**Mt .. . - .Sf '-• .: .1.!: tiso*lft4.o .: -.-.',_••• 1 .7 40tttt;. FY P. 0133R 1 1 3 WRITE LEIZZL3TON.] (d..2Lb(iIWW3 "With sweetest flowers enricli'd, From various gardens cull'd with care." 017 -The following lines(the Lycoming Free Press justly observcs,) contain so much truth,and are so pertinent to the subject, that we cannot for hear earnestly recotnmending them to the con sideration of those of our PATRONS who are in arrears—merely suggesting that they act upon the hint. Prnm the byrnming Free free•. THE PRINTER'S CASE. Oh! how lung the Printer's face is! ' How bitterly he sighs; Know you what the mournful ease is That wets his downcast eyes? Bid him o gay and brisk good morning, From your own cbrarful heart; 801 l answer in a voice of sorrow, Enough to make you start. And when his savory dinner smoking Would move your appetite; With grief, and stifled feelings choking, He cannot eat a bite. Elton the gay and tender maiden, Whoie smile should make him glad; Will tax him that his love is finding, Ho seems so cold and sad. What is the matter with the Printer? friends, I heard him say. He'd lahor'd all the long cold winter, And could not get his pay!!! All day poor man he's been surrounded, By papers, type, and ink; With weary eye, and bruin confounded, Oblig'd to read and think. To study while his head was aching, News, polities, and rhymes; From heaps of daily papers taking Whatever suits thntimes. t*Support his favor'd party, Oblig'd to meet, and brave, e , The low abuse, and curses hearty, Of every adverse knave. And many a night while you were dreaming, In sweet forgetfulness; With sweat drops from his forehead streaming, He lahor'd at the press! Now billa for Paper, Ink, and Dinners, Are all becbming duo—: And you, his Patrons! carelesssinrieray In vain he calls on you! You've cash enough for sleighing parties, Balls, wine, rind dresses trial; But so ungenerous the heart is, You've not a cent for him. You pass his door with sleighbells jingling, And lady by your side; And heedless how his cars are tingling, Pursue your merry ride. Think you the Printer's corporation Is not of flesh and blood? Should ho have no participation, In what all men deem good! Think you that he can live by : reading? Mere intellectual bread. No! while your mind the man is feeding, His stomach must be fed. Go,pay him what you justly owe him 'Tis all ho asks of you; Remember you are far below him To whom just debts are due ICI lIMITT, PA ii'Lli Mat2EsEVi2ClLtrao umwal CellaiLAVßlEiNtg AN ADDRESS Delivered before the Phrenalcolunian Society of Penn sylvania College, on the 212 d February, 1837. By Bev. S. W. Ilarkey, Pastor Etlangl Lutia'n Congrrgation,fivderick,ltli rGentletnen of the .Phrenakosmian Society: "rile occasion which convenes us this evening, is at once interesting and important. We hail this as the birthday of the illustrious Father of our coun try; when all faces aro wont to beam with joy, and all hearts to swell with gratitude to Gon for what He achieved for us through our beloved WA4H INGTON. As members of this Society, we hail it as the day of our anniversary. To myself as an individual, it is fraught with peculiar interest.— Within my bosom struggle emotions of gratitude, of diffidence, and of pleasing, melan , tholy recollec tions of thospast. I fool thankful to God for having sparest iny life, and brought we hither to celebrate, with you, the Sixth Anniversary cif "Tax l'itnima- KOSMIAN Sects:Tr." I feel gratefid to you, my young Brethren, for the honor whicliyou have con ferred upon me, in electing me as Your speaker on this occasion. With diffidence end considerable anxiety, I appear before you—fearing that I shall not be able to do justice to the - Ocasion, nor, in all probability, to gratify your expectations. I shall, however, throw myself upon your charity, under the perstusion,that you will appreciate my motives, and overlook my imperfections. Six years ago, I assisted to organize this Society; and many are the pleasing,mclancholy associations called up at the remembrance of persons and events of former times. But, alas! • I look around upon you, and almost every face is strange to me! Not one of those, who then called themselves "Phrena kosinianti," now 'remains! They are dispersed to the North and the South, the East and tho West. Soon they will have completed their pilgrimage, and wino "the way of all the earth." How vain, how Volatile, how fleeting are all things hero be low! Yet I rejoice to know, that most of the for am members of this Society are actively and use fully engaged in promoting the cause of Virtue, Benevolence, and:Religion. As ornaments of the association, their