SNYDER.--SEPTEMBER 25, 1798.=
This man Snyder (Schneider) was an agitator and thoroughly irresponsible
person, having no ecclesiastical connection with any organized Church
Body.
In the year 1787, Schneider came from Albany, New York, to Frederick,
ostensibly to collect money to build a Church. He was kindly received
and permitted to preach in the Reformed Congregation, where he soon
fomented discord and trouble.
Schneider was soon driven out of Frederick Town, but returned again in
1794, when he renewed the trouble in the Church, which ended in a
schism. The matter finally got into the Civil Court, and on February 15,
1800 the case was decided against him, which ended his activity in
Frederick Town; soon after which he left for parts unknown.[67]
Snyder, who was not a native of this country, evidently labored under
the impression that WASHINGTON was a Grand Master General, who presided
over all of the English (or Symbolic) Masonic Lodges in the United
States. Snyder evidently used the term "English" Lodges, to distinguish
them from the Masonic bodies working in the so-called higher (Scotch)
degrees, as are now known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.
How important WASHINGTON considered this correspondence is shown by his
precaution in taking a press copy of both of his letters to Snyder, who
he was led to believe was the regular pastor of the German Reformed
Congregation at Fredericktown. These are now in the Library of Congress.
It will be noted that in all of his other Masonic correspondence, copies
were made in his regular letter books by his clerks, of both address and
reply. Brother WASHINGTON evidently surmised that this letter from
Snyder was nothing more or less than a scheme to entrap him. It was not
until a month had elapsed, and then only after due consideration, that
the following reply was sent to Fredericktown, viz.:
"MOUNT VERNON, 25th Sept. 1798.
"_Sir_,
"Many apologies are
"due to you, for my not acknowledging
"the receipt of your obliging favour of
for
"the 22d ult, and ^ not thanking you, at
"an earlier period for the Book you
"had the goodness to send me.
"I have heard much of the ne-
"farious & dangerous plan, & doctrines
"of the Illuminati, but never saw the
"Book until you were pleased to send
"it to me. The same causes which
"have prevented my acknowledging the
"receipt of your letter, have prevented
"my reading the Book, hitherto, name-
"ly, the multiplicity of matters which
me
"pressed upon before, & the debilitated
"state in which I was left after a se
"vere fever had been removed, and
"which allows me to add little more now,
"than thanks for your kind wishes and
"favourable sentiments, except to cor-
"rect an error you have run into, of my
"presiding over the English Lodges in
"this Country. The fact is, I preside over
"none, nor have I been in one, more than
thirty
"once or twice, within the last years.
"I believe notwithstanding, that
"none of the Lodges in this Country are
"contaminated with the principles as-
"cribed to the society of the Illuminati."
"With respect
"I am, Sir,
"Your Obedt Hble Servt
"Go. Washington"
"The Revd Mr Snyder.
Endorsed
to
"The Revd Mr. Snyder.
"25th Sep. 1798."
=FAC-SIMILE OF PRESS COPY OF WASHINGTON'S SECOND LETTER TO REV. G. W.
SNYDER.--OCTOBER 24, 1798.=
In this letter WASHINGTON was correct in stating that he had not
presided over the "English Lodges in this Country," undoubtedly meaning
as Grand Master General.
Where WASHINGTON says "_The fact is I preside over none_," he meant that
he did not then preside over any individual lodge, as he at that time
was a Past Master of Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, of Virginia.[68]
Where he says "_Nor have I been in one_, [meaning an individual lodge]
_more than once or twice within the last thirty years_," he obviously
had in view his occasional visits to the various lodges during that
period, and that he could not, on account of his official duties and
other conditions, attend any lodge regularly.
As a matter of record, WASHINGTON was a member of Alexandria Lodge, No.
