Washington's Masonic Correspondence. George Washington
are no volumes of press copies, but there are
"some press copies among the papers."
Washington in writing his answer to the various greetings, in most cases would first make a rough copy of his reply, then digest, alter, correct or change such parts or sentences as he thought proper. Then after deliberate consideration, a fair copy would be made either by Washington or one of his Secretaries and signed by him, and sent to the Masonic bodies for which they were intended.
Fortunately some of the original drafts of these Masonic letters have come down to us; thus far five autographic copies have been found among the Washington papers in the Library of Congress at Washington.
1. Draft of letter written at Newburg, New York, August 19, 1782, to Watson and Cassoul of Nantes, France, thanking them for the Masonic Apron, embroidered by the nuns at Nantes, and which is now in possession of Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22, at Alexandria, Virginia.
2. To the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
3. To the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
4. To the Grand Lodge of South Carolina.
5. To the Grand Lodge of Maryland; this draft is a two-page letter written upon a letter sheet and shows many changes and corrections; it is dated 1798.
In addition to the above original drafts there were found several addresses and the accompanying answers, which thus far have never been published, in fact no mention of them has ever appeared in print, viz:—
1. An address from the Grand Lodge of Georgia, together with Washington's reply.
2. A letter to Paul Revere, Grand Master of Massachusetts and his Grand Officers.
3. An address from the Brethren of Prince George's Lodge, No. 16, Georgetown, South Carolina, presented to President Washington during his visit to South Carolina, April 30, 1791, also his reply to same.
4. An address from the Brethren of St. John's Lodge, No. 2, of Newbern, North Carolina, and the reply to same.
Photostat copies of the above have also been obtained which make the most complete collection of the Masonic Correspondence of Washington which has thus far been compiled.
A careful study of this correspondence so carefully cherished by Washington puts an entirely new phase upon Washington's connection with the Masonic Fraternity, and his esteem of Freemasonry.
These papers absolutely thrust aside all of the statements, arguments and libels, brought forth by our misguided enemies at the time of the Anti-Masonic craze during the last century, and in a small way kept alive even down to the present day by some people who are blinded by their ignorance or malice.
Referring to some of their published statements that Washington never belonged to the Masonic Fraternity, and that there were no authentic Masonic letters nor copies thereof among his records so frequently made during the political Anti-Masonic craze, which swept over New England and the Middle States about eighty-five years ago, the following quotations from the Masonic literature of the period will prove interesting examples.
One of the chief statements made by these people, and brought before all their conventions and heralded in the public prints was: "That though General Washington caused to be carefully copied in books kept for that purpose, all his letters on every subject, no trace whatever of any of the five letters under consideration,2 nor any letters to any other Lodge or Masonic body whatever, are to be found among the records of his correspondence."3
The chief authority upon whom the leaders of the Anti-Masonic movement at that time depended in their defamation of Washington, was Jared Sparks of Boston, who at the time was engaged writing a life of Washington, and then had access to all the Washington letter-books and papers, and from his connection with the Washington correspondence, was supposed to be the best qualified to pass upon their authenticity.
Another of the charges made by the Anti-Masonic bigots whose chief object was to controvert facts was:
"That although Washington was extremely scrupulous in preserving his correspondence with all public or private bodies, there is not a line of his relating to Freemasonry, to be found among all his papers, except the correspondence with Mr. Snyder!4 It is also a fact, that Washington was equally scrupulous in dating his letters, and it is believed that not one can be found, which is without a date."5
It appears that the chairman of a committee of citizens of Boston called upon the officers of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to submit their two Washington letters to Jared Sparks for his inspection. This the Grand Officers refused to do.
In return Sparks sent the following letter to the Chairman:
"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 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.6
"I am, Sir,
"Very respectfully,
"Your ob't servant,
"Jared Sparks."
How Sparks could have overlooked the numerous entries in the letter books whose numbers and folios are here quoted, also the drafts of replies in Washington's hand-writing and signed by him (copies of which are here given in this work), can only be accounted for by the fact that he must have been carried away by the political excitement of the day.
Washington's connection with the Masonic Fraternity has been exhaustively traced by Brother James M. Lamberton, Past Master of Perseverance Lodge, No. 21, in his address "Washington as a Freemason," from the day of his entrance into Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 4, of Virginia, September 1, 1752, until the day of his death, December 14, 1799, before the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, at its celebration of the Sesqui-Centennial Anniversary of the Initiation of Brother George Washington into the Fraternity of Freemasons,7 held in the Masonic Temple, in the city of Philadelphia on Wednesday, November 5, 1902.
It must also be remembered that Washington made a public profession of his membership in Philadelphia, Monday, December 28, 1778, when he walked in procession with his brethren of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, from the College at Fourth and Arch Streets to Christ Church on Second Street above Market Street, Philadelphia, where, after a prayer by Rev. William White, a sermon was preached for the "[Benefit of the POOR] by appointment of and before | The General Communication | of | Free and Accepted | MASONS | of the | State of PENNSYLVANIA, | on Monday, December 28, 1788, | Celebrated, agreeable to their Constitution, | as the Anniversary of | ST. JOHN the Evangelist, | by William Smith, D.D., | Provost of the College and Academy of Philadelphia." |
This Sermon was printed and dedicated to Brother Washington and a copy sent to him, which was bound with other pamphlets in a volume lettered "Masonic Sermons," and is so mentioned in the inventory of his estate and now in the Boston Athenæum.8 At this service over four hundred pounds were collected for the relief of the poor.
Rev. Brother William Smith, D.D., preached a number of Masonic Sermons in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland; three of which delivered at the request of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania were printed, viz.:
Sermon 1.—On Brotherly Love, &c. Preached on the Anniversary of St. John the Baptist, June 24, 1755,
Sermon 2.—Preached on Monday, December 28, 1778, celebrated as the Anniversary of St. John the Evangelist. With an Appendix on the Character of Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus,
Sermon 3.—Preached
The letters referred to by the Anti-Masons were the one to King David's Lodge at Newport, two to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, 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.
"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.
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.
"Proceedings of the Third State Anti-masonic Convention, of Massachusetts, Worcester, 1832," p. 27.
Vindication of Washington before quoted, p. 13.
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 passed to Fellow-Craft; August 4, 1753, George Washington was raised Master Mason."
Catalogue of Washington Collection in Boston Athenæum, Boston, 1897, p. 185.