names might bo mentioned with pride. How much the Society has contributed to make them what they are, is not for me to say; doubtless it has had an important influence. To make its members useful, is, in feet, the de sign,and what we would inter from the very name and object of the Society. What an honor to the association—what an honor to this Institution,that its members generally should becon e! great, and . good,and worthy Citizens! And it is to contribute our feeble mite to the attainment of, this desirable end, that :we appear before you now, and have chosen,• as-the theme of our remarks, TRUE GREATNESS. We shall endeavor to ascertain what it is, and then hold it up in all its beauty and excellence for our admiration and attainment. WIIAT Tit EN" TRITE Gil r..yrxEss? Whitt think ye? Shall we now talk of soldiers' battles, of warriors' conquests, and tyrants' tri tanphs? Shall we point you to those who have desolated countries, ravaged empires,burned and imbued their murderous hands in the life-blood of millions, for an example of greatness? Shall we tell you of nobility of ancestry, of splendor of for tune,and pompous, lordly titles and honors? Alas! from such greatness virtue instinctively shrinks, and angels, doubtless,turn away with abhorrence! Military honors may be possessed.kingly diadems may decorate the brow,golden dust may have accu mulated, noble blood mar flow in the veins, and great names and honorary titles may be ours, and still we may be mean, and low, and despicable.- I?iit we propose "to show unto you a more excel- lent ‘vay." In answer, then, to the question, what is Tur•r: EsT7V ES H, we reply in the first place:— I. Ii ronsi74,q in a true estimate of, and proper regard fin., our 00.70 intellectual and moral na tureß. Man, we are informed, wns originally created "in the image of God, - which, though lost by the fall, it is his privilege to regain through the gospel plan of sal% ation. He is endowed with an immor tal spirit,whlch,unlike his body, shall survive "the wreck of matter," and continue to exist while God himself endures. He is not, therefore, to be regard ed as a bubble, east up by the ocean of eternity to float a while in time, and then disappear forever.— But ns this spirit of his is to live eternally, either always blooming in the Paradise of God above, or forever withering,, yet not dying, in the regions ()I' despair, it is of the utmost importance that we truly value and justly regard it. His, too, is a soul of vast, 'burning, quenchless desires; capable of an unlimited degree of improvement in knowledge and moral worth:—a soul whose faculties and pow ers may be enlarged, expanded, and purified, until. bursting the shackles of mortality, it arises to dwell in the presence, and bask in the smiles and sun beams of God's glory forever:—a soul, which, when it has arrived nt the foot of the throne of its Great Original, and viewed for millions of ages, with feel ings of unutterable rapture, the boundless, the mag nificent, the transcendently grand Empire of the Eternal, shall still look iip, and venture to :we'ld the. steps which lead to the majestic and awful dwelling place of Deity himself! Say, Sirs! is it not noble, is it not dignified that man should prop erlyl estimate, and justly regard this IMMORTA Li part of himself? And, on the contrary, what ran be meaner, or more degrading, than to bury such a soul in ignorance, to pollute it by crime,or poison it by destructive errors? H. Another characteristic of True Greatnes Is REAL i; ENII - 5. This, we readily grant, is rather a natural than an acquired endowment of the mind; and so far as it is natural, we of course cannot be responsible for its ' existenm , non-existence. But we are nevertheless con x' ell} that dick is a general error prevalent on thiSinbject. It would seem that the common impression is, that God has given real and great genius to but few of earth's favored Sons, while the great majority of mankind have little or none! I fence it is supposed, that if we are not among that blessed few, we need never aim at be coming truly great. And because our world has at no one period afforded many really great men, it is argued, that but few were designed,or endow ed with the neces-airy natio:ll qualifications to be come such. Tiis, however, we regard as a highly injurious—a fatal error. For, while we believe that our Creator, x‘llo, in every department of his works, has exhibited the greatest variety, has a lso given to difl;!rent individuals different mental powers, see are still persuaded that that difference exists rather in the number, than in the greatness of such endowments. I