39, of Pennsylvania,[69] and attended some of its meetings at Alexandria
in 1783 and 1784, as is shown by the Minutes of the Lodge, and the
records here presented.[70] Further, that when the Brethren of
Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, changed their allegiance from Pennsylvania to
Virginia, General WASHINGTON was especially named in the warrant, after
his consent having been first obtained,[71] and thereby became the
Warrant Master of Lodge No. 22, under the Virginia jurisdiction, April
28, 1788, serving as such until December 20 following, when, as the
minutes of that date show,[72] he was unanimously elected to succeed
himself for the full term, serving in all about twenty months.
The records further show that, in 1778, WASHINGTON occupied the chief
position in the procession at the celebration of St. John the Evangelist
by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania at Philadelphia in 1778, in which
more than three hundred Brethren joined.[73]
He also occupied the same position when he laid the corner stone of the
present capitol at Washington, September 18, 1793, clothed with the
Masonic Apron presented by Lafayette, which is now in the Museum of the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Upon both of these occasions, WASHINGTON
made a public profession of his membership in the Masonic Fraternity.
Records show that WASHINGTON was present at the meeting of American
Union Lodge (a Military Lodge), at Morristown, N. J., December 27,
1779;[74] at American Union Lodge at Nelson's point on the Hudson June
24, 1782;[75] at King Solomon's Lodge of Poughkeepsie, December 27,
1782, and occasionally at Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, in 1783-1784, and
the Virginia Lodge, No. 22, between the years 1788 and 1797.[76]
WASHINGTON in the next paragraph of his letter to Snyder makes his
meaning absolutely clear, that while he had not attended any Lodge
regularly during the past thirty years he plainly states: "I believe
notwithstanding, that none of the Lodges in this Country are
contaminated with the principles ascribed to the society of the
Illuminati."
This belief is further accentuated by the letter to the Grand Lodge of
Maryland a few weeks after the above letter was written to Snyder.
In addition to above records, there are numerous traditions of
WASHINGTON's occasional visits to Masonic Lodges and functions:[77] all
of which fall within the thirty years mentioned in the Snyder
Letter.[78]
Further, WASHINGTON's great interest in Freemasonry is shown by the
many addresses received from different Grand and Subordinate Lodges
throughout the Union, all of which he acknowledged in fraternal terms,
also by the various Masonic constitutions and sermons dedicated to him,
which he received with thanks and were preserved in his library.
It will be noted that in the fifth line from the bottom, "_Within the
last thirty years_," which in all Anti-Masonic publications is printed
in italics, the word "_thirty_" was not in the body of the letter as
originally written, but was an afterthought and interlined before the
press copy was taken.
In the press copy of this letter, it will be noted that the word written
over the words "_last years_," is almost indecipherable; in the
photostat it is completely so. This has led some investigators to
question whether the interlined word is really "_thirty_."
The surmise that the blur in the press copy of WASHINGTON's letter to
Snyder, was "thirty" was first promulgated by Jared Sparks, when he
furnished the text of the letter to the Anti-Masonic agitators, during
the political excitement which swept over the New England States in the
second decade of the nineteenth century.
Snyder, upon receipt of this letter, undoubtedly after consultation with
persons who were politically opposed to WASHINGTON or antagonistic to
the Masonic Fraternity, wrote a second letter and sent it to Mount
Vernon under date of October 17, 1798; no copy of this letter has thus
far been found among the WASHINGTON papers in the Library of Congress.
WASHINGTON immediately sent the following sharp reply to Snyder, in
which he plainly sets forth his belief that the Masonic Lodges in the
United States were not interested in the propagation of the tenets of
what was then known as Jacobism or the Illuminati. The words as
underscored in the original letter by WASHINGTON were to emphasize his
meaning upon this subject.
Photostats of both of the above letter press copies are in the Archives
of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
"MOUNT VERNON 24th Oct. 1798.
"_Rev. Sir_,
"I have you favor of the
tive
"17th instant before me and my only mo:
"to trouble you with the receipt of this let
"ter, is to explain, and correct a mistake
"which I perceive the hurry in which I
"am obliged, often to write letters, have
"led you into.--
"It was not my intention to doubt
"that, the doctrines of the Illuminati, and
"principles of Jacobism had not spread
"in the United States. On the contrary, no
"one is more, fully satisfied of this fact
"that I am.
