Pawtucket Herald, And Independent Inquirer

ANTI-MASONIC.

FROM THE
MORRISTOWN (N. J.) PALLADIUM
OF LIBERTY.

LEVI--Continued.

As the organization of every lodge is the same, we shall examine the regulations of the institution in general, of which our Morris, must be a miniature, but faithful portrait.

The book of Morgan, the revelations of the Le Roy convention, and the certificates of the numerous respectable Free Masons, of all degrees, which have been published, were taken as an evidence of truth, which ought satisfy every rational mind, and which would be conclusive before any tribunal or court of justice in the world. The words of the oaths and the ceremonies have been already published and are generally known; it is therefore unnecessary again to quote them verbally.

The strength of the association depending upon UNION. SECRECY, DISCIPLINE and MYSTICISM, its internal administration is directed to these essential points.

UNION.

In order to secure union, the fraternity regard themselves as a people, separate and chosen from the rest of mankind.

Each member is bound to advance the private, political, or military welfare of his brother, be he right or wrong, be he fit, be he unfit, to the utmost of his power; and a special clause obliges him to vote at elections in favour of any Masonic candidate.

If a Mason be in danger, difficulty, or surprise, whether as an individual seeking pecuniary gain, as a candidate soliciting office, as a litigant depending on the award of a judge, or jury, or as a culprit before the bar, he has only to make the signal of distress, and every brother is bound to assist even at the risk of life, and to the utmost extent of his ability.

In order to facilitate this mode of calling for help, a set of signals are concerted, suited to all situations and places, as far as the eye can see, or the ear hear; a mason can command the assistance of every brother; there is no reference to justice, to propriety, to patriotic feelings, or to mercy; every mason is bound by a solemn oath and tremendous penalty, to aid and relieve, on the spot, without enquiry or examination. These signals are such, that none but masons can distinguish them. A gesture, an acclamation, which none but a mason would remark, are sufficient to command a judge, to influence a jury.

Every mason is expected to pay an annual tax to the society, which in case of need, returns him in charity, a portion of what he has formerly contributed, provided he has been a faithful and active member. The residue is employed in the operations concerted by the leading brethren.

Reckoning insufficient the obligations of the christian and moral law, masonry specially orders brethren not to slander the character, or debauch the wives and daughters of each other, thus leaving it as an implied option, to act as most agreeable with the rest of mankind.

We have recent evidence that this union, cemented by oaths and penalties, is stronger than the most sacred obligation of law and duty. The commander of a military post received from the Secretary at War, orders the most positive, to arrest a masonic murderer. He pretends obedience, but feigning a delay to gain time, he sends a masonic messenger to warn the criminal, and only proceeds to the execution of his duty, when he knows the culprit to be beyond the reach of arrest. Similar evasions by Masonic officers of justice are well known to have facilitated the escape of the assassins of Morgan; and the union of masons is thus built upon the destruction of all duty and justice among mankind. We ourselves have seen a masonic officer avoid intentionally the place where he had notice that a masonic criminal was to be found. But of this, more hereafter, in its proper place.

The execution of the Tariff law will call for a vigilant body of revenue officers. Can it be reasonably expected, that a masonic officer will be a faithful guardian of the public interest, if a masonic smuggler is concerned. It is a matter of recent and important inquiry, whether the duties of any officer whatever, can be with safety entrusted to a person laying under solemn oath, to show peculiar favour to a chosen fraternity.

No thorough going mason is fit to be trusted with management of public business.

SECRECY.

The secrecy of masonry is a complicated duty.

The fraternity keeps its secrets from other men, and each degree has peculiar secrets which no inferior order is permitted to penetrate.

Thus the very highest crimes, Murder and Treason, and all other transactions which may affect the character, prosperity or safety of a brother, are under oath to be concealed, and this concealment is to take place, not only upon request, but as often as it shall be judged for the interest of the parties, that their transactions remain unknown.

The advantage of this principle has been lately well illustrated at a public trial. A rogue loaded a ship with valuable goods which he insured for the full value. He wished to re-land them in the night-time, then to set sail, run the empty ship ashore, on some unfrequented coast, and recover the full amount insured, from the insurance office. The only difficulty was to find some Captain to whom he durst propose such villainy, and the rogue accomplished his purpose by asking him if he was a mason.

As soon as that point was ascertained, every difficulty vanished, and the nefarious negotiation was carried on without fear of exposure.

Masonry thus furnishes accomplices and impunity for every crime.

But there are plans which it would be dangerous to promulgate to even a sworn fraternity of probably 500,000 men, and yet in which the aid of the whole body is necessary. Such are schemes of national or treasonable nature. Such may also be the lesser conspiracy for ruling a state, or controlling a county. In such cases the secret lays only with the grand officers, who by the rules of discipline, can command the obedience of their inferiors.--The soldier must march wherever his captain orders, without asking questions--so the mason must yield absolute and silent obedience. The Grand Lodge at Washington, commands the Grand State Lodges--The Grand State Lodges command the County Lodges, and the officers of these are absolute over the whole tribe.

The masons swear to obey all regular signs, summons and orders, sent from a regular lodge; to support the Grand Lodge of the United States, and Grand Lodge of the State of New-Jersey to conform to all their bye-laws, rules and regulations: and never to complain and demur, and afford a blind obedience, without any restriction whatever, to superior authorities. The punishment of death in a number of fantastic forms is denounced against defaulters. In the case of Morgan, that penalty has been exacted there are rational grounds to suppose that several individuals, who have unaccountably disappeared, have been similarly disposed of. But masonry has a store of lesser chastisements. In the words of one of its oaths, the man denounced by the lodge must "be held out to the world as an unworthy and vicious vagabond; his interests are to be deranged, and his character exposed to contempt during his whole natural life."