think, Sirs, on the con trary, that there are but few, if any persons, who have not naturally real, and even great genius of some kind, and for some useful employment. I believe it to be true, in Scripture language, that to some are given "five talents," to others two, and to others but one; but I also know, that he with the one had as certainly a real, and a good, and a great, and a talent of gold, as the others. All the rays of the glorious sun do not exhibit the mag nificent rainbow; yet they all as really contain its beautiful colors, as these which, by a particnlar re fraction, form that splendid arch. General observation seems to teach the same troth. Is it not an every day matter of fact, that he,who seemingly has no taste, or tnlent,or genius for one study, or science, or art, or species of em ployment, has for another! Is it not to express this very idea that we use the phrases, "a mathe matical genius"—"a philosophic genius" ---"ii me chanical genius," and such like! The conclu sion then, seems to be just, that we all have suf ficient genius to enable us to become truly great; and if we fail, it will not be fur want of natural mental powers. But the secret of the matter evidently is, correct ly to understand, duly to appreciate, and properly to cultivate our intellectual faculties. The rich mine of the precious metal is certainly there; but how shall it be extracted, purified, and prepared for LYDIA JANE its appropriate use? To do this to the greatest ad vantage, I am fully persuaded more regard should be had,in our systems of education, and by parents, teachers, and students themselves, to the peculiar bent of intellect which each one possesses, than has usually been the case. It is undoubtedly the height of folly and Madness to compel a youth to pursue a certain course of studies, and attend to sciencies and branches of education for which he not oily has no taste, but no natural gifts and en dowments of mind. For, besides being a waste of time and strength, and creating a dislike for all study, it is eminently calculated to make its subject a dull, stupid, learned dunce! It directly opposes the design of 01l education, and is actually burying the proper, the precious talent of gold. Nay, Sirs, let nature and art always work together—let the stream run in its own appropriate channel—let the mind be directed into the course which its Maker has marked out for it, and then let it be as free as the air which we breathe; and it will arise, and expand; and enlarge its pnwerti, until, like the meridian sun, its influence extends over the world, to ejicer, animate, and blesq! 111. Agljn, Truc Greatness is characterized Ly PROFOUNDNESS OF ATTATNRENT. By this I do not mean, that no man can he truly great, who is not, in the popular acne of the term, rcry /earned ; moult !e: v, that ❑ll learn- "I 'WISH NO OTHER HERALD, NO OTHER SPEAKER OF MY LIVING ACTIONS, TO KEEP MINE noliron. , ritom CORRUPTION."-'-STIAKS. omin - itrezurzaa,us, zi)clacb, araznarboair. autzava2 Y 3 9 aaay. name, at least, will be execrated by n virtuous pos terity, and blotted froM the page of history. it will sink into eternal oblivion! The examples of a WASIUNGTON and en ARNOLD are just in point here. The career of the former was truly splendid and glorious, and his name will be cherished with delight while a single spark of patriotism glows within the virtuous American bosom:—but his every step was marked by honesty—his every ac tion gave evidence of the purity of his motives.— On the contrary, Arnold was a man of splendid talents—he set out with the most flattering pros pects—and for a time attracted general admiration and applause, and seemed to bid fair to become the benefactor of his country, and worthy to stand by the side of Washington himself. But, alas! he was dishonest—he was governed by motives of ambi tion and avarice—he proved a wretched traitor!— And what A mer ican is not ready to say, "Let ever lasting shame blot his memory upon the page of our history!" , by MAGNANIMITY We use the term magnanimity hero to desig nate rather the practical operations of a great mind, than the mind itself—as synonymous with dignity of action. It is that disposition of soul, which is exerted at all times,and under all circum stances to preserve us from all vain, puerile, cow ardly, unbecoming conduct, on the one hand; and leads us to the performance of all that is great, good, and noble,on the other. It is not pride, nor selfish ness, nor affectation, nor reserve, nor melancholy; but real greatness of feeling and action. When pride and egotism boast and vaunt, mag nanimity is becomingly modest and reserved.