"The idea I meant to convey, was,
"that I did not believe that the _Lodges_
"of Free Masons in _this_ Country had, as
"_Societies_, endeavoured to propagate the
"diabolical tenets of the first, or the per-
"nicious principles of the latter, (if they
"are susceptible of separation) That
"individuals of them may have done it, or
"that the _founder_, or _instrument_ employ
"ed to found the Democratic Societies
"in the United States, may have had these
"objects, and actually had a separation
"of the _people_ from their _Government_
"in view, is too evident to be questioned.
"My occupations are such, that
"but little leisure is allowed me to read News
"Papers, or Books of any kind. The reading
"of letters and preparing answers, absorb
"much of my time.--
"With respect,--I remain,
"Revd Sir,
"Your Most Obedt Hble Servt
"Go. Washington"
"The Revd.
"Mr Snyder."
Endorsed
to
"The Revd Mr Snyder,
"24th Oct. 1798."
It is a historical fact that WASHINGTON had always retained the highest
respect for the people of Maryland, and especially the citizens of
Frederick County. No man ever stood higher in the estimation of the
people of Maryland than WASHINGTON, and his death awakened genuine
sorrow. On February 22d, 1800, memorial services were observed in the
Reformed Church at Fredericktown.[79] It was a solemn day and the whole
County was in mourning; at which time Ex-Governor Thomas Johnson
pronounced the funeral oration. Snyder took no part in these services.
The two letters to Snyder were chiefly relied upon by the Anti-Masons to
support their political claims.
"That Washington was never in a Lodge but twice, in his life; that
he paid no attention to Masonry during the war; that in 1781 he
declined being addressed by Masons as a brother Mason, and in 1798
was very particular to insist upon the fact that he had not been in
a Lodge, but once or twice in 30 years, and knew nothing of their
principles and practices."[80]
How false these statements so frequently made, is shown by the many
proofs here presented in fac-simile of the originals, which also
absolutely controvert the statement in Governor Ritner's Vindication?
viz:--
"That all the letters said to be written by Washington to Lodges
are spurious. This is rendered nearly certain: First, by the
non-production of the originals: Second, by the absence of copies
among the records of his letters: Third, by their want of dates:
Fourth, by the fact that his intimate friend and biographer, Chief
Justice Marshall,[81] (himself a Mason in his youth,) says that he
never heard Washington utter a syllable on the subject, a matter
nearly impossible, if Washington had for years been engaged in
writing laudatory letters to the Grand Lodges of South Carolina,
Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts."[82]
The movement to elect General WASHINGTON a Grand Master over all the
Brethren in the United States originated at a meeting of American Union
Lodge, held at the encampment of the American Army at Morristown, New
Jersey, December 15, 1779. This Lodge was a Regimental Lodge of the
Connecticut Line, originally warranted by the Provincial Grand Master of
Massachusetts.
This movement continued to find favor amongst the craft, especially in
Pennsylvania, and culminated in a motion to that effect at a General
Grand Communication of the Grand Lodge, December 20, 1779.
This resulted in a Grand Lodge of Emergency being convened January 13,
1780, when the following action was taken:[83]
"This Lodge being called by Order of the Grand Master, upon the
request of Sundry Brethren, and also in pursuance of a Motion made
at the last General Communication, to consider the Propriety as
well as the necessity of appointing a Grand Master over all the
Grand Lodges formed or to be formed in these United States, as the
Correspondence which the Rules of Masonry require cannot now be
carried on with the Grand Lodge of London, under whose Jurisdiction
the Grand Lodges in these States were originally constituted; The
Ballot was put upon the Question: Whether it be for the Benefit of
Masonry that 'a Grand Master of Masons thro'out the United States'
shall be now nominated on the part of this Grand Lodge; and it was
unanimously determined in the affirmative.
