the most conclusive proof furnished, by the Records of a Lodge, and by the letters of Geneaal Washington himself, that he never was a Grand Master, nor the Master of any Lodge, and that he had not been in a Lodge, more than once or twice for thirty-one years previous to his death. Finding the fact of Washington's elevation to the Oriental Chair, which has so often been boasted of in Masonic books and orations, of the highest authority, entirely disproved by Washington himself, it perhaps, is not unnatural to infer that the letters indirectly approving of Masonry, attributed to General Washington, may possibly not have been written by him. Among those letters are two purporting to be replies to letters from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. The first letter from the Lodge is dated December 27, 5792, the second, March 21, 5797. But the letters signed "G. WASHINGTON," in reply are without date.

You doubtless must be acquainted with the fact that the entire original papers of General Washington, are in the hands of Jared Sparks, Esq. of this city. It is certain, however, that among those papers, there is no copy of a letter to any Masonic body, and no original of any letter from such a body. It is also a fact that in the whole correspondence of Washington, not a single letter can be found, without a date, and yet the five letters to Masonic bodies, attributed to the pen of Washington, are without any date. The last answer from Washington to your Grand Lodge, purports, by a note of the editor, to have been "received and communicated to the Grand Lodge, June 12, 5797," but the letter itself bears no date. These letters, as you are well aware, were published in the Massachusetts Book of Constitutions, printed by Isaiah Thomas, 1798, which book was dedicated to General Washington. This would seem to place the authenticity of the letters beyond a doubt, but for the fact that the originals cannot be found in Mr. Sparks' collection, although it is believed that in no other instance, in his whole life, did Washington omit to retain the orignal and copies of all correspondence with any Society, Committee or body of men. Such being the fact, it seems singular that of five letters written to Masonic bodies, not one should be dated, or any trace of it be found among Washington's papers. Of this fact you can readily satisfy yourselves, by calling on Mr. Sparks. You can also find in his possession the original and copies of the correspondence with Mr. Snyder, for the correctness of which as printed in the accompanying pamphlet, we refer to the enclosed certificate from Mr. Sparks.

There is not much importance attached to the fact, in itself, whether Washington did or did not write the letters referred to, so far as the justification of Masonry is concerned, because if he did express such opinions, it is evident from his letters to Mr. Snyder, they were not formed from an actual acquaintance with a single transaction in a Lodge for many years previous. But entirely waiving this consideration, we put it to your candour whether these circumstances are not sufficient to justify a suspicion that General Washington did not write one or more letters to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, especially in connexion with the fact that the entire files of King David's Lodge, Newport, do not contain the original of Washington's recorded letter to that Lodge. Under these circumstances we respectfully request that you would cause the originals of General Washington's two letters to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, to be placed in the hands

of Jared Sparks, Esq. with a request that he will compare the same with the original chirography of Washington, and certify as to their authenticity. We select this mode, as being probably, the least exceptionable to yourselves, and should the letters prove to be originals, you may rest assured that we will cheerfully give distinct publicity to the fact. Should it also be in your power to establish the assertions so often made by so many eminent Masons, that Washington was a Grand Master, and Master of a Lodge, in spite of the direct assertion of Washington himself, that he presided over no Lodge, it would give us pleasure to be put in possession of the proof; and not only in this instance, but in all others, where we have misstated a single fact. We shall be gratified to hear of your compliance or non-compliance, with these requests, as soon as it may suit your convenience. We are your Fellow Citizens, with sincerity,

After waiting an ample time for the Grand Lodge to comply with this very reasonable and respectful request, the Committee addressed a note to Jared Sparks, Esq. from whom they received the following reply, with permission to publish it. Mr. Sparks also says, that the hand writing of Washington was so marked and peculiar, that there could not be the least difficulty in identifying an original letter; and yet the Grand Lodge refused to submit the original of the pretended letters of Washington to a distinguished scholar, who was in possession of all his papers, and familiar with his hand writing. The public are left to infer from this fact, whether it does not furnish strong grounds for suspicion of forgery, somewhere.

Boston, Feb. 18, 1833.

SIR......I received this morning your letter of the 15th instant, in which you inquire :

"Whether I have yet seen, or had in my possession for perusal, any original letter or letters in the hand writing of General Washington, addressed to any body of men denominating themselves Freemasons ?"

