"If my endeavours to "avert the evil, with which "this Country was threatned, by "a deliberate plan of Tyranny, "should be crowned with the "success that is wished--the "praise is due to the _Grand "Architect_ of the Universe; who see fit to "who did not ^ suffer his superstruc "tures & justice, to be subjected ambition of the Princes of this world--or "to the ^ rod of oppression, in the "hands of any power upon Earth. "For your affectionate "vows, permit me to be grateful; "and offer mine for true Brothers "in all parts of the world; and "to assure you of the sincerity "with which I am, "Yrs. "Go. Washington" Endorsed to "Messrs. Watson & "Cosson--Nantes "10th Augt 1782." =FAC-SIMILE OF THE ORIGINAL DRAFT OF WASHINGTON'S LETTER TO WATSON AND CASSOUL, NEW YORK, AUGUST 10, 1782.= A photographic fac-simile of the letter now in New York, and a photostat of the original copy retained by WASHINGTON are in the collection of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The firm of Watson and Cassoul of Nantes, France, acted as confidential agents of the American Government during the Revolutionary period, as is shown by their correspondence with Benjamin Franklin in the Franklin Mss. collection of the American Philosophical Society.[19] Elkanah Watson was also a bearer of despatches to Dr. Franklin. Footnotes: [13] "Men and Times of the Revolution, or Memoirs of Elkanah Watson," New York, 1856, pp. 135, 136. [14] Cf. "Proceedings Grand Lodge of New York," 1867, p. 28. [15] "Memoirs of Elkanah Watson," p. 135. [16] Cf. "Itinerary of General WASHINGTON from June 15, 1775, to December 23, 1783," by William S. Baker, Philadelphia, 1892, p. 271. [17] It will be noted that on both the draft and letter, WASHINGTON spells the name Cassoul--"Cosson." [18] Catalogue of Antiquities and Curios, Grand Lodge F. & A. M., New York, Class J, No. 1, New York, 1905. [19] Cf. "Calendar of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin in the Library of the American Philosophical Society," edited by I. Minis Hays, Volume V, p. 312. II CORRESPONDENCE WITH ALEXANDRIA LODGE, NO. 39, VIRGINIA, DECEMBER, 1783. The next Masonic Letter of Brother WASHINGTON of which we have any knowledge is the one written in answer to a letter sent him, upon his return to civil life by the Brethren of Lodge No. 39, on the register of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, which met at Alexandria, Virginia. December 23, 1783, General WASHINGTON presented himself to "The United States in Congress Assembled," at Annapolis, Maryland, and resigned his Commission that he had received on June 17, 1775, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States.