"Sundry respectable Brethren being then put in nomination, it was
moved that the Ballot be put for them separately, and His
Excellency George Washington, Esquire, General and
Commander-in-chief of the Armies of the United States being first
in nomination, he was ballotted for accordingly as Grand Master,
and Elected by the unanimous vote of the whole Lodge.
"Ordered, That the minutes of this Election and appointment be
transmitted to the different Grand Lodges in the United States, and
their Concurrence therein be requested, in Order that application
be made to his Excellency in due form, praying that he will do the
Brethren and Craft the honor of accepting their appointment. A
Committee was appointed to expedite the Business."
The movement was further advanced at a Convention of representatives of
the Army Lodges, held at Morristown, N. J., on February 7, 1780, when,
fortified by the pronounced action of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, a
committee was chosen of which Brother Mordecai Gist of Maryland was
chairman and Brother Otho Williams of Delaware, secretary.[84]
=FAC-SIMILE OF FINAL LETTER FROM BOSTON, ENDING THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE
GEN. WASHINGTON GENERAL GRAND MASTER.=
This Committee issued the celebrated address:
"To the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, The Grand Masters of the several Lodges
in the Respective United States of America.
"UNION----FORCE----LOVE."
This address was signed by representatives of no less than seven states,
viz.: Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts
Bay, New York and Delaware; in addition to those of the American Union
Lodge, Artillery, St. John's Regimental Lodge and the Staff of the
American Army.
It was further ordered that the foregoing address with an exact copy of
these proceedings signed by the President and Secretary, be sent to the
respective Provincial Grand Masters in the United States.[85]
It was not until the middle of October that a reply was received from
the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to the circular letter sent out by the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and then only in response to a letter
written by our Grand Secretary, Rev. Brother Dr. William Smith.
This matter led to more or less correspondence between the Grand Lodges
of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts and was in abeyance, until January,
1781, when the following letter was received from Joseph Webb, Grand
Master of Massachusetts.[86]
"BOSTON, Jany 17, 1781.
"_Revd Sir and
"Respected Brother_
"Last Friday Evening the Grand Lodge met, agreeable to adjournment
and after a long debate on the subject, whether it was expedient at
present to elect a Grand Master General for the United States, it
passed in the negative.
"Inclosed I transmit you the vote from the G. Sec'y.
"Yr Affecte Brother
"& Hble Servt
"Jos: WEBB.
"Rev Dr Smith
"Philadelphia."
The belief that WASHINGTON was the Grand Master of the United States was
widespread, and, as our late Bro. James M. Lamberton said in his address
before mentioned,[87] notwithstanding the fact that the project to
elevate General WASHINGTON fell through, "that the action of the Army
Lodges and of our Grand Lodge got abroad, is shown by translations of
two letters from a Lodge at Cape Francois,[88] on the island of San
Domingo, directed to General WASHINGTON as Grand Master of all America,
soliciting a charter, which were presented to our Grand Lodge, February
3, 1786. The same thing is shown by a medal struck in 1797, the obverse
showing the bust of WASHINGTON, with the legend, "G. Washington
President. 1797," the reverse showing many Masonic emblems,[89] with the
legend "Amor. Honor. Et Justica G.W.G.G.M." (_i. e.,_ George Washington,
General Grand Master).
The writer of the letters to WASHINGTON, Snyder, quoted at the beginning
of this chapter, being of foreign birth, and not a member of the Masonic
Fraternity, nor even living where a Masonic Lodge existed, evidently
labored under the same delusion as the Brethren at Cape Francois.
The Masonic Correspondence of WASHINGTON as represented upon these
pages, should settle for all time to come the question, as to the esteem
in which WASHINGTON held the Masonic Fraternity, of which he was an
honored Member.