— When affectation and hypocrjey put on the garb of mock humility and act to deceive, it is frank, open, and candid. When levity and folly clam orously lough and jest, real dignity merely smiles with becoming decorum. When intemperate zeal and enthusiasm dethrone judgment and common sense, it is cool, deliberate, and firm. When pusil lanimity and cowardice shrink and flee, it is bold and courageous. When anger and passion rise and rage like the storm in the forest,it is unruffled and calm as the summer evening's breeze. Real magnanimity can be guilty of nothing that is mean, low, or little:— it thinks great thoughts, projects great plamis, and performs great actions. Such a man is an honor to himself.an honor to his species and worthy of his God. He is agreeable in all society, happy under all circumstances, and beloved by all men... He has a proper place, time, and way for every thing; and does every thing in its proper way, time, and place. Among his infe rior.; he is kind, affable, mild—anion hi:. suited- ed men are really great men. The truth is, that thousands of so called learned men are any thing else than truly great. But the idea that we wish to express, is, that even• truly great man must be profoundly acquainted with his profession or em ployment. He must be profound in whatever re lates to his particular sphere of action. He, who would become truly great, is anxiously careful and solicitious to discover the peculiar bent of his own intellect; he then chooses his profession or employ ment accordingly; and in all his future studies and labors ; he earnestly seeks the promotion or his favorite object. He makes every thing else subservient to the grand end which lie has in view. And I believe, Sirs, that the history of mankind warrants us in say ing.thut no man ever yet became truly great. who did not pursue just such a course. Were lln.losTiLuirc.s and Cic cap, of ancient Greece and Home, great Orators and Statesmen! They laid every power of body and soul under con tribution to produce the desired end. Were Hon ER, and MILTOY, and KLursToew, great and sub lime Poets? It was their study by day and by night. Were NEWTON,aIId LA PL 4cE, and Mu scu t, great Astronomers and Philosophers? It was the result of their unwearied labor and to the object of their undi , idcd attention. Look at the giddy heights to which a Gr.siEy., ius of Ger many, at the present day, has ascended in the study of Hebrew Philology! Why is it, that he stands out the admiration and envy of the world, as the great Master Spirit in this important Science!— Simply because, for the last twenty-five or thirty years, those gigantic powers of mind which he possesses have liven brought to a focus, (I fy ou will allow me the eNpression,) and all made to bear up on his favorite object. These are a few, out of a thousand examples, which might he adduced, to establish the proposi tion, that every groat man must be profoundly ?c -(painted with whatever is connected with his ap propriate sphere of action; and that he becomes such, not so murk because• of his superior natural endowno tits, as because his powers of mind have been directed into their proper ehanneband brought to bear upon one particular subject. I admire the career of such a man! He seems to he in his element, and, other things being con sidered, in the path of duty marked out for hint by his Maker. His course is pleasant and ever tending upward. He makes one acquisition after another, and each one elevates him higher and higher. At each successive step he stops a mo ment to breathe, and with rapture surveys the steeps over which he has come! And then,anima ted with new zeal and courage, he starts out again to gain another and another, and another conquest; until, finally, death releases his soul of her cum brous clay, and he arises to stand by die side of, and see, and think, and feel, and sing with Gabriel! "Now we see as through a glass darkly, but then face to face." IV. Again, True areatness is marked by REAL DO:IL:STY AND PURITY OF MOTIVE. We may perfectly understand and appreciate our intellectual nittures—we may possess great and splendid talents—and our attainments may be extensive and profound; but without honesty of intention and purity of motive, we must forever remain despicable in the eyes of all, the good.