The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-21
Freemasonry.
A LETTER FROM RIGHT REV. A. NJ. MARTIN.
BISHOP OF NATCHITOCHEs, LA.
From the Ave Maria. !

NATcuIrocuEs, Feb, 7, 1875.
venerated and ever beloved Father
Tonr letter of the 18th of January,
which received three days ago, was for
me n regular treat. You say that | must
have forgotten You, whilst at the same
time y0u forget that every week that ex
ceilent journal, the Are Maria, which
you founded and which welcomed with
my whole heart from the first, comes to re-
new my rememhrances of you, and my
gratitude Catholic aud a Bishop tor
that work which, for 81 many years, has 80
powerfully contributed to awaken, or to
strengthen, amongst the faithful, their
devotion to the Immaculate Virgin, as
well as their conf lence in the all pow erfu
inttrcessIon of the Divine Mother of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and which
has not the less helped to bind the people
to their first and Sovereign Pastor. Peter,
ever living, and to day living garIously
in our venerable and most afflicted Pontiff,
| Plus IN.
AS to the request you make, 1t is out
| of my power. G"u Ask an account of
conversation which took place five years
ago, and that from an old man whose
memory, in regard to many things, ia
much like the cracked cistcrns of the
prophet, whch could not hold water. The
events, persons aud things which made
their impressions on my memory from in
fancy up to about ten years ago are always
at hand but since the chill and mbness
of old age have set in only the very
strongest impressions leave their mark be-
hind them. The fact of which you spoke
is not of that kind. IL has occurred a
thousand tunes in the grand lodges, and
will be repeated more and more often as
the expected reign of AutichTist ap.
! proaches. could only give you urcertair
vague details aud in such serious matter,
we should be positive, and sure of our af
tirmations.
Whilst | was in Rome l wrote out
! memorandum of those things that interes
$ ted me most as Bishop, in the hope tina
later IN 1t might he of use to others.
q have the manuscript, which have with
t held from publication In spite of the mos
u urgent requests tn d" go. Too many illus
J tTi0us persOnages figure in it in too I'm
= favorable n light. If you were nearer t,
h me would willingly trust 1t with you.
u In these notes, COsCientiously made out
II there are hut few pages about Free
: masonry. Several of these pages expos
the truly diabolical plan of this detestahl
It Sect, adopted in the grand lodges in lS6!
Q to cause the miscarriage of the CouBcl
n This plan was told me, the same day tina
| committed it to writing, by a Roma
IT Chevalier, beloved son of the Hol
8 Father, who had it himself from the Cuur
10 B, to whom it was revealed by a
J. agent of the Grand Lodge of London. TIL
:, plan was the subject Of an article withor
l. signature, published in several Frenc
e papers, afterwards. copied in the ,Jornc
e Official de Rome. You must have read
If at that time, without knowing the autho
'e The republication of this article to. da
l. would be of no use. In the same memorau
At dun committed to writing the diabolic;
}, resolutions of the Anti. Council, which WI
1t SO. ingloriously broken up by the cudge
If of the Italians on the 18th of Decem be
q 1869. Those resolutions had been adopte