Western Sun & General Advertiser, Volume 22, Number 38, Vincennes, Knox County, 29 October 1831 — Page 1

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BY 5LIKCT STOOT.j VXaiCSNSTES, (ZA.) SAT OliDjELY , OCTOBER 29, 1831. VOL. XXII. HO. 33

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ZJL-CStCTU SUU IS published at 82 50 cents, for 52 numbers ; which may be discharged by the payment of 82 at the time of subscribing. Payment in advance, being the mutual interest of both parties, that mode is solicited. A failure to notify a wish to discontinue at the expiration ol the time subscribed for, will be considered a new engagement; no subscriber at liberty to discontinue, until all an earages are paid. Subscribers must pay the postage on their papers when suit by mail. Letters by mail to the Editor on business must be paid, or they will not be attended to. Produce will be received at the Cash Market Price Uv subscriptions, if delivered vvnlii.! i he year AnvrKTisKMhsTs not exceeding thirteen :?. , ui be ii. sorted three times for one doMir, and tv.tniy-f.vc cents for each -;fi.er insertion longc- ones in the same proportion Jjij Person sending Advertisements, must specify the num ber of "times they wish them inserted, or they iitl lie continued until ordered out.

f and musl be paid for accordingly. Bv 1vtim:v ih.w, Graiid Mister of Jli.' ' .if til l !i d;o mI Khofle-Ila.nd and It-iv uivfi iMantations, to the people Of rtid St.v'f. Concluded ) lint the ivle'norialisis 6eem to apprehend that all the dreaded evils ot Ma Ronic pr inciples and obligations, as fat as they ! late to Lodges have been concenIra ed ni the Grand Lodge; and that the prciogatives they claim and eserrise, the "supreme homage" paid tliem, atul the implicit obedience" yielded to theis daws and 01 dinances" by the subordinate lodges and ail Masons, give them power, aucctsafully, to resist the legislative au thoiity, and bid defiance to the laws. Fortunately for us and te community, wo neither exercise, possess, por claim aty sucn power or authority. Uut if we did, we appeal to the world, and ask Were ?iiey ever exercised with so much pr'id.nc. a: d modciation by any otlter b ) lv m n ? We appeal to the anna'. of ihe t ; ;iii'us and political world; and V(. -ay i; ;s wi'.'nmit. a precedent, that a Vcifct b )dy ol men associated togethei tot so ong a p-ri'd, witn me means attriuu tons ol becoming tyrants, s!ku d have b en n .ud tor their firm attachment to, u'iJ ltuo y v'.efcnce and support of liberal g. net nmcms, civil liberty, and huma.i r;g ,ts If indeed we possess the pi erva'ic and the powci ascribe d to ,u.-;, i1- sptaks volumes in favor of Masunry i r i ;t . s'ie exercises oer them, stich a peruct sdiuiary control, as so comp!e;cly oh' ck lie aspiring ambiti )tot men, as ever o petmit her votaries to j)to rno e riit caue ot tyranny and opprcs s.io , evet troin motives ot sett aggran!izv.nenr; a tact ot which we can justly boasr. a.n! we challenge conti adiction; bu 'vhich defy the Memorialists to point out in the history of any other body, t eiigtou'i or political. To show that their fears at e well grounded the Memorialists have recourse to the language of the Hon. L)e Wilt Clinton He says, "No legislature can create a lodge:" Tint "AM Charters and Dispensations to create such bodies, originate in Grand Lodges:" That The authority of G rand Lodges and duties of Subjrdinatc Lodges are not affected byacts f incorporation, which arc procured oo'y to enable them to hold property." And i'i particular, that, "In all cases, all Masuns and all lodges are tv.tund to o'.kv the ordinances and decisions of the G ra;id Lodge, to which they are all at tar bed " This doctrine we acknowledge to be correct. But the inferences to be drawn Irom it in the Memorial we deny. It is there said, "the ordinances and de visions of the Grand Lodge are para rr. ?unt in all cites to the civil authority;" ntr.l t:ut "of com se if the Legislature requires of the members ol Lodges to perform what the Grand Lod.c determines to be contrary to the u-U3ges and laws of Mn-onrv. the lormer must be set at n night, at. J the latter implicitly obeyed " AH this m.n appeir plausible, but is de cep'ive, and unfounded in lact Mr Clinton did not say that the ordinances and decisions of the Grand Lodge were parimount in any case to the civil autfvrttv: Nor did he say they must be iMFLicn lt, that is, unmetvtJiy obeyed He knew better evety masott knows better, as "We ate prepared to shew-. -I That "No legislature can create a Lodge,' is tint: That all Lodges origi n ut ' i' Charters or Dispensations fieui Grand Lodp.s, is true. So neither can. a legislature cicate a Chutch, which is as lull v independent ot that body, as a Lodge claims to be And wc recognize the existence ot no constituted authoti tv in the United States, to intermeddle with the concerns ot either of us. so long as we confine ourselves within the paie . r t hv rhi- Gr-M d L"oVe, so aif Church es rieated by Syuods. Consociatiura, and Ecclesiastical Council;: Our ot igins .7c tiu'ogousto each ether; tud neither