— True, men of a contrary character, have some times conic forth, like the glaring meteor, sparkling. brilliant) , and for a time attracting the gaze and admiration of the world by the splendor of their career; but the moment that it was discovered that they were governed by sinister motives of ambition. selfishness, or avarice,their glory was eclipsed; and they began, justly, to sink into neglect and con tempt! Let a man be truly honest—let his actions he the legitimate result, and the proper representa tives of his motives, and the path of his life, like the glorious sun, iv ill usually become brighter and brighter, until the perfect day. But let him act hypocritically—let his motives he impure and base, and if his career does not end in disgrace, his V. Once more, True Greatness is characterized ors, reserved, modest, dignified—and among his equals, exemplary, attractive, and aflictionate.— With the apostle Paul, he is "all things to nll men" for their benefit. Such n character, Sirs, stands out, elevated above every thing that is base or tri- Iling,the admiration and delight of the world! Like the noble cedar of Lebanon, which, among the scrubby oaks that surround it, spreads widely,rises mnjestically, and in triumph waves its lofty head amid the breezes of heaven; so is he among his fellowmen' VI. Finally—True Greatness eansists in entire conseeratitm of self to God and the cause of truth. You will not regard this, ns a remark which is out of place upon the present occasion; for it is absolutely necessary to the completion of our sub ject. RELIGION must give the finishing touch to the character which we have been endeavoring to paint to your mental vision, or it will forever re main imperfect. I know, indeed, that the impious and absurd attempt has of late years been made to disconnect education and religion entirely; but I cannot regard it in any other light, than no one of those modern infidel innovations which serious ly threaten the destruction, not only of religion and morality, hut of our free institutions and go ' vernmentond the best interests of Society. What! separate Religion and Education!—How absurd, since the former is the perfretinn of the latter!— Separate Religion and Education!—You mar its whole beauty and entirely destroy its importance! Separate Reliqion and Education!—You at once blot the sue, Irmo the whole system, and enshroud us in all the horrors of Pagan darkness! Separate Religion and Education!—You open the flood gates of vice upon us.and re-act the tragical scenes of revolutionary' France in our beloved country! Separate what ~G od has joined together," and you openly oppose his moral government over the world of mind! Nay, Sirs! it is under the influence of Religion alone, that the disonlers of the mind can be healed —its energies and fie - milks properly drawn out, renovated and sanetilied,and directed into their ap propriate channel. For thousands of years,the best systems of human philos,,phy have proved inade quate to the accomplishment of this end. Let the spirits of the ancient dead, hovering over the moul dering remains of systems, long since in ruins, which they once taught and cherished, speak and tell what can be done without religion. Ah! my Young Friends! You can never hope to become truly great, until Heaven-born Religion, by her ,-a civil touch, has imparted her hallowed influence to your mental powers. It is only when your minds arc completely under her divine control, that you have dnv security that they will be di rected into the p of duty, peace, and safety. Without her, you like the forlorn mariner, lilt, exposed to the storms,nn tossed upon the billows of the hoistrous ocean, without compass, chart,or star to direct you, and every mqinent in danger of death and destruction! He that does not consecrate himself to Gen and the cause of merit, is not accomplishing the de -1 sign of his creation.; but is living and acting in i opposition to his Maker. "He that is not for me, is against me; and he that gathereth not with me, srattereth abroad." Such men may prosper for a while—in all the pride and self-importance of their evil hearts, they may say, with the Monarch of Egypt, "who is the Almighty,that I should fear him?" but if the judgments of Egypt do not over take them - here, a destruction, more fearful than that which crime upon Pharaoh, will certainly meet them hereafter! We cannot possibly expect to obtain the appro bation and blesFing of God, or the thanks and ap plause of our fell w-men. while we live not to him and the cause of truth. We must live to some pur pose—we must become the BENEFACTORS of mankind, if we would be truly great. An Alex ander, a Cwaar, or a Napoleon, may be great as a man, or rather as a demon; hut it requires a BRA T NA tin, a Ho wsrtn, or a GGTZLAVF, to become great as a Coo! No talents, however splendid— no at'ainments, however profound—no motives, however honest—no actions, however dignified, can give us any real pretence to GREATNESS, unless they are all employed