Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-07-26
Anti-Masonic Book.

Anti-Masonic Book.
Books come to US nowadays in
great profusion. Books of poetry,
travel, history, fiction, &C., are al on
our table. We this week have some
thing new in the shape Of work in
opposition to Masonry, of which Benz.
Comings, CT Greensboro, is agent,
entitled: "The Broken Seal; or, Per-
sonal "reminiscences Of the Morgan
Abduction and Murder" of some 800
pages just issued by Samuel D. Greene,
purporting to give full and accurate
account from personal knowledge, of
the Morgan abduction" and other
masonic matters which made such an
excitement in this country, now about
half a century ago. Mr.. Greene states
that he was a member of the same
lodge with Capt. William Morgan, was
intimately acquainted with him, and
an eyewitness of much that took
place concerning him:
believing" he says, "aS | most
sincerely do, that the institution of
Freemasonry, in its natural working,
is injurious alike to individual and
public morality, that it is secretly
hostile to good and wholesome gov
eminent, and still more hostile to
the Christian church, | feel it to be
my duty, before leaving the world, to
tell what | have personally known Of
these things, and bear my testimony
in this regard. In doing this" he
adds, al trust | am not moved by a
sense of private wrongs, or by any
personal animosities. Almost all of
those who were in active life with me
at the time the events above referred
to took place, are now sleeping in the
grave. This is no time for personal
griefs and resentments. | have pass
ed beyond that period when the hon.
ors and emoluments of this world can
greatly affect me. The generation
with which | have acted my part on
the stage is gone, or fast disappearing.
It's because | believe that what have
to relate has an intrinsic interest
and valuable lesson for others, that
| am moved to tell it," He further
candidly adds that, while in little
things il the lapse of years his mem
DRY may prove to be at fault, he is
quite sure that he is right in all the
more important matters Of the nara
tive, concerning which his recollec
tions is still vivid, and which were
very largely made matters of record
by him at the time.
Mr.. Greene states that he was borr
in Leicester, Mass; February I, 1888
that after considerable experience al
teacher, and two years of study a
Brown University, he married, and il
1916, removed to western New York
keeping a public house for a time a
Pembroke, twenty-eight miles from
Buffalo, and in 1922 went to Batavia
eleven miles further east, where h
kept the Park Tavern and where b
joined the Presbyterian Church, ant
eventually the Freemason's Lodge
with which several of the principa
citizens, his family physician, the ole
est deacon Of his church, the EpiscC
pal minister, and others, were men
bers. He describes his initiation an
gives che fearful and disgusting oat
which he took thus in December, 1872;
He states that at that time, Dewitt
Clinton, who was Governor of tn
State, was at the head of the orde
and that most of the judges, sheriff
y
: He then goes on infinitely to give tn
history of Capt. William Morgan, wh
was a member Of the same lodge; 0
his endeavor, in cooperation with Co
David G. Miller, to print an exposur
, of the secrets of Masonry-whic
r they held to be of a dangerous cha
: acter, requiring to be exposed; of tt
excitement which took place in regar
to it; Of the plottings of which b
= was witness in the Lodge, to SUI
press his threatened exposure, at a
hazards, even though Morgan an
, Miller should be lost to society"
consequence; of the seizure of Mo
gan land the attempted seizure {
: Miller) }, on turned-up charge of thel
, and of his abduction, and his subs
, quent seclusion from his family, h
friends and the public, being who'll
lost sight of, until subsequent researC
satisfied inquirers that he had bee
carried to Canada, and, the Canada
Masons refusing to put him out Of tt
, way, had been carried out in BOZ
upon the Niagara river, and, with
stone tied to him, had been pushe
overheard and drowned.
Mr.. Greene follows this detailC
t account, with some statement of
g subsequent remuneration of Masonr
and warns thepublic decidedly again
. it. He closes thus:
al an an old man, and ! shall SOC
= be gone. But | leave it as my la
c injunction to my countrymen, that tht
) watch this institution with a iealo
I eye. 1t is an old enemy to their Ii
= critics. 1t has no thought of the ge
eral good. 1t is not founded al
worked upon any such idea. 1t
: built upon the principle of tyranl
= in all ages: the good of few at t
. expense Of many. Whenever al
wherever Masonry is asserting b
IS claims, and pushing herself forwa1
IS one may be perfectly sure that su
n are her secret purposes and aims"
II TRAVEL ON THE PAssUAGPsIC RA
n RoAD.-The following table shows t