Such is the bondage to which a man is reduced on the day he becomes a mason.

To the honest mind it must be more galling than African slavery; to the hardened villain alone it is a glorious field of booty and tyranny. We have before our eyes the extent of this discipline. Last year a mason, under the signature of "MOSES," came out boldly to defend his brethren, in the public print:--since then an order has issued from the Grand Lodges prohibiting all writings until previously inspected and approved by it. "Moses" accordingly stopt short, and the fraternity here is compelled to listen to their present accusation, and future condemnation patiently, in silence, until the Grand Lodge shall please to take the padlock off, of its Morris Printing Office.

We have, in this county, seen masons promise their support, at elections and pledge their faith and honor to individuals to whom they were bound by every tie of friendship. But at the masonic caucus which precedes all elections, it has been occasionally resolved that these individuals shall not be elected, and immediately we have seen the very men, who twelve hours before had been the advocates, issuing forth from the lodge to sacrifice every engagement which ought to bind an honest man, and become the opponents of their former friend.

But a still stronger case has been for several years before us. A mason, one of the most able in the gang, has from year to year been promised a seat in the Legislature; as the election time approaches, he has been ordered to withdraw, and he has regularly obeyed with reluctance, and venting his anger, in curses upon the combination to which he had bound himself, as a dog, to obey the whistle of his master. Such is the discipline of masonry.

This is the grand principle by which masonry imposes upon and overawes mankind. But the deception is of a nature too broad and coarse to merit the polite term of Mysticism, and we shall come nearer to the truth in denominating it hum-bug, or broad hoax.

The power which it exercised over the human mind by bold pretention, would be incredible, were it not ascertained by the unerring evidence of facts. It is unnecessary to go back to the times when a Roman army, commanded by a Roman Consul, were controlled by the chickens of an Augur, or an English Monarch, on his knees, received on his back the lash from a meek and humble priest. Suffice it to say, that the imagination of a weak man is easily roused, and he falls prostrate before any daring trick or pretension which is supported by dexterous and unblushing effrontery. On this principle the masonic power is founded-- The reference to remote antiquity--the use of scriptural and oriental language---the daring, nay, blasphemous connexion with that Being whose very name it was irreverence here to mention--the pretence of some important secret--the Sun, Moon and Stars, the Candles, Bells, Compasses and Aprons, the Robes--the King--the High Priest, and the whole movable property of the lodge are there seen as borrowed from the lumber room of a theatre, to enact some childish frolic.

When we see a man who is only noted as the hero of brothels, making solemn oath to protect distressed Virgins--when we see a superannuated buffoon swearing to deliver from the infidels: all these things may strike us as a mean joke.--A very serious joke it is. The minds of men are overawed, their imaginations are set at work, they think that behind so singular a screen there must be some no less important mystery; and thus does masonry rule us, by a mere display of rags and pasteboard. The only wonder among the brethren, is that they can never look at each other in the face, without laughing at the gross cheat which they have made to pass current among mankind.

Such are the Morris Lodges, such is every Lodge, and we shall now pass on to record the politics and manoeuvres of the fraternity in this section.

MASONIC DIPLOMA

We have recently been favored with the perusal of one of these non descripts, of which the following is an exact copy, with the exception of the names and some Hieroglyphics, which, for want of a suitable type, we are unable to lay before our readers.

Bost. Free Press.

" ORDO AB CHAO.

X. h. S.,

DEUS MEUMQUE JUS.

To all Free and Accepted Masons, ancient and Modern:

UNION--STRENGTH--WISDOM.

Know Ye that I [name], Past Scribe of Cyrus, Royal Arch Chapter, holden at the city of [place]: Chaplain of the Delta Sublime Lodge of Perfection holden at the same place; Chaplain of Solomon's Grand Council of Princes of Jerusalem for the state of New-York; Knight of the Most Illustrious Order of the Golden Fleece; Sovereign Prince of the Degree of the Red Cross, and DEPUTY SOVEREIGN OF SOVEREIGNS of the Consistory of SUBPRINCES of the ROYAL Secret of the state of N. York, &c. &c. &c. do hereby commend to your fraternity care and attention, the bearer, the Rev. [name], a worthy Royal Arch Companion, as one whose character and worth entitle him to the friendship and affectionate regard of all the worthy members of our Fraternity.

PAX VOBISCUM

Given under my hand at [place] in the county of [ ]. in the State of N. York, the second day of the month, Nisar, A. M. 5585, corresponding to March 21st, A. D. 1828."

WHICH SHALL WE BELIEVE?

A part of the masonic fraternity have renounced Masonry and disclosed to us its iniquitous oaths and obligations; and for doing this they can hope for no reward but defamation and persecution.-- The rest of the craft dare not deny the truth of these disclosures, but by quibble and trick, they attempt to impeach the characters of their dissenting brethren

Which shall we believe? Those who against their worldly interest testify to certain facts; or those who with all the inducements of self-interest, dare not directly DENY these facts? Which in an impartial court of justice would be believed? The masons brought to light as in the first instance, or the poor blind candidate?