ened by the policy of the administration. The authority of the Federal Judiciary was said to be endangered by the movements of some of its prominent friends in Congress, and although the President had indicated his dissatisfaction with the principle of nullification as asserted in South Carolina, this was imputed to his personal feelings towards the Vice President, and his sanction of the same principle as practised by Georgia, was regarded as a more direct proof of his real sentiments on the supremacy of the laws and treaties of the Federal Govern

ment.

His refusal to maintain the stipulations of the treaties made with the Cherokee tribes, or to enforce the laws passed in compliance with those treaties, had excited lively apprehensions in a large portion of the community, not only as to the ultimate fate of those tribes, but also as to the stability of a government, whose settled policy and most solemn engagements seemed to be so dependent upon the will of an individual.

Other objections were urged against the administration, drawn from the alleged violation of the pledges, upon the strength of which it came into power. Instead of a diminution of salaries or of the number of offices, it was alleged that they had been augmented. The expenses of the Government had been increased, and the reform which had been promised when out of power was now dismissed as an unpalatable topic. The influence of the Federal Government in local elections was now more directly exerted

than before. Persons appointed to lucrative offices continued to manage the journals of which they were formerly the editors.

The Post-office was used as an engine to subserve the political designs of the administration, and with the view of consolidating this scheme, of controlling the Federal Government, and of appropriating its emoluments among the leaders of an extensive political combination formed only for that end, it was said that the President had been induced to become a candidate for a re-election, notwithstanding his open and reiterated recommendation of a constitutional provision limiting the term of service to four years.

Upon these grounds, an opposition was formed to the re-election of General Jackson, and in some portions of the Union this party, which was denominated 'national republican,' manifested a disposition to present Henry Clay, the Secretary of State during the late administration, as its candidate for the Presidency. He was accordingly nominated by the legislatures of several States, and with the view of producing a concentration of action in the opposition, a national convention was recommended to be held at Baltimore, on the 12th of December, 1831.

While these events were transpiring, another party, at first merely local and confined to a small district of the Union, was fast gathering strength, and had now so far extended itself beyond the narrow limits of the spot of its origin, as to assume consequence as a national party, and claimed

the right of being consulted as to the candidates to be placed before the country, in opposition to the candidates of the administration party.

This new party had its origin in the abduction and murder of one William Morgan, a citizen of the State of New York, who was forcibly taken in open day from the jail of Canandaigua, in the month of September, 1826, by a party of fanatic and misguided members of the masonic fraternity, carried to the Niagara frontier, and there murdered for an alleged violation of his masonic obligations. This lawless outrage in a civilised community, having excited great sensibility, efforts were made to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice. To these efforts a systematic opposition was soon discovered to exist, and circumstances speedily transpired to prove, that a strong influence was exerted by masons of high standing to prevent any investigation of the offence.

The Sheriffs of the counties, where the outrage was perpetrated, were members of the Society, and all attempts to inquire into the fate of Morgan were in most places effectually thwarted by their selecting grand juries principally composed of masons, who ignored all bills against any concerned in the abduction. Bills of indictment however were found in Ontario county, (the Sheriff and District Attorney of which, were above this illegal influence,) against some of the principal actors in the conspiracy and a series of judicial investigations were finally commenced in the seve

ral counties through which Morgan had been carried. In the progress of these investigations, it was discovered that many of the principal witnesses of the abduction, were withdrawn from the process of the courts, and that in various instances they successfully eluded all attempts to procure their attendance before the juries engaged in inquiring into the conspiracy. Many of the masons, who were on the grand juries and in official stations, manifested a leaning in favor of the accused and an unwillingness to investigate the truth of the accusation. This extraordinary conduct inflamed rather than quieted the public mind, and the indignation, which was at first directed against those personally concerned in the abduction, was finally turned against the institution of Masonry itself, to which was attributed the original instigation of the crime and the immunity and protection of the perpetrators. A deterinination was now formed by a large portion of the citizens of those counties, through which Morgan had been carried in his passage from Canandaigua jail to Niagara river, fully to investigate all the circumstances connected with his abduction, and to bring the criminals, who seemed to be merely the agents of a powerful and extensive combination, to justice.

Various indictments were accordingly found in the counties alluded to, and certain individuals implicated in the conspiracy were brought to trial, and the judicial proceedings consequent upon these indictments occupied

the public attention in the western portion of the State of New York for several years subsequent to the abduction.

Many who were accused, were acquitted; some after an impartial trial, and others from a refusal on the part of witnesses who were members of the fraternity, to testify, either from an unwillingness to compromit themselves, or to violate their Masonic obligations. Nicholas G. Cheesebro, Edward Sawyer, and Loton Lawson, pleaded guilty; and Eli Bruce, the Sheriff of Niagara at the time of the murder, John Sheldon, and John Whitney were all convicted at different terms of the courts in Ontario county, and were sentenced to imprisonment. Lawson for two years, Eli Bruce for two years and four months, Cheesebro for one year, Whitney for one year and three months, Sheldon for three months and Sawyer for one month.

Convictions were also had of Jesse French, James Hurlburt, and Roswell Wilcox for forcibly arresting David C. Miller, a printer, connected with Morgan in his expositions of the secrets of Masonry. French was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, Wilcox to six months and Hurlburt to three months.

