Washington's Masonic Correspondence. George Washington
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 before the Grand Lodge of Communication, on St. John the Baptist's day, June 24, 1795.
Original copies of the above are in the Library of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Rev. Brother Smith reprinted the above in a Volume of Sermons with the following note:[9]
"N. B. The above three Sermons were preached at the request of the Grand Lodge of Communication, for Pennsylvania, and contains in substance all that the Author thinks it necessary to bequeath to the Brotherhood, by way of Sermons, preached at different times and in sundry of the neighboring States, during 48 Years past."
By referring to the following letters and Documents it is shown that Washington's interest in Freemasonry and the Fraternity continued until the time of his death.
These documents cover the period from 1782 to 1798.
As these copies in our possession are photostat fac-similes of the original documents in the Library of Congress, there can never be any question of correctness or of their authenticity.
The finding and collating of this material will settle for all time to come the question of Washington's connection with the Ancient Fraternity, and his opinion and esteem of Freemasonry.
The earliest record we have of any Masonic Body proposing a masonic address to General Washington, was the resolution offered in King David's Lodge, No. 1, at Newport, Rhode Island, during Washington's visit to Newport in March, 1781, while the French Army under Rochambeau was quartered there. Washington arrived in Newport on the sixth of March and remained there until the thirteenth, when he left for Providence by way of Bristol.
It was in anticipation of this visit that the Brethren of King David's Lodge, of which Brother Moses Michael Hays[10] was Worshipful Master, that a masonic greeting to General Washington was proposed. The following entry from the old Minute Book of the Lodge will explain why the project failed to materialize.
W. M. KING DAVID'S LODGE, No. 1, NEWPORT, R. I., 1780–1781.
GRAND MASTER OF MASONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, 1788–1793.
Extract from the Records of King David's Lodge.
"Regular Lodge night, held at the house of Mr. James Tew, Wednesday evening, the 7th February, 1781. 5781.
"A motion being made that as our worthy brother, his Excellency General Washington, was daily expected amongst us, a committee should be appointed to prepare an address in behalf of the Lodge, to present him. Voted, That the Right Worshipful Master (Moses Michael Hays) together with brothers Seixas, Peleg Clark, John Handy, and Robert Elliot, be a committee for that purpose, and that they present the same to this Lodge at their next meeting for their approbation."
"At a Lodge held by request of the Right Worshipful Master, Feb. 14th, 1781. 5781,
"The committee appointed to draught an address to our worthy brother, His Excellency General Washington, report, that on inquiry they find General Washington not to be a Grand Master of North America; as was supposed, nor even Master of any particular Lodge. They are, therefore, of opinion that this Lodge would not choose to address him as a private brother at the same time, think it would not be agreeable to our worthy brother to be addressed as such.
"Voted, That the report of the committee be received, and that the address be entirely laid aside for the present."[11]
Now as to the cause for this uncertainty how to address Brother Washington, it will be recalled that just at that time, the proposition sent out by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania nominating General Washington as Grand Master of all the Colonies, was then before the various grand bodies, but did not find favor in New England, in fact the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was the chief objector, and finally defeated the scheme to elect Washington the Grand Master General.[12]
The means of intercourse between the different Masonic Bodies at that early day were so limited and uncertain that it offers a clear explanation for the uncertainty under which the brethren of King David's Lodge, No. 1, at Newport labored at that time.
During the Anti-Masonic craze in the last century, the above minute was extensively used by the political leaders of the Anti-Masonic party to strengthen their claim that Washington had never presided over any Masonic Lodge.
Following is a complete list of the Washington Masonic Correspondence, thus far found among the Washington papers in the Library of Congress.
Draft of Letter to Watson and Cassoul, Nantes, France, August 10, 1782.
Letter to Alexandria Lodge, No. 39, Virginia, December 28, 1783.
Address from King David's Lodge, No. 1, Rhode Island, August 17, 1790, and Washington's Reply.
Address from St. John's Lodge, No. 2, Newbern, North Carolina, April 20, 1791, and his reply.
Address from Prince George's Lodge (Moderns) Georgetown, South Carolina, April 30, 1791, and his reply.
Draft of reply to Grand Lodge of South Carolina, May 5, 1791.
Address from Grand Lodge of Georgia, May 14, 1791, and his reply.
Address from Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, March, 1792, and his reply.
Address of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, December 27, 1792, and his reply.
Address from Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, December 27, 1796, and his reply.
Address