It is stated that there are still a large number of Washington papers in
the Library of Congress, that are not accessible, as they have thus far
not been classified or indexed. Thus it is in the possibilities that
there may be still further documentary evidence found of Masonic import,
in addition to such as are set forth upon these pages.
=_The Arms of ye most Ancient & Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted
Masons._=
Footnotes:
[64] "Memorial Volume, Washington Sesqui-centennial Anniversary,"
Philadelphia, 1902, p. 165.
[65] "PROOFS | of a| CONSPIRACY | against all the | RELIGIONS and
GOVERNMENTS | of | EUROPE | carried on | in the secret meetings | of | FREE
MASONS, ILLUMINATI, | and | READING SOCIETIES, | " collected from Good
Authorities | by | JOHN ROBISON, A. M. |--EDINBURGH, | 1797. |
[66] The original letter of August 22, 1798, is among the Washington
papers in the Library of Congress; a photostat of same is in the
Archives of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
[67] Cf. Historical sketch of the Evangelical Reformed Church of
Frederick, Maryland, 1904, pp. 22-25.
[68] Cf. "Washington, The Man and Mason," p. 288.
[69] _Vide_ "Sesqui-Centennial Anniversary of the Initiation of Brother
George Washington before quoted," p. 149.
[70] Cf. Chapters II and III _supra_.
[71] Cf. "Washington, The Man and Mason," p. 286.
[72] _Ibid_., December 20, 1789. His excellency, General WASHINGTON,
unanimously elected Master; Robert McCrea, Senior Warden; William
Hunter, Jr., Junior Warden; William Hodgson, Treasurer; Joseph Greenway,
Secretary; Dr. Frederick Spambergen, Senior Deacon; George Richards,
Junior Deacon. Extract from Minutes, p. 288.
[73] _Vide_ "Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, 1727-1907," Vol. I, Chapter X,
pp. 295 _et seq_.
[74] _Ibid._, Vol. I, Chapter XII, pp. 399 _et seq_.
_Vide_ "Washington and his Masonic Compeers," Chapter VIII, pp. 149 _et
seq_.
[75] _Ibid._, pp. 86-87. Also records of King Solomon's Lodge, No. 1,
Poughkeepsie, New York.
[76] _Ibid._, pp. 150 _et seq_.
[77] _Ibid._, pp. 139 _et seq_.
[78] WASHINGTON, so far as known, attended the following public Masonic
functions:
1. Procession in Philadelphia, Festival of St. John the Evangelist,
December 28, 1778.
2. Festival of St. John the Baptist, June 24, 1779, with the American
Union Lodge, at the Robinson House on the Hudson, New York.
3. Festival of St. John the Evangelist, December 27, 1779, with American
Union Lodge, at the Morris Hotel, Morristown, New Jersey.
4. Festival of St. John the Evangelist, December 27, 1782, with King
Solomon's Lodge, at Poughkeepsie, New York.
5. Festival of St. John the Baptist, June 24, 1784, with Lodge No. 39,
at Alexandria, Virginia.
6. The Masonic funeral of Brother William Ramsay, February 12, 1785, at
Alexandria.
7. Laying of the cornerstone of the capitol at the Federal City
(Washington, D. C.), September 18, 1793, upon which occasion WASHINGTON
walked in the procession.
[79] Cf. Historical sketch before quoted, p. 24.
[80] Anti-Masonic Republican Convention before quoted, p. 26.
[81] Grand Master of Virginia, 1793-1795.
[82] Vindication of General Washington before quoted, p. 15.
[83] Cf. "Reprint of Minutes of Grand Lodge," Vol. I, p. 19.
[84] "Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, 1727-1781," Vol. I, p. 39.
[85] Address in full, _ibid._, pp. 399-402.
[86] All of the original correspondence is in the Archives of the Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania, Mss., Vol. A.
[87] "Washington Sesqui-Centennial Celebration, Nov. 5, 1902, Memorial
Volume," pp. 135-6.
[88] Cf. "Old Masonic Lodges of Pennsylvania," Vol. II, Chapter LIII,
pp. 242-250.