Churches nor Lodges acknowledge the slightest dependence on legislative au thorny, except in the conlercd powers ol holding and managing their corporate funds, and being protected in the enjoyment of their natural and constitutional tights acknowledged to belong to all; nor asagift from the legislature, but as our own inalienable propctly; held by :

n tub ui m, vuamivi Ul II 1 oorn American unucnv .s Ltiurciies A. ' - - " i . 1 A are amenable to the bodies, in whom they , have vested the authority to govern them . r r,;i. i i .

in maucrs ui laivn anu urst ipime, anu 10 i or ourselves, we reply, our revenues j ty respecting us and our it. sutuiict : And J-irrg he enemy cgau.sr hin have emthem only, so we hold ourselves bound; i ave never much exceeded our expenses, ! if so, we would candidly inquire wny we, j ban a?i 1 l.i at'm.nUnation, and ceprivas Masons and Subordinate Lodges, "to ( and We hold no disposal funds W hen moi e than ether bodies, should be df iven Ud sfirst term t. hail its frui.. A f-

nbey the ordinances and decisions of the; Urana L,odgc, to wiuch we are all attach-j cd " ! Hut be it remembered that we do not ! hold the "auihotity of the Grand Lodge"; 10 be fiaramount to the civil authority" in any case, within the contemplated jurisdiction of the ''Constitution, and constitutional laws of the land;" rordoes a ny Mason or Subordinate Lodge hold i'self bound, "implicitly ," or without re-'-rve, to "obey the ordinances and de cisions of the Grand Lodge," in any case, where it becomes necessary, bj so doing, '"to set at nought" the laws of the land. We have one standing and invariable rule, by which, all those ordinances arid decisions must be tried; and to which 'hey must strictly conform, bwfore they can become binding in airy case: They must be found to lccmfiart with the rules and regulations of Masonry generally ;" and every Mason knows that ihose "i uies and regulations" lay him under a solemn responsibility to n a quiet and prcaeadlk surjf.ct of TiiK oovKHK lit nt I'nbeu which HELiVJ-s true to his country and its laws. and i o RENDER EQUAL JUSTICE TO ALL mankind " It is thus the laws and usages of Masonry flatly contradict the statements of the Memorialists; and shew that the civil authority must, in all cases, be considered 'paramount to that ot the Grand Lodge; and so be acknow ledged by them. And furiher, that no Mason, no Subordinate Lodge is bound to obey the ordinances and decisions of the Grand Ledge, even by virtue of their Masonic obligations, farther than they are constitutional and legal; and this for the ery valid reason, that whatever does not "conform strictly to the Constitution and Laws of the land, comports not with the laws arid usages of Masonry gc nerally and hence, is unmasonic. The Grand Lodge, therefore, is fully confined within the mraning ot uthe restrictive clause" of its Charter, and so are all Masons and Subordinate Lodges; by the paramount laws and usages" of the order; and any otdinance or decision con trary to these would be treated with mer ited contempt. From the above considerations, we do sdemnly aver, that the memorialists havi treated us with unfairness; and it is verv difficult for us to see, how any man! or body of men, with a knowledge of what has now been stated, can suppose! Masonry dangerous to the state. Wei at e fully satisfied that before such can be the fact, the principles and very nature of the institution must be completely changed. Then all its bonds will be dissolved, and its doings become a perfect nulilty. But to remove all reasonable doubts on this subject, we hereby deelate it as an "ordinance and decision" of this Grand Lodge, that in ell cases, we consider and acknowledge the civil authority ot out country and state, fiara mount to our own. And we hereby absolve all Masons and Suboidinate Lodges under our jurisdiction, from any suppo sed obligation to consider our authority paramount to the Constitution and Laws ol the land. And furthermore, we strict ly enjoin it on them, to t ender implicit obedience to the civil authority in all cases, in preference to ours; w hen thatau thot ity shall be exercised within the true intent and meaning of the constitution of our country. We would here jus; observe, for the information ot those unacquainted with the facts, that Grand Lodges are formed on principles purely republican. They ate the oluntarv associations ol Masters and Wardens of L dges, elected by the!