In reply I can only state, that I have seen no letters from General Washington of the kind described in yours, nor received any communication on the subject, either verbal or written.

I am, Sir, very respectfully,

Your ob't servant,

JARED SPARKS.

The authenticity of Washington's letters to Rev. Mr. Snyder, disclaiming his connection with Masonry, has been denied.

We there

fore offer the following proof that the originals of these letters, as published in the proceedings of the Convention for 1833, are in the possession of Mr. Sparks.

Boston, Nov. 22, 1832. I hereby certify, that I have compared a letter from the Rev. G. W. Snyder to General Washington, dated August 22, 1798, and two letters from General Washington to Mr. Snyder, dated Sept. 25, and Oct. 24, of the same year, as printed in the "Proceedings of the Third Antimasonic State Convention," with the recorded copies in General Washington's Letter Books, obtained by me at Mount Vernon, and I find them printed exactly as there recorded, except Mr. Snyder's letter, in which the word "secret" is omitted in one place, and the words "on this terrene spot" in another. General Washington's letters to Mr. Snyder are exactly printed throughout. JARED SPARKS.

For the purpose of testing the authenticity of the Washington letters, still further, a reward of fifty dollars has been offered. The Editor of the Salem Gazette, some time ago, quoted a sentence from the supposed letter of Washington to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. A gentleman of ample responsibility, immediately proposed that if the Editor of the Gazette, would produce a letter from General Washington, to any Lodge in New England, which shall be pronounced genuine by Jared Sparks, Esq. containing this quotation, he should be entitled to receive fifty dollars, to be paid on Mr. Sparks' declaring the letter to be genuine.

This was published in the Daily Advocate of August 6, 1833, but no one has yet appeared to claim the reward.

Letter to Mr. Poinsett.

Your Committee would also call the attention of the Convention, to another occurrence of interest. In June last, the President of the United States visited Boston, and was received with equal cordiality, by all parties. The Grand Lodge, however, at this moment of general good feeling, seized the opportunity to borrow something from the great popularity of President Jackson to sustain their tottering Temple, a little longer, although the principal members of the Grand Lodge had heretofore been among the most bitter revilers of the President. Ambassadors from the Lodge, (who also acted in the capacity of a Committee from the whole people of Boston, and were paid for their mission out of the taxes collected from Antimasons, as well as other citizens) were sent to meet the President, at Providence, and invite him to visit the Grand Lodge. Whether he was surprized into giving a hasty assent to this premeditated measure for disturbing the harmony of his reception in Boston, is not known; but the Grand Lodge, on the strength of the report of their Committee, gave public notice of a special meeting of the Grand Lodge, on the 22d of June, to "RECEIVE A DISTINGUISHED VISITOR," who was publicly proclaimed to be the President. On this occasion the unusual sight was seen of Masons with their little aprons on, assembled in their Lodge, by day light! About 120 Masons, it is believed, was the whole number present, though it was magnified, by Masonic historians, to three hundred! The President, however, had the good sense to decline visiting the Lodge, wisely preferring a ride to the Athenæum and a call upon the Mayor, but he had not the firmness to resist the importuni

ties of the Masons which forced from him a letter, acknowledging that he had arrived "within the jurisdiction" of the Grand Lodge!! thus exhibiting the singular spectacle of a President of the United States, the guest of the Commonwealth, submitting himself to the "jurisdiction" of a secret, irresponsible body!

This letter was conveyed to the Grand Lodge, (and was probably procurred) by Mr. Joel R. Poinsett of South Carolina, who was also at that time receiving the hospitality of the State and city, as one of the President's suite. This gentleman holds the office of Deputy General Grand High Priest of the United States of America, the second Masonic office in Royal Arch Masonry. He was known to have created no small disturbance in the local politics of Mexico, while minister there, by introducing one order of Freemasonry to oppose another order of Freemasonry; a fact which would be abundantly proved by a call in Congress for the correspondence between Mr. Poinsett and the United States government at that time, and which is apparent from the proceedings of the Mexican Congress, relative to the expulsion of Mr. Poinsett from that country.