Still however the chief actors in the last scene of this outrage escaped conviction and punishment, and a powerful but secret agency was constantly exerted to protect the criminals. Witnesses, whose evidence was required to prove essential particulars, were removed beyond the reach of the

courts.

Those who were accused as having committed the murder with their own hands, escaped from the State, and a veil of impenetrable darkness was interposed between the investigations of justice, and the ultimate fate of Morgan.

The abortive results of all judicial attempts to throw any light upon this matter; the perfect immunity with which the offenders were enabled to perpetrate one of the most atrocious of crimes; and the aid afforded to the accused by the Masonic fraternity in evading the inquiries of justice, conspired to excite a strong feeling of indignation against the order itself, in counties where these circumstances transpired. The institution of Masonry was denounced as incompatible with the institutions of a republican government, and as aiming to control or counteract the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities. Its oaths and secret ceremonies were said to be immoral and unlawful, and an actual adherence to the principles contained in the obligations of the order was declared to be inconsistent with the paramount duties owing by all citizens to the community, and to be a disqualification for offices of public trust.

In acting up to the principles of this declaration, a political party was at once formed in the western part of the State of New York upon the simple footing of hostility to Masonry.

So much had the public mind been excited by the circumstances connected with the abduction

of Morgan, that all political differences were speedily merged in opposition to ...asonry, and an overwhelming Anti-Masonic majority in those counties soon placed its leaders in power, and enabled them to state its objects and to vindicate its principles in the Legislature of the State. In 1827, the Anti-Masonic party polled 17,000 votes in the local elections. The next year candidates were nominated on their part for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, but they having declined, from an unwillingness to divide the votes of those opposed to the election of General Jackson, candidates were nominated by some, who were not unwilling to produce that result, and they received nearly 34,000 votes.

In 1829 the Anti-Masonic party had swallowed up in most of the western counties all other parties in opposition to the administration, and their candidates received between 60 and 70,000 votes.

Stimulated by this result they again determined to nominate gubernatorial candidates, who, being the only opposition candidates, received at the election of 1830, 120,000 votes.

In the mean time the attention of the citizens of other States was attracted by these proceedings to the institution of Masonry, and a strong feeling of hostility to the order began to manifest itself in the States of Vermont, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Ohio. In Vermont the Anti-Masonic candidates in 1831 obtained a plurality above the other candidates, and in Penn

sylvania the gubernatorial candidate of the Anti-Masons in 1829, received 50,000 votes.

These indications of increasing strength, encouraged the leading Anti-Masons in the United States to hold a national convention for the purpose of organising a general opposition to the order throughout the country.

The first meeting of this convention was held at Philadelphia, on the 11th of September, 1830, and was attended by delegates from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, and Michigan.

Proceedings were there adopted with the view of exposing the dangerous character of the institution to the world, and a national convention was recommended to be held at Baltimore on the 26th September, 1831, for the purpose of nominating candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United States. As this party avowed its determination to put down Masonry at all hazards, and expressed its unwillingness to support any Masons, who still adhered to the institution, its principles and doctrines became the subject of general examination.

The abduction and murder of Morgan, and the protection of his murderers, were imputed by the Anti-Masons to the order as the legitimate consequences of its caths and maxims, and the obligations assumed by its members were denounced as immoral, unlawful, hostile to the spirit of our

institutions and incompatible with the paramount obligations of society.

On the other hand, the friends of the order contended, that the murder of Morgan was the act of a few misguided fanatics, and no more to be imputed to the institution, than the cruelty of the Inquisition was attributable to the establishment of Christianity; that the charges against the order were founded merely upon suspicion which asked no proof, nor waited for confirmation from facts; and that it was unjust to involve in the guilt of a few, all the members of an institut on originating in charity and benevolence, and which ranked among its supporters and friends many of the brightest ornaments of the country, whose names alone afforded conclusive proof of the high and exalted character of Masonry.

The effect of the political organisation of the Anti-Masons was to compel a more strict and intimate union among the adhering members of the fraternity, and to induce them to exercise a more direct influence in the politics of the country, in the hope of crushing a party, whose avowed object was the annihilation of their order.

Another portion of the community, comprehending many of its most enlightened citizens, as

3*

sented to the opinion, that the Masonic institution had become useless, and that from its very organisation it was liable to be perverted to corrupt and dangerous purposes. With their opinion of Masonry, however, they refused to join in what they deemed an undistinguishing and intolerant proscription.

The misdeeds of a few, they could not regard as a good ground for withdrawing their confidence from men whose integrity had been tried, simply because they were members of a society, which had been long tolerated in the country, and which would be more effectually destroyed by a sober and calm appeal to the understanding of the American people, than by any party association, as all such associations are liable to be perverted to the designs of political ambition.

This diversity of opinion as to the character and objects of the Anti-Masonic party had not the effect of dissuading its leaders from presenting their candidates for the Presidency and Vice Presidency of the United States before the public, and the opposition to the re-election of General Jackson seemed destined to be as much thwarted by their own divisions as by the discipline and concert prevailing in the party sustaining his administration.