suffrages of the Members of Subordi- j tent authority, to substantiate the facts nate Lodges; Subordinate, merely be-j herein set forth. And for the public de cause they have voluntarily made them j cision, we are satisfied to cast ourselves selves so, for the belter government ot j on your cauii, sber, and deliberate judgthe whole. It will be seen then, that a: men'; requesting only to be believed, if Grand Lodge is the crca'.urc of the Sub j in charity we can be supposed honest, ordinate Lodges, from which, alone, they ! and to be disbelieved if you can make derive atl the power they have. The up your minds to think that we have, Grand Lodge has no power ev en to elect j unanimously, agteedtiv become guilty of

its own members; but is compelled to! receive as such, these elected hy the Lodges. All the elections are annual hence the whole body of the Grand Lodge, except Past Mastets, who are permanent members, may be changed by the Lodges, as often t.s once in each yer. It U vctv evident that unlit a majority of Masons in the Lodges can be so tat corrupted aMo lend their aid, the Grand L"dge could do nothing against the "Constitution at d taws of the land," if Ciev had the disp - i t i n. We ate not ye' - satisfied, nor do we bi!iee the public ! is, 'bat a nujonty of M.mous arc so tar j cm i upl as to ancion such proceedings I Ai.d, therefore, thculd the members of

a G; and Lodge, presume to pass "ordi I nances and decisions" to that elVcct, its ' members w ou!d be certain to be dismis-j sed, and to be replaced Ly others at the ; next election, chaigtd with tl.c duty ol ! repealing them therefore a Grand ' Ledge cannot be "an ai istocratic b. d " I We re chnr gcd in the Memorial vv ith ! the misapplication of our lunds; t.av ing ;