The fact that Mr. Poinsett, who was receiving every courtesy here due to a stranger of distinction, should avail himself of such an occasion of universal good feeling as the visit of the President, to give a fresh impulse to the Masonic party, by attending the Grand Lodge, under the escort of Past Grand Master Benjamin Russell, and making a speech to them, in which he exhorted them to perseverance in upholding the Institution, seemed to offer a fitting occasion for the Committee to address so distinguished a Mason, and if possible, call from him an answer to the weighty allegations with which Masonry stands charged. Mr. Poinsett had moreover declared in April 1830, at his Masonic inauguration in Washington, that those persons who have organized themselves into an opposition to Masonry, were "anti-moral, anti-charitable, anti-christian, and anti-republican."

A

Accordingly, on the 25th of June, the Committee addressed a letter to Mr. Poinsett, in respectful terms, requesting him to give his reasons for making the above charges, implicating so large a portion of his fellow citizens, as those composing the Antimasonic party. copy of the thirty-eight specific allegations against Masonry adopted by the Worcester Antimasonic Convention, in 1832, was also forwarded to Mr. Poinsett, with a request that he would answer them, the Grand Lodge having failed to do so.

The Committee also informed him of the strong doubts thrown over the authenticity of the pretended Washington letters to the Grand Lodge, and of the refusal of the Grand Lodge to furnish Mr. Sparks with proof that the letters attributed Washington were written by him. The letter addressed to Mr. Poinsett, concludes as follows.

"In the hope that the occasion of your recent official visit to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, will suggest to you the propriety of appealing to facts and reason, rather than "dignified silence," in the controversy involving the true principles and designs of the Masonic Institution; we now submit to you thirty-eight specific allegations, which we are prepared to prove, as the reasons why we rank with66 Those persons who have organized themselves into an opposition to Freemasonry ;" and we respectfully request you, either to show that these allegations are unfounded in fact, or that they are no objec

16

RESIGNATION OF THE STATE COMMITTEE.

tion to Freemasonry, if true.

Should a citizen, and a Freemason, of your acknowledged talent and distinction, decline doing so, you must pardon us for inferring that it arises from the intrinsic defects of your Institution, and from the TRUTH of the allegations.

Respectfully, we have the honour to be

Your obedient servants.

This letter was placed in the hands of Mr. Poinsett, but he has neither had the boldness to answer the charges, nor the ordinary civility to acknowledge the receipt of the communication, which was entirely respectful. Such, however, seems to be the manners taught in the Lodge Room. "Like master like man." Mr. Poinsett's Master, Grand High Priest Livingston, answered ex-President Adams with "dignified silence," and his deputy, Mr. Poinsett, followed the dignified example. That portion of the public who take the trouble of thinking, may infer from all this whether Mr. Poinsett's "dignified silence," is any more dignified than that of a criminal, who, when arraigned at the bar, stands mute, in the hope of escaping a trial, where he knows all the evidence is against him.

The State Committee were appointed until another Committee shall be chosen. They deem it proper, however, that appointments of this kind, should at least annually, if the holding of Conventions will admit, be restored to the constituents, from whence they emanated; and especially, that in the organization of the Antimasonic party, no Committee or body of men should be created with undefined powers or for an unlimited period. In all public and party transactions the intervention of Committees is indispensible, and it is especially so, in the process of diffusing Antimasonic Truth, against the all-pervading influence of a secrect Society. Such Committees, however, should be directly answerable to the people, and should frequently be required to account to their constituents for all their proceedings.

With these views the State Committee respectfully beg leave to resign the appointment they hold from the last Convention, and refer back to this Convention the question of the expediency of continuing or reorganizing a State Committee, for another year, and of filling that Committee by the ballots of this Convention.

The State Committee for the past year, have no wish to shrink from the discharge of duties, always arduous, and often personally painful, but as there is much personal sacrifice and great responsibility, appertaining to their office, they respectfully request permission now to surrender the trust that has been confided to them to this Convention, in the hope that they will reorganize the Committee, in such manner, as in their free choice, they may think proper.

Spread of Antimasonry.

In concluding their services, the Committee warmly congratulate this Convention, the Antimasonic party, and the whole country, upon the progress of the cause, of equal rights and the purity of the con