in the cause of TRUTH and BENEVOLENCE. Without this, no heart can thank us—no tongue applaud us—and no eyes look upon us with pleasure. We must remain "creation's blot, creation's blank"—useless--inju. rious members of Society! We have now gone through with our subject. —We have endeavored to answer the question, "What is True Grealnessr A few remarks in conclusion, and we have done. We ask you now to look nt, and for n moment to reflect upon the character which we have pre sented to you. The man that possesses it, is Tnu. LT GREAT. Conscious of the eternal worth—the glorious destination of his undying spirit, he earn estly seeks the promotion of its highest interests. Marking well the peculiar character of his own genius, he has followed its !endings, chosen his course of life accordingly,and is making all things to contribute towards the end which he has in I view. Not satisfied with mediocrity in his parti cular sphere, he summons up every energy, and unites all his strength in cultivating his part of the intellectual ' world. Recognizing those eternal principles of honesty, justice, and magnanimity, which form the basis of all great and dignified ac tion, he scrupulously regulates his conduct by them. And last, but not least, feeling his obliga tions to his Gorr, and his relation to his fellow men, he consecrates himself to Him, and lives for their benefit, by living to Hts honor and glory! How noble, how excellent, how worthy, is such a man ! Whose heart does not beat—whose soul does not burn to become TRULY GREAT! Do you not feel within you the restless fires of immortality? Let them constantly stimulate you to become TRU. LT GREAT. Would you be honored and loved in time, and dwell with "the spirits of the just made perfect” in eternity—would you become angels of light—wear Gabriel's crown and play upon his golden harp? STRIVE TO DECOME Ttictir GREAT. ; Would you assist in swelling the tide of human happiness, until, "like a sea of glory," Religion, Virtue, and Education. shall roll their gladdening waves from pole to polo,cove r ring island, plain,and mountain—healing every wo -solacing every grief —and hushing a jarring world to peace? 0, then, RTRIVE TO 1111 COME TRULT GREAT,LND ACT TOUR PART WELL. Put we aro surrounded by so mraisin, imper fection and littleness, that wo cannot see this sub ject qs vim ought. Come,thenJet us soar aloft, and view it for a moment in the tight of Eternitv. 17- nice with me—arise upon the wings of your imngi nation—let us direct our course through tho ethe rnet regions. Farewell, Earth! Farewell, Sun, Moon,and Stars! Now, stop; upon the out-most verge of HEAVEN—Iet us not approach too near, we cannot hear the greatness of that glory! Now look up and down—North and Sootlt—East and West! Gaze upon the glory of (inn's EMPTILE! Behold millions of Worlds revolving their ample rounds, and unitedly proclaiming their MARE/C8 praise! Hear "all the Morning Stars sing togeth er, and the Sons of Gou shouting for joy!"— How ii/tie arc we sow; HOW GREAT MAY WE BECOME! W2l)ll2tlicdo wag* laid a wager that he would set nn ugly old lady to tricking her self off with finery like a young belle. He won his wager by scraping the quick silver from her looking-glass and placing n pretty girl behind it. The old lady supposing that she had grown hansome in her old age ap peared at church in all manner of &utili ties& INDUSTRY OF MR. ADAMS—.AN E[A:KFLE. —The Washington correspondent of the Express gives the following incident.— it? a curious filet. as indicating the in. dustry and attention of a remarkable man, J. Q.. Adam, was seen going home in the dawn of the morning having kept his sent all night, (Monday night) old as he is, a waiting and watching all the doings o 1 the House: What renders this fact yet more curious is that there was a little party at his house the same nif , ht, where were nssem• bled, with their parents, many little girls, the companions of his grandchildren, to an evening's dance, in whose sports, it is said, he always enters heartily, enjoying all their gambols over much:—but children, nor friends, could draw the veteran from his seat.' t TOUGII English paper gives a tough yarn, soon by "a celebrated admi• ral connected with the late ministry"—On an occasion, when relating the history of a gale which he had encountered, while con voying a squadron of merchantmen to Pon dicherry, and which had proved fatal to one of the ships under his charge: "But the most extraordinary pnrt of the whole," said he, "is, the vessel having been laden with hosiery, we observed all the porpoises next morning wearing red • mght•caps." One of his audience, determining not to be out done, replied—" That was by no means re markable, for that a vessel he was in had, on a similar occasion, lost her maintop•sail, and that next morning they saw a whale scudding along with the canvass tied round its neck by way ofa cravat. SerNE IN 'ME WOOLS.