". aatCU lllt'lll III Ul.'IXIvJUIIilT V. L I t 1 1 H 1 1 1 1 S . . . and uscles nara, est Arid with hivim : , 1 r: ''dircrted them fiom it e Locges, to swell the levci.ucs ot the Grand Lodge." . legatly bailed upon to do 60 however the whole details will be cheertully ten deied. ar d we shall with confidence appeal to the public for complete justilica tion, with a statement of tacts, winch we ate prepared to shew. As to our cet emonies and patades,' we take the liberty to judge for ourselves, whether they ate or are not 'unmeaning and useless ' IVe pay for them, bv voluntary subscription; from ourown im'afrfunds;and it wilt be soon enough toi us to atttmpt to satisfy the memorialists respecting them, when they shall he prepared to shew that those ceremonies ;i?,d parades, however unmeaning and useless, constitute any portion of their business, or violate the Constitution and Laws. Hut we are now told that there is still another Masonic body, higher than all the others, and that claims and receives from all the state Giand and Subordinate Lodges, supreme homage, hubmistion, and tribute: That body ii the General j Grand Chapter ol the United States ot jAmcrica. T his is another of the oc.v, ! the memorialists are prepared to shew We speak of this, only because we wish to exhibit it as a specimen ot the veracity of the memorial, and the facts, its signers aie so fully prepared to slit w. Jeremy L Cross is rcferrtd to as uuiho rity, by the memorialists. Hut neither Jeremy L Crohs, nor any ether Mason, has ever made any such wtatcinent; and that for the veiy best of reasons, because it contains not a syllable of irtith. The Geneial Grand Chapter neither claims nor leeeives any trine homage, submission, or tribute from f.i.y Giand Lodge or Subordinate Lodge, than the Grand Mo gul ot Taitaty d;.-s from the Congress of the United States The two institu tions are as separate ard distinct from eacli other, as some of the memorialists must know, as though not o lioyal Arch Mason existed in the world. Besides, we would, in all humility, ask of the me nmt idlists kindly to enlighten us on the subject, as to how absolute and unqualified kufireme homage is to be rendered to two bodies at the same time. How the General Grand Chapter, & Grand Lodi't are each absolutely supreme I And if compelled to a;lnii:, M il we see no alternative, that ttte Gi.':hd Ldge holds su preme authoi ity, and jeouircs obedience to its ordinapci s and decisions, it; a qual j ified sense, while the Grand Chapter is still said by them lobe supt eme over the Grand ant! Subordinate Lodge, the case will then be fairly made out, that DeWitt Clinton and every other Mason may con sider the Grand Lodge supreme in its Masonic capacity, over its subjects, and still acknowledge the ultra supremacy of the Ctnstituti'tn and Laws of the land The view ill then be cot reel with this important difTetence, that the ultra sU preme homage and submission, thev say is paid by us to the General Grand Chapter, are rendered to the government cf our country; while our homage and submission to the Grand Lodge as Masons and Subordinate Lodges, are dualized . by , and secondary to the allegiance we i pay to our country as citizens With 1 ' the motives of the memorialists. t e have nant with truth fellow ciTiZRKS In making these deciat ui- rs. the Grand Lodge ot Rhode Island confidently appeal to the Great Sear chcr of hearts, to test their truth and sincerity And we will not hesitate w hen legally called upon, to appear before any constitutional body, clo'hed with compe m ful and premeditated perjury. Vr I n-akc this appeal to you, in the spirit of 1 candor and ft nnkness; and we invoke the same spirit on your part. Dprecatint: I stiitc and contention, and wishing to pro i mote peace and quietness, we have here ! t lore i enuir.id silent. Hut finding this spirit of no avail, and ourselves and our motives continually assailed with seem ing rancour, we are impelled by feelings ol honor and self respect, to step forth in our own defence In doim; to, we have been ftank and open in our comruu nicati ins, and believe we have field up to the public gaic, as respects ourselves, all that the public require to know; and

nommg ro no. i ney say mcy are no: tiiC Louisville Advertiser, civinr

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those ot hostility to individual Masons ! tatiU m intelligence that our ur

vve can omysav. we wisri tuey nr.t, ueen wjln Mcxjco was concluded and ratifn

prouueuve or a tiocumcni more cunso-

hac 53hclioiM.el our eipoiitrous by t'jlicigu tpilli, tu cuuniciaet him with in-

tmn appeals to God himself Under this awtul sanction; we have declared out selves fiec horn any obligations that ecjuires us to act in any case in con tempi ot the civil authority, or in uj po silh.n to the demands ot common juslite to all mankind And have iar ther, lot bidden the observance of buy such obligation, by all and any under out

