Washington's Masonic Correspondence Part 2

Address from Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, March, 1792, and his reply.

Address of the Grand Lodge of Ma.s.sachusetts, December 27, 1792, and his reply.

Address from Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, December 27, 1796, and his reply.

Address from Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, Virginia, April 4, 1797, and his reply.

Letter to Paul Revere and Grand Officers, April 24, 1797.

Draft of Letter to Grand Lodge of Ma.s.sachusetts in reply to an address, April 1797.

Draft of a reply to an address from the Grand Lodge of Maryland, November 8, 1798.

Letter from G. W. Snyder to WASHINGTON, August 22, 1798.

WASHINGTON's Reply to Snyder, September 25, 1798.

WASHINGTON's Reply to Snyder's letter of October 17, 1798.

=ELKANAH WATSON

B. PLYMOUTH, Ma.s.s., JANUARY 22, 1758, D. AT PORT KENT, N. Y., DECEMBER 5, 1842, WHO, TOGETHER WITH HIS PARTNER Ca.s.sOUL, PRESENTED TO WASHINGTON A MASONIC Ap.r.o.n MADE BY THE NUNS AT NANTES, FRANCE.

NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF ALEXANDRIA-WASHINGTON LODGE, No. 22, VIRGINIA.=

Footnotes:

[1] Letter to Julius F. Sachse from Ma.n.u.script Division, December 19, 1914--in Library of Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

[2] The letters referred to by the Anti-Masons were the one to King David's Lodge at Newport, two to the Grand Lodge of Ma.s.sachusetts, and one to Charleston, S. C., and to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The above five Masonic Letters were all that were known to the Anti-Masons at that time.

[3] "Vindication of General Washington from the stigma of adherence to Secret Societies by Joseph Ritner Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, communicated by request of the House of Representatives, to that body, on the 8th of March, 1837."

This address during the Anti-Masonic period was regarded as an important state paper.

[4] Letter press copies of the Snyder letters were retained by WASHINGTON. Photostat copies of same are in the Archives of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

[5] "Proceedings of the Third State Anti-masonic Convention, of Ma.s.sachusetts, Worcester, 1832," p. 27.

[6] Vindication of Washington before quoted, p. 13.

[7] The Ancient Minute Book and Ledger of Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 4, in Virginia, of which we have a photostat, is still in possession of the Lodge, showing that "GEORGE WASHINGTON was entered November 4, 1752, and on November 6, paid for his entrance 2. 3. 0, March 3, 1753, GEORGE WASHINGTON was pa.s.sed to Fellow-Craft; August 4, 1753, GEORGE WASHINGTON was raised Master Mason."

[8] Catalogue of Washington Collection in Boston Athenaeum, Boston, 1897, p. 185.

[9] Cf. "Works of William Smith, D.D.," Philadelphia, 1803, Vol. II, pp.

27-88, also "Life and Correspondence of Rev. William Smith, D.D.,"

Philadelphia, 1880, Vol. II, p. 9. _Et seq._

[10] For an exhaustive sketch of Brother Moses Michael Hays, see _The American Freemason_, Vol. V, p. 576.

[11] "Newport, ss. Newport, August 18th, A.D. 1832. I certify that the extracts taken from the records of King David's Lodge, Newport, contained in the above and three foregoing pages, have been by me compared with the minutes contained in two books purporting and appearing to be the original records of said Lodge, and found to be true and accurate copies of the same.

"Quid attestor, "GEO. C. MASON.

_"Jus. Peace and Pub. Not'y."_

Cf. "Anti-masonic Republican Convention of Ma.s.sachusetts held at Worcester, September 5-6, 1832," p. 23.

[12] For a full account of this episode, see "Freemasonry in Pennsylvania," Barratt and Sachse, Philadelphia, 1908, Vol. 1, Chapter XII; "WASHINGTON as General Grand Master," p. 393 _et seq._

I

CORRESPONDENCE WITH WATSON & Ca.s.sOUL, NANTES, FRANCE, AUGUST, 1782.

The earliest letter of General GEORGE WASHINGTON of Masonic Import known is the one written while in camp at Newburgh in New York, dated State of New York, August 10, 1782, to the firm of Watson and Ca.s.soul in Nantes, France, in which his friend, Brother Elkanah Watson was the chief partner, thanking the firm for the Masonic Ap.r.o.n and ornaments sent him from Nantes, France.

This ap.r.o.n is now in the possession of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22, at Alexandria, Virginia.

Elkanah Watson in his Memoirs states:[13]

"Wishing to pay some mark of respect to our beloved Washington, I employed, in conjunction with my friend M. Cossoul, nuns in one of the convents at Nantes to prepare some elegant Masonic ornaments, and gave them a plan for combining the American and French Flags on the ap.r.o.n designed for this use. They were executed in a superior and expensive style. We transmitted them to America, accompanied by an appropriate address."

By the above extract is shown beyond all doubt the error in the statement so repeatedly made, that the ap.r.o.n at Alexandria is the one made by the Marquise de Lafayette, and presented to WASHINGTON by General Lafayette, during his visit to Mount Vernon in 1784, and the one in the Museum of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, that of Watson and Ca.s.soul.[14]

Following letter was sent to WASHINGTON, together with the Masonic Ap.r.o.n and "Ornaments," by Messrs. Watson and Ca.s.soul, from France under date "east of Nantes," 23d 1st Month, 5782.[15]

"TO HIS EXCELLENCY, GENERAL WASHINGTON, AMERICA.

"_Most Ill.u.s.trious and Respected Brother:_

"In the moment when all Europe admire and feel the effects of your glorious efforts in support of American liberty, we hasten to offer for your acceptance a small pledge of our homage. Zealous lovers of liberty and its inst.i.tutions, we have experienced the most refined joy in seeing our chief and brother stand forth in its defence, and in defence of a newborn nation of Republicans.

"Your glorious career will not be confined to the protection of American liberty, but its ultimate effect will extend to the whole human family, since Providence has evidently selected you as an instrument in his hands, to fulfill his eternal decrees.

"It is to you, therefore, the glorious...o...b..of America, we presume to offer Masonic ornaments, as an emblem of your virtues. May the Grand Architect of the Universe be the Guardian of your precious days, for the glory of the Western Hemisphere and the entire universe. Such are the vows of those who have the favor to be by all the known numbers."

"Your affectionate brothers, "WATSON & Ca.s.sOUL."

"East of Nantes, 23d 1st Month, 5782."