—"IIeh !Jim, what you creep so softly for after dat squirrel, when von gun gor no lock an 'um!" 'Hush! bush! squirrel don't know dat you nigger!" HIGHLY IMPORTANT LETTER. Letter from Joseph niftier, To a Select Committee of the House of Represeata• fives of Pennsylvania, on the Masonry of. Gen. Washington EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, Harrisburg.ll, Mardi B,li, 1837 G ENTLEM EN:—The annualy Message to the Legislature of December 6th, 183, de clares:— That the cilia. evil of the times is "that spirit "of lawless combination unknown to our open and "equal institutions, and opposed to the genius of "Republicanism, against which the Father of his "Country sent forth his last and must solemn "warning:" That "what was comparatively restricted and •:niless in his (lay, has since assumed the "dangerous character of regularly organized, oath "bound, secret we, king, wide spread and power "ful Societies " And that "of these, some bearing more and "some less of the features just enumerated, the "Society of Freemasonry is the fruitful mother." These opinions and statements of the Mes. sage, have occasioned your appointment as a Committee by the House of Representa tives, .'to watt on the Governor of Pennsyl vania, to solicit from him the source of in formation from which he derived his authori ty as quoted in his lest message to the House, as to the Father of our Country's last and solemn warning against 'the spirit of lawless combination, unknown to our open and equal institutions, and opposed to the genius of re publicanism,'—and report the same, with such references to General Washington's Farewell address and other writings,as may place his words or allusions to Free-Mason ry beyond the reach of doubt or cavil." No occurrence of my life ever affirded me greater pleasure than that of being call. ed upon officially, to vindicate the memory of Washington from the stigma ofadherence to secret combinations. His name is so deservedly dear, and his example so powerful among the people of this nation, that the wide trumpeted tnisfor tune of his unthinking youth, in becoming a Freemason, has tended more to fasten upon us the evils of that society than all the jeal. ous spirit oferivality—the aroused power of the press—or the cry from the ground of spilled blood has hitherto been sufficient to overcome. Even the practical renunciation of tie last thirty-one years of his life, and his latest and nicst solemn precepts on the subject of lawless combinations, have fhiled to atone for his early indiscretion or to re• move the danger; and with Franklin;Lafay. cite and many others, he, the chosen one of freedom—the foe of Kings and the leader of the armies of I tille:.endence, is claimed to have pissed down to the grave, the obedient servant ore skulking monarchy, and the sworn thrall of prineiples at war with the open practices of hitt whole glorious life. If it be trite. as the lamentable Colden, (himself' one of the initiated,) declared, that [VOL. 7--NO. 52. many a Mason became a great man, but no great man erer became a Mason, how nearly does it concern the youth of our country, from among whom their own merits must elect her future great men, to pause and to reflect before they commit their present' standing and future reputation, to the keep. ing of a sorietv,which,for its own cold heart ed and Selfish' purposes could immolate even the fame of Washingtortat the shrine of its abominations? From the same flowers that bestow honey on the flee, and shed fragrance on the air, it is said the wasp extracts poi son. Thus the name of Wnshington,which has become the watchword of liberty and of national independence over the world, is degraded into the office of a Masonic gull.' trap at home! Each votary of the order, when pressed by the weight of reason so easily brought to bear against him,by the weakest advocate of democratic equality, answers every oh*. tion, by repenting the name of "GRAND MASTER WASHINGTON." Newspaper editorsseem to have in stereo type, es a standing answer to all arguments, and a spell to charm down all charges against the craft, the names of Washington, Frank lin and Lafayette. Masonic orators, from the disclaimer of a bar room meeting, to the Masonic occu pant of the sacred desk, and the legislative seat, alike conclude their discourses with the names of Washington, and the other heroes and sages