Pawtucket Herald, And Independent Inquirer

We have read Mr. Knapp's Genius of Masonry and the appeal of the Vermont Lodges, and we are compelled to say that they both fail entirely, in removing from the institution those foul stains, which by the undoubted testimony of its own members, have been proved to exist. They neither of them deny the correctness of the revelations which seceding masons have made, respecting the Masonic oaths and obligations and ceremonies. They do not tell us that Morgan's Illustrations of Masonry is false. They do not tell us that the exposition given by the Le Roy Masons, of the higher degrees, is false. They do not and (we strongly suspect) they cannot (with truth) tell us that we have not had a fair exposition of the secrets of Masonry.

We will set aside the thousand remarks and comments and letters and stories and declamations, &c. &c. which have arisen out of the expositions which have been given of Masonry. We ask the public to look at nothing but the Illustrations by Morgan and other Masons. Read no man's commentaries-but look at the simple statement of the ceremonies-the oaths and obligations-and then judge for yourselves. This you may safely do, for these statements have not been contradicted—and may therefore be presumed to be correct. All that Masons have yet done is to deny the justice of the remarks, and the correctness of the inferences drawn from them. They have not yet commenced at the right end of the matter-and until they do lay the axe at the root, by declaring openly and unreservedly that Masonry is not bound together by the oaths and penalties which have been so repeatedly and clearly and boldly laid before the public, the people will judge for themselves, and draw their own inferences and conclusions.-They may give us assertions and declarations, and string them out in the form of a creed; but as long as the people understand the force and meaning of language, and are able to distinguish black from white, they will not tamely and implicitly receive them for truth, while they are in direct opposition to their own natural and necessary conclusions.