The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-09
ThurlOw Weed Upon the Masonic Nor
gan Affair.

/
The letter which Mr.. Thurlow Weed has
addressed to the HERALD will be read with
deep interest, as it is the first explanation
which that distinguished politician has made
OF his knowledge of the mysterious dlsap-
pearance of William Morgan and his first re-
ply to the notorious charge that when a dead
body was found in Lake Ontario he
declared it to be "a good enough Nor
gan until after the election" Re-
Gently, when the Masonic Temple was
dedicated in this city, and Masons from all
parts of the world took part in the impress
sive ceremonies, we thought the occasion a
proper one for Mr.. Weed to reveal all he
knew of the Morgan affair, and to our re-
quest his letter is a frank, full, and, in most
respects, satisfactory answer. After nearly
fifty years of silence Mr.. Weed has given to
the readers of the HERALD his explanation
and vindication.
AS q vindicaton this letter is unnecessary,
for long ago the public ceased to believe that
Thurlow Weed had mutilated dead body
for the purpose of throwing upon the
Masons the odium of numbering an apostate
member of their organization Mr.. Weed
himself has been too proud to attempt ref
utation of the charge till now. We may,
therefore, simply refer to those portions of
the letter which include his personal exoner-
alton, while we congratulate Mr.. Weed upon
speaking at last with such candor upon a
subject which has hardly lost any of its pro-
found interest by the lapse of half century.
Bnt though Mr.. Weeds personal character
may not require defence in respect to this
affair, the light he throws upon the Morgan
mystery is of historical Importance. Masonry
is quite as much on trial as Mr.. Weed.
There is no doubt that Morgan wrote book
intended to betray the secrets of Masonry,
and, according to Mr.. Weeds testimony, he
was kidnapped and drowned in Lake Ontario.
At all events, Morgan disappeared forever,
and the identification of body as his,
coupled with it's subsequent Identification us
that of one Monroe forms one of the most
puzzling chapters of the story. But whether
Morgans body was found or not Mr.. Weed
does not hesitate to express his belief that
the man was murdered. He says that all the
circumstances of the tragedy were narrated
to him by John Whitney, whom we infer to
have been one of the principal actors in the
assassination.
Disbelief in the murder of Morgan would
naturally rest upon a priori grounds. Why
should he be murdered for revealing secret
when no secret existed to be revealed? 1t
may be safely assumed that the Masons have
no secret which is their especial possession
and privilege Mysteries of organization they
possess undoubtedly, but the Alpha and
Omega of their purposes are included in
common human society. 1t is known that
they have no secret by the fact that if they
had it would have been long ago betrayed.
Adequate motive for the murder of Morgan
is, therefore, wanting in the constitution of
the Order itself The man had nothing to
betray that would justify his murder. We
cannot believe that men like Washington,
jefferson, Franklin and many other patriots
and philanthropists could countenance and
support q society in which fidelity TO an oath
was to be insured by the penalty of death, to
be privately and unlawfully enforced. This is
incredible and an Order which is believed to
have been founded by Solomon could hardly
depart so utterly from the teaching of his
wisdom. These are the reasons why many
persons refuse to believe that Morgan was
ever murdered at all, and why others, who
believe he was killed, acquit the Masons of
any responsibility for his death.
The truth probably, is that Morgan's MUIR
der was political crime. Masonry was not
merely Masonry at that time, but it was the
occasion of the bitterest political strife 1t was
a misfortune that q secret Order should have
been forced into the arena of politics, and that
American citizens should have voted as Ma
sons or anti-Masons. But this was the case
in New York in 1927, and if Morgan ever
was murdered he died by the hands of his
political foes, who thought him traitor to
their cause. Masonry, an ancient and
honorable Order, could not have authorized
an act so terrible. We may learn from this
event, and the bitter feelings it caused
and which have been kept alive for genera
tions, how dreadful it will be for America if
ever the question of religion is introduced
into our politics. The people who
wish to put "God in the constitution"
forget that, if He is omnipresent, He
must be there now, and they merely
scheme for religious war. We think that
the Morgan affair ought to convince every
reasonable man that neither secret societies
nor religious denominations should have
anything to do with political parties, and in
evidence of this we refer the reader to the
profoundly interesting letter with which Mr..
Weed has replied to the accusations of half
a century.
Tho Aiming of Irish Kings.