of the Revolution. Not only do Masons thus in general terms, claim the authority of his name, but they even designate with particularity, the Ma sonic offices he held—the lodges over which ho presided, and the continuance and degree of his devotion to the order; nay, some of them go so far as to chew the very "attire, which he (Alen wore HS a Mason," and the mallet which he used as Master! • The ion. Timothy Bigelow of Massa chusetts, in an oration delivered at the fune ral Obseilaies solemnized in honor of Gene ral Washington's memory, by the Grand Lodge of that State, on the 71 th . of Februi►- ry, MO, made use of the following lan , gtiage:— "He (Washington) cultivated our rsq with sedu lous attention, and never lost on opportunity of advancing the interests or promoting the honor of the craft. The information received from our brethren who had the happiness of being members of the lodge over which he presided many years. and of which he died thenwoter, furnlah abundant proof of his persevering zeal for the prosperity of the institution. Constant and punctual in his at-.. tendance,scrupulous in Isis observance of the regu lations of the Lodge, and solicitous at all times to communicate light and instruction, he discharged the duties ofthe chair with uncommon dignity and intelligence In all the mysteriea of our art. We• coo before us tbo very attire which he often wore as a Mason." ' The American edition of Preston's Ma. sonry, asserts that "the society of Freema sons, in America, continued to flourish un: der the auspices of General Washington, who continued his patronage to the Lodges until his death." Masonry has published a letter from him to King David's Lodge of Newport, R. 1., without date,but said to be written in August, 1790, in which he is made to say, "I shall always be happy to advance the interests of the society, and to be considered by them as a deserving brother." Four other letters rurporting.to be from him, have also been publi.3lled, by Masons, all withcut dates; one to the Grand Lodge . of Charlestown; two to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts; and one to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, all bruding the institution. Andrew Jackson, Into President of the United States, when invited in March 1830, by a body of Masons, to join in a Masonic pilgrimage to the tomb of the Father of his country, thus replied: "the memory of that illustrious . Grand Master, [Washington,] eannnt receive a more appropriate honor than that which Religion nod Masonry,pay it, when they send their votaries to histotab, fresh from the performance of acts whisk THEY consecrate." General Tallmadge, of New York, ea.:. serted in a letter published in the winter 1831-2, "that Washington had often pre: sided in "Poughkeepsie Lodge." Having thus stated both the general and particular claims of masonry upon the name and fame of Washington, I shall proceed to disprove th-em. As to Washington's early masonry, the following incident will be sufficient. In 1830, the Rev. Ezra Styles Ely, D. D. editor of a religious newspaper, called the Philadelphian, was charged in some of the prints of the day, with being a mason. In an editorial article on the subject, contain ed in the number of that paper, dated July 23, 1830, he relates the following important anecdote. "In reply to all this, I would essort,that I never was a mason, and never expect to be. Hitherto I have neither advocated nor opposed masonry, unless it be in tho relation of a conversation which passed between General Washington and Go vernor Jonathan Trumbull, the second, which the latter more then once repeated to my fathe r.— The latter, when aid decamp to the former, ask ed him if he would advise him to become son." Gonorsl Washington replied. tthat ma. sonry was a benevolent institution, which might be emploved fin the heel or worst of nurposess but that for the moat part it was merely child's play; and ho could not g,ive him any advice on the sub ject." On the question of his having been the ;Wilmer or Grand Master of a Lodge, the following proofs will not be disputed. The first document, is an extract from the re• cords of King David's" Lodge, in Newport, R. 1. the authenticity of which has beea him established: An action of trover wra brought by the officers of St. John's Lodge, the suceeettor of King David's Lodge, to recover these re cords from Dr. Benjamin Case, who cfeireed to be Master of the. Lodge, in the!. proststa of which they were proved to be the tinge -nal records, end Dr. Case wee orderer, to restore them to St. John t 4 Lodge, Of ray
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers