The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-17

To.THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
l have been mrch amused ut the hue and cry In
your paper about having the corner stone OF the
new Capitol a. Albany laI by tine freemasons. II
man wants hat he goes 10 the hatter's properly
to ret one, and not TO the butcher grocer; II he
wants pair OF boots he goes 10 the shoemaker,
&C. Now. VINO originated tile idea OF laying corner
stone? Who but the Freemasons, and VINO 80 pro-
perry can do itg I am not Freemason ana never
expect To be for think the day IL past when the
world needs any such institution; but l ike to see
consistency Assuming, In the first place, that the
cor,er stone should be ait, the question Is,
who snail lay iti Bishops and ministers
often so through the curious ceremony OF
laying the corner stone oil church; but no
Cur stan Church III This and to my knowledge has
any presented order or ceremony Tor the purpose.
The Book OF Common PRAYER has none. aud, lope.
never will Individual bishops may set forth or
adop. form, va the Protestant Episcopa. Church
acknowledges 40 such rite or ceremony, and, The
tratn Is, 1t has no authority or precedent IN the
history Of the Christian Cnurcn, ami certainly none
IN the history oI NATIONAL or icuniclpai ccnsi
orisin and birth. 1he Ofuer oil treeniasoas origi.
natea about LOCO years ago. IN connection Win inc
building OF some OIL tie great cathcdrals aud churches
OF Europe. ~ was tnen operative or mecia.lleal
and not merely speculative, rs now. lt was
nrst guild. anu only a guild, 10 protect
the craft OF builders. Inc necessity of such
guud nas ceased, but the love OF
lraierai union ana Of secret bonds has not ceased;
but the order Is still respectable enough Il care
nothing Tor It's power or numbers, winch are no
ar unlent-and It's Elsory and record are honorable
enough, II the world wants ceremonous masonry
e., the laylDg corner stones--to let
the legitimate craft IN such tninss nave
the JOB. II has always seemed 10 me snply ridi-
ever To do such work. / see 40 need OF cerc-
mony IN the laying one stone III the nsy Capitol
but that the Masvns should do their own ies itiuiate
aud traditional or historical wUrN Is as proper aud
Consisted as INA. printers should iraisa inc pro-
gralnlncS Tor tile oecasiou CONSISTENCY.
Tae Governor tho Right PcisoE 10 Lay the
Corner 81 one o. tho Now state Capitol.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE IiERALD:-
/ have been Interested aud sometimes amused
at the protests against conlerring all the honor OF
laying the corner stone OF our new ANA magnificent
State Capitol upon q secret society, wholly I'M
known to the State, comprising only small frac-
ton Of people, and disproved Of suspected, or
dlsliked, not 10 say hated by vastly greater num-
Der than compose It's membership. l suppose that
nothing which can now be SAID will arrest this
high-handed and unjustinabIe procedures but IL Is
at least some satisfaction to say our say though II
may be unproduc,ive or special results. l do
not lay stress this connection the OBJ
Jectonable features or Masonry, though these
a.e keenly felt by many and that view OF
the case was worthy The consideration Of
tie Commissioners, II, indeed, the question
vi who snoud lay the stone received their attention
at all Nor do by any means lear that the Masonic
raterni will fail III giving US grand ceremonial.
but 30 decidedly OBJECT 10 putting Inc matter Into
Their hands on tne ground that Freemasoary ID III
respect or relation representative Of this Stat,
or ol inc people o! this state. The government OF
the STATE, executive, legislative. ludcialtne ma.
iesty, over, federal IONS, social condition. re-
ng,on OF mis- STATE ae hone OF Inem represented in
masonry, ana the purposes Of tic proposed build
Ill., III nj Its pdttsthe interests ana nlstVry that are
10 attach II through coming years, We hope, cen
turies--DaKe tins Masonlc ulspiay IN laying ITS
foundations lncoagrnous, insignificant ana absurd.
lhe whole people are taxed Tor It, have equal rsnts
md In HIN
relation 10 II. What propriety or rgnt tnen, III
giving the honor, the ecaat OF It's founding to
one society. small In comparison with the wnoie
population, wnich processes 10 benefit only
and exclusively IL. uwn members or their Ialliles,
secrecy ana its mysteries Mr. George W. Morgan
wnOse views Of this SUBJECT were published IN your
impa: nal journal, ana whose pious Nish 10 die the
the death o.! d Free and Accepted Mason differs
, materially from The sentiment, vi another Morgan,
famous IN the history OF the craft, seenls to TANK
that the people vi this State would be honored III
such man a. Grand Mas,er Anthon. Doubtless he
Is an excellent man, but his eXcelences must be
exraorulnay Indeed II they cattle nm 10 take pre-
ced OF 81 other cltzens, whether in private
o,e.a stations. IL. rs Ia lnnat1d it he the mere
means put ceremony into nands OF tue Casno-
lies. They SIC lar more numerous than the MasOnS
anu WI 40 neary ailtne hard WORK % the ouildink
\ am Catnoic III connection or piinctpic, out
know that II inns thing were put INTO tue lands %
| the Archbishop Of New YORK he would render this
ceremony lar more Imposing ana pOnlpOls tnan the
Masonic fraternity can think Of dong; nor would lie
insult enlightened Christian conscience OF the
Significant OCCASION those lnrisless prayers OF
Masonry, when are equally suited 10 the deyotons
OF Jew, Turk, hIndoo OF All innabit Ant .! la
honey.
Let US remember that this building Is to be not
| MasOalc temple uu. The Iaptu oil taa State o. New
York. Therefore by all means let men representing
| the sovereignty and the authority OF the state ~
act tue ead,ng parts. Let the prncipt .nn1als
IN the ,hree departments OF the a..c rnnent come
/ to the front. Gail out Sac military and
tben invite tho MS,ons ana all the civic
societies, Vie trades, &C., to send their
| lula All take
III ". preceding. But ny all means let the GCv-
e.nor OF the state lay tue corner sOne. He Is The
first citizen oi The state, and the only man who u
the rcpes -ntatIve OF all the OTHERS. n Is
bianucrnc.iie OF all our military and naval forces
his veto annus legislation and though the oLure
Judiciary. IRON coroners inquest 10 lie Supreme
COur, decree the luiDrsOnment II death of man,
! woman ciIid IN The state The Governors simple
order give that person liberty or he. Happily,
TOO Governor norman ~ thorough patriot, Il man
oil culture and OF irreprOaChabe character. Let no
nanu but his ADJUST that stone, ana then the act viii
| be the or The State Of New iora with signll-
| canoe, proprlety and power aIaiaa0ie IN no other
| way. NEW YORK.