The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-06-14
Conspirators.

There seems to be growing feeling a,
the North against Free Masonry and othe,
secret associations. Their members are
regarded as unfit for places of public trust
as dangerous to the public welfare, in a
word, as conspiratore. Among other indi.
cations of this distrust we note the fol-
lowing petition recently presented to
Congress:
We, the Undersigned, citizens of the United
states, believing, Gin the words of Daniel
Nebster,) j" that all secret associations the
members of which take upon themselves ex.
traordin airy obligations to one another, and are
bound together by secret oaths, are naturally
sources of jealousy and just alarm to Others {.
are especially unfavorable to harmony and
mutual confidence among men living together
unaer popular institutions, and are dangerous
TO the general cause of civil liberty and good
government" respectfully ask Your houornble
body to withdraw the charter given by Con-
gress in April, 1864, to the Masonic Hall Asso-
citation of the District of Columbia that IL
be made unlaw full to appoint persons to official
positions under the Government of the United
states who are under and acknowledge the
binding character of oaths administered nv
secret organizations
We further petition that in United States
courts, in all cases, criminal or civil, the right
members of any secret society shall be granted
to all parties in litigation who are not mem
bers of such societies; and that memhershin
IN any secret society by the presiding officer Of
court shall be held to be sufficient reason
for change of venue whenever demanded.
These organizations are evidently exclu-
sive. If everybody in the country belonged
to them, everybody would know what
they meant, and no one could be injured
by their secret policy. But in that case
there would not be a particle of use in
them. What every one knows need not be
kept hidden under an oath of secresy. II
Is only where some are divided off aCainst
others, where there are outsiders whose
interests are not ideutic with those of the
members and may be antagonistic to them,
hat there is any utility in secresy.
As regards Free Masonry, or any other
'uch order, we may charitably suppose
hat it means no harm, that it would never
lse its combination to shield its own
members from Justice or to work ininstice
lpon their opponents. But, after all, this
AN only be supposition. The pnblic can
lever be certain of it. 1t may all be very
innocent or 1T may all be quite wrong. It
nay be that the members are bound bv
oiemn oath, not only to keep secret certain
onsensical grips aud puerile ceremonials
ut to favor one another on the iurv. on
he bench, at the polls. Their combination
nay be for the purpose of giving strength
I'D power to schemes of self-aggrandize
1ent at the expense of tLcse who are not
iembers. WHO can sayf
Well, then, under the uncGrtainty, ia it
ecessary for charity to command inactiop.
ecaRse of the uncertaiatyH we. the
nblic, are not sure they are conspirators.
ust We therefore take no steps of precau. ;
on in case they might be This would be I
'idently unjust. Every one has q right
protection against any danger which |
ay turn out to have been only apparent. /
0 one lie required to put himself at the b
ercy of an enemy or of one who may we'll S
an enemy. h
OF course, 40 long as there is an uncer- q
inty, no step can be,taken which assumes Il
guilt of the suspected parties. 1t could a
t be said, for instance, mo Free Mason q