I U I I M ! 1 C ' 1 0 1 1 . m. - . . Have n not done a! that can be rca ' Uonably dem indcd of us as masons o as ! men, to quiet the tears ol the con-mum 1 i ' . . to dissolution, in defiance of our rights as irtcmen. as to political views, as a body, we have none, we never hae had any; and we challange our opponents to point to a fact that will invalidate what we say As nun, however, we have political tights And driven to the necessity, it we find ourselves impelled to art to prevent disfranchisement, we shall claim the same tight to do so, as our opponents claim, to carry on a ciuci and exterminating warfare against us. We call the world to witness, that we have sought no quarrel with cur foes, we have given no just cause ot ofYcnce and if they drive us to d spcration, the fault will be theirs, and tire in must rest on their own shoulders. All concessions, consistent with cur own feelings ts men of honor, we are at ail times ready to make for the public good more that, that, we deem detoatory io the chartc acterof American Freemen. And it we must be disfranchised, we will never make a voluntaty surrender of our rights; tor we vaitie them too highly, S3 the leg-ji acy bequeathed us by our fathers io tc sign tnem; and never will pait with them, till they shn be arrested from us by the strong ami of atbinary power. It is certainly a singular fact that the "Memorialists" should have charged us w ith holding the "laws and ordinances of the Grand Lodge to be paramount in all cases" even "to the civil authority," bicaustwc render them "supreme homage and obedienrr;" at-d then to state that "the General Gim.d Chapter drums and receives submission, homage, atul tribute, still "paramount" to these. In the name f common sr-nse, we would inquire, "why is it r.ot as rational to grant th.., which is the fuel; that though we f.r.r;sUier the "laws and ordinances" of the Grand Lodge supremo, that is. Mnsonicaily so. the civil authority "claims and receives" ft om us as citizens," supreme homage, submission and tribuu? and that its "laws and oubnanccs" are with us, "paramount" to those of the Grand Lode, :.s that we recognize this paramount' jurisdiction and authority to exist i:i a body of Royal At-ch Masons of whom, as Master Masons, we; knew nothing, and with whom, we have nothing in common? The case is a very j plain one, according to their own statement; jfor though they affect to think our author ity 'paramount to all others 'in all casts,' still the) have brought it as a charge against us, that we acknowledge another authority 'paramount' to ours. If this were fact it certainly' follows, that 'implicit obedient t' could not be rendered to our 'laws and ot durance,' if by them, we 4set at nought' the doings of that si'pieme hody. Jl is verv evident then. that the 'Mtnu.i i dists' to make cut the lat ter absolute supt e many ae compelled to quality the former hy curtailing fie prerog atives they had before ascribed to it. On tins principle, we tate the facts: Our auihoiity as a body of Masons, is supreme over I'.s, the civil authority is supreme and over both, we recognize the absolute supremacy of the Divine authority, by w hich both must be circumscribed, and to which alone, 'implicit' or unqualified 'obedience in all cases,' is to be rtndcrcd, let what else may 'be set at nought' by so doing. From the SJt. Lovit firacsn. ST'LENDiI) DIPLOMACY. Treaty ivith Mexico We published last week an extract of a letter from a ! gentleman in Mexico to the Editor ol the aty d by the Mexican congress, and that eur Commerce with that country was now, lor the fit Bt time, put under the prottc i tion and regulation ot a treaty. The let ter alao eitcinHy start d. that the tulund commerce between Afi,iouri and .Ytw Mexico was iretd cm all huzurd ar.d restriction, and protected rem tnttr rupti'jn in its tiaKtit. This is indeed gratifying news fir the whole Union, and particularly for MUsouti; at-d as the letter wps wiitten io Mexico, and ad dressed to the Editor ot iho Adtcrtixr, atid dated as late asthc tenth of August, we may confidently rely upon it as true. ! I his, then, sets the seal and ciown upon Jackson's diplomacy. It is a trtaty that all that Adams and Clay oni I'oi.itutt j find Set trcant could do, bboutcd foi in vain. IJtning tour years rhcy count not obtain it; in two years Jackson, Van Uu ten, and Anthony llutler have done the busineijt! I bis seems to close the list of brilliant tscalics, and to complete the success of Jackson's administration a 1 broad. I he view of so much succes a b'of.d iovolutitui ily lorces the surges tion, why he has not been erp.ally successful at lotnt? and the unswer presents ttselt at once. Uccausc tbtcud he bad no factious opposition tw cm ounter ; at homr he has been impeded and emha: rassec at every step, t nc coalition couui not go to London. P.rris M xico, Ht dotlur for

tincs and treachery; but they can g to Washington City, and can ret into 'both houses of Cor.grcfcv, and there ttay : olT ihtir unprincipled oj position against j him. It i there that open enemies and secret traitor, and shameless apostates j have counteracted and c untervorked ' him, and defeated the great measures i whicli he has recommended lor the mod

