The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-26
Secret Societies.

the effects. lDey WAnt W iostC 1oS
in order to Judge the tree. The secret So
ciety system is one of the most evil trees
in the moral world. Freemasonry may ue
called the parent stem, it's noxious quA"
ties being to a certain extent invisioie ahu
imperceptible to the ordinary observer
The flower and the fruit do not eprlng
from the trunk itself; they are Visioie
only on the extremities OF hmo ano l"ie'
In reality, however, the hoWer "bicn
spreads a pestil+ ntsl atmosphere around
and the fruit which brings poison to the
lips find their essence in the vicious sap
which rises along the hidden veins OF the
odorless, tastelees wood.
.FreemasonTy is perhaps the oldest exist
ing form of secret organization and one
sufficiently discreet and cautious to AVOID
shocking the sensibities of society. ln-
deed it was founded in an age when law
lessness was rot as outspoken as po"-a-
daye. Christianity, however, sees through
its disguise 1t has been able to analS ze
the sap of secret association ard pronounce
it poisonous. As usual tie warning has
been greatly disregarded by society.
There is a reckless element in men which
waits to see results. In France and Italy
the wickedness of Freemasonry has az
times manifested itself somewhat openly,
but Immediately in lees impassioned COM
munities cooler counsels have striven to
throw a mantle of Disguise over the impru-
ience. Even in this country popular sus-
picion has been aroused by the Order and
vast popular prejudice against it has
convuleed extensive districts. Wounds in
the bark of the tree had exposed the poi
sonous qualities of the sap; but time
gradually healed over the wounds and
people forgot the phenomens that had
accompanied the exposure.
But time has also dev eloped that same
bitter growth into twigs, flowers and fruit.
The NOR bid sap of secrecy, hidden in the
grain of Masonry, has mounted beyond the
parent stem and unaffected its actual
qualities in snch acrid fruit as the Carbon
ari and the Molly Msguires. We are now
told that the whole mining district Of
Pennsylvania is honeycombed with secret
societies. They are simple labor leagues !;
| they are not communstic; they do not
i propose to make all property a common
possession, nor to take away any thing from
| any body but they are lawless nevertheless
They have designs and intentions which
would net be regarded favurabify by the
Courts and which, if known, would put the
police upon their track.
When men combine against tie govern
want l,p spTTpt in
their operation.
1t will be said that secrecy may be desI-
rable on certain occasions when there ia nc
combustion against the government noI
against any law. A general in Face of thu
enemy requires absolute secrecy in hl
councils, a political leader a'so, pending
his campaign, etc. True. There is II
harm in secrecy pnTe aud simple. ia
, there are two absolutely necessary couoi
tious to such secrecy,-that the end Pre-
posed be lawful and that the means to al
tain it be lawful And when we say la"
ful we refer to any Jaw that binds the cor
science. But secret societies, as the e1
precision is understood, put no such cond
tlon to their pledge. Right or wrong {
tue OF ltCI uhS lt' .lSht vi WIN SS u
meats adopted may be, the initiated mU
" be silent. His secrecy must te absolute.
- Free Masons will clamoroGsly assert tn
;, their secrets cover nothing wrong in eth
!, erd or meaus. Perhaps SO; but the
q certainly do Lot consent TO the exposure
s any thing if it should be wrong.
n Again Free Masons will argue that th'
q are not respousih'e for secret organic
g. tions like those among the miners. B
they are. Without the respectability
Freemasonry the very principle of seer
a associations would be disreputable. It.
c the prestige of Freemasonry which forI
t. a mantle of federation for every thing ca
At ing itself a secret society.
Of And the responsibility will fall up
in them. People will not wage perPet1
er war upon all other secret societies a
A. maintain neutrality towards one. Th
=, will not be satie6ed with trimming of I
- branches and foliage; they will cut do