[89] Specimen in Museum of Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
INDEX.
Aberts Tavern, 101
Adam, Rev. John, 30
Adam, Robert, 29, 30
Adcock, William, 77
Alexander, Alexander, 58
Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, Address and Reply, 18;
Letter and Address to Washington, 96;
Washington's Reply, 97
Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, 17;
Correspondence with, 28;
Address to Washington, 29;
Meets at Lamb Tavern, 33;
Invites Washington to dine with them, 34
Allison, John, 29, 33
Anti-Masonic Craze, mention of, 8;
Attack Washington's memory, 10;
Certify to Records, 16
Armstrong, Thomas, 90
Baker, George A., 90
Ball, William, 93
Bartlett, Josiah, 83, 102
Belton, William, 111, 113
Blair, Judge, 42
Blyth, Joseph, 53
Bowen, Thomas B., 58
Bradley, Thomas, 90
Burk, Miss Fanny M., Copies, Portrait for Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, 36
Carson, J., 53
Chapman, Samuel, 48, 49
Clark, Peleg, 15
Clinton, Governor, 42
Cohen, Abraham, 53
Corney, James, 48
Craik, George W., 2, 93
Craik, Dr. James, 93
Cutler, John, 83
Cusack, Richard E., 90
Dandridge, Bartholomew, 2, 75, 81
Dick, Archibald, 32
Dick, Elisha C., 29, 32;
Conducts Masonic Services at Washington's Funeral, 33
Drayton, William, 58
Duplessis, Peter le Barbier, 70;
Autograph, 72, 79, 80
Edwards, Thomas, 102
Elliot, Robert, 15
Few, Joseph, 70;
mention of, 78
Foster, Theo., 42
Franklin, Benjamin, mention of, 27
Fredericktown, Maryland, 117
Freemasonry in Pennsylvania (Barratt and Sachse), Referred to, 16
Free Quaker Meeting House, 69
Gates, Thomas, 58
Georgia Grand Lodge, Address and Reply, 7, 17;
Fraudulent letter to, 94
Gillies, James, 95, 96, 97
Gist, Mordecai, 57, 58, 59;
Sketch of, 64, 134
Gorman, Mr., of New Hampshire, 42
Grant, Reuben, 53
Greene, Mrs. Nathaniel, 66
Griffith, Cadawalder, 90
Guion, Isaac, 48, 49
Halling, Solomon, 48, 49
Hamilton, Gavin, 70, 90
Handy, John, 15
Harris, Thaddeus M., 102
Hayes, Moses Michael, mention of, 15
Hildreth, Ara, 38
Houston, George, 66
Hunt, Galliard, mention of, 6
Illuminati, 117
Irwin, David, 90
Israel, Israel, 90
Jackson, Major William, 2;
Copies Address and Answer, 40
Jefferson, Thomas, 36, 42
Johnson, William, 48, 49
King David's Lodge, No. 1, Newport, R. I., Proposed Masonic Address to
General Washington, 14;
Extracts from Records, 15, 17;
Correspondence with, 37;
Sends Address to Washington, 38;
Fac-simile of Washington's Reply, 41
Knox, Robert, 58
Lamb Tavern, Alexandria meeting place of Lodge, No. 39, 33
Lamberton, J. M., Address Washington as a Freemason, 11;
quoted, 117
Laughton, Joseph, 104
Lear, Tobias, 2, 75, 101
Letter Books in Library of Congress, 6
Littlefield, William, 37
Lodge No. 27, on Pennsylvania Roster, 57, 59
Lowthorp, F., 48
Machey, Mungo, 83
Marshall, John, Chief Justice, 132
Marsteller, Phillip G., 95, 96
Maryland Grand Lodge, Draft of Letter to 7, 18;
Address to Washington, 112;
Washington Reply, 113;
Original Draft of Reply, _ib._
Mason, Benjamin, 70
Masonic Aprons, 20