this country,
towards the support Of slavery and the inception
of rebellion in its behalf. In reply to this suffice
it to say that every mason is strictly enjoined Ito
be peaceful and quiet citizen, true 10 his goUern-
ment and just to his country ; not to countenance
disloyalty or rebellion, but patiently to submit
to legal authority, and conform with cheerful
ness, to the government of the country in which
he lives" The charge of melting to rebellion,
&C.. is, therefore, as false as that of peryerting
the nation and forbidding to give tributesto
Caesar, J" which was brought against the founder
of christianity.
Who does not know that the essential charac-
terisiic of Masonry, when not perverted is charity,
and that Brotherly loue Relief and Truth are the
corner stones of the Masonic Temple? How then
can that be a pro-slaUery institution, when it
teaches its members TO aid in the erection of that
universal and eternal temple, which will, one
day, enclose all humanity within its precincts.
The petitioners say that Freemasons are 'bound
by barbarous oaths repugnant to law, human and
divine"
This is another infamous falsehood. The
solemn obligations which masons voluntarily as
sumo have been entered into by of the wi ;est
and most virtuous men of all ages and countries
since the days of King Solomon. Would hey
have bound themselves BY "barbarous and I'M
lawful oaths2'
Again, it is charged by the petitioners that The
youth Of the country are taught in masonic lodges
1.-THE pernicious practice of conspiracy, and that
these institutions, through the use of vague signs
and symbolic, insidously calculated to deceive,
phabituate the young and innocent to the ways Of
duplicity and demoraiization." The allnsion to
the young and innocent is easily disposed of as
20 one not Of lasgfn5 age can be made a mason
stating :6sf desife u NhSsfIsdxe nud sIhssss
wish Of being serviceable to his fellow creatures
is the ''open sesame for every man to every
masonic lodge on the face of the globe, and ifany
evil tQfQS Ue ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS W ftSCtAocoAAJ3
more than another il is disloyalty, or conspi-
racy against lawful government. Its signs and
symbols constitute universal language under
stood by all Masons. True, they are secret and
inviolable This, however, is manifest necessity
for were it otherwise, how could one mason know
another with whom be was previously un-
acquainted, with certainty. The signs and SYM
bols are only vague to the uninitiated, but to
masons instructed in those duties towards God
and man which masonry ineulcates. they are full
of meaning, truth and power. Wherever the
light and knowledge has dispelled the mists OF
| ignorance, or the torch of science revealed the
hidden wonders of creation, or an altar been
erected to the great Architect of the Universe,
there masonry exerts its benign influence uniting
men in an adamantine bond of "brotherly loue."
ssThat sacred tie which vrtuous spirits bind,
That golden chain which links immortal minds
svague signs and symbols" do they call them
s'Hence, ,"-says a well informed Masonic
author" many advantages are derived the
distant Chinese, the wild Arab and the American
savage, will embrace Brother Briton, and know
that, besides the common ties Of humanity, there
is still a stronger obligation to induce him to
perform kind and friendly Offices y In fine, the
sacred tenets of the order are SO entirely inc0m-
patable with impiety and immoralty that none
but truly good man can be good Mason.