l UlC COUtiltV. lliC I2Ct IS l'lfv?-' . sidtr.t J icLson hr.s -" vvj t nance ut lunu! Senators and representatives, trampi'n uion the j.:i cf their c jt stiueiu nl' 1 U IU cnd term is indupt rtsab.c to the succt si of his measures, and to give him a fair chance That second itrrr thn r,i will assign him, and wilt give him friends in Congress to sustain him: and then his administration at home will be oa successful as it has been abroad. One other reflection suggests itself to lis It is ibis: under vhose auspice3 have all these brilliant tieaii s been concluded? Who was Jackson's Secietary ot State when they were conceived, m. turtd, and conducted to their splendid terminations? It was Martm Van Burm! and this brief answer Oversets a pytainij of abuse which hos been erected upon that gentleman's name. Some unexplained cause, according to ceitaiti European journals, retard the operations cf the Russians, and gives an unexpected langnur to the campaign which it has all along been supposed would, without foreign aid, have crushed j the Foles, ere this, beyond remedy It certain that neither has the force em ployed been as great as Russia was tho' capable to lun.ish, nof have the results been by any means decisive. Though tl.o inh rmdtion trom the seat of war is interrupted by the position of the Russians, and distorted probably in the F usbiaa accounts, we have icason to hot e that thu spirit ot the Poles are unbroken, aui their case r.o: dtperate. The last accounts horn Warsaw aie to the 1st cf August, at which period the enemy wera y tt h.ity miics It urn that capital. Indecision appear in their movement; their retreat waw even hoped for Meanwhile the season is advancing, and the carl) au. tun.n t f that climate may reproduce tha ddnculties of communication at d transport. on which retarded the Russian ninvrments in the opening of the cam paign I his tangour has induced many to believe that the resources ot Russia have hern overvalued A probable supposition is, that circumstances of some sort have caused their misapplication, and that there is some disorder in the administration an idea to which the rumot'i quoted yesterday, afford some ceunttr ance Either the contusion in the capital produced by the prevailing pest, othe reported indisposition, bodily or mental, ol Nicholas, might beget such derangement in the administration In u despotic country, where so much depends on a single will, and where an apprehended change in the government br death nearly cencems all the perse ns employed in it, the siikntssol the sovereign, or a mental msdady in him, would nfT'.ct and parali2e r.flairs in a degree beyond what occurs in governments csfTtrcntl constituted We gather some hope from the complexion of the article published yesterday ui dcr the head of Rcilin. I: is an admission pretty strong, ccn;dcring what quarter it comes Irom, of great displays, il not of serir.us embariastmenu, in the mcabUi CB of the Russians. Hal .imertcan. the vice riiEsinnT Wc have this eh.y placed under cur head, in addition to cur measures, the natre of the man we believe best ca'cu'atcd to promote 'ho&c u casuir b, as Vice I President ot the United States, (or the next tetm. c shall keep the namccf Col Jtt.nson in its present situation, mi b s we shad hctc&lter discover that tho Wot king Men prefer some other e undulate for the ttfac. Connected with this subject will be found, in another patt t;four piper, two interesting articles the first, a letter from a titirni.i in Kentucky, rcbuttirg tome stsndcrMel i mistepicrrntations cot ceiipg Col John son, which have been (ireuiatcd with much industry, and ihe fast, an at ticlo supporting him as a candidate for the Vuc I'rpni ttir-u fr- ... ..... . i ,..,. . . . j . mi in u ni,cr wmcri has ht-tttnforc rxp-t scd no opinion cn the subject. .V V l)Llij Sent'.r.cl Kail Road lie Keportcr orWfdnekdav says: "On M ndjy rext, pn posals wi'.l be received for gracing fifteen miles cf the Lexingrc n and Ohm Kil Knad. The first load f Ha 1 SiiU wes delivtred yesterday en tl.c grour.d, ia Water Street. Mai kb. F.i.xctiov A letter da'ed Camden. J3d St ttmUer, interns us, ttut Smith, the Juckxn candiite tor Govcrnot, is ttrctci! b? ab ut 6.0 0 majority. Twenty tw( Jjikun ird thrro A' ti Masonic both lit uu i t tht LcgU. 'tttuic will be verv !au-r So go (.V. V. Cccr. C r.e.