"May the Supreme Ruler of all | Things continue You long with us in | these perilous Times: may he endow you | with Strength and Wisdom to save our | Country in the threating Storms and | gathering Clouds of Factions and Com | motions! and after you have completed his | Work, on this terrene Spot, may He | bring you to the full Possession of the | glorious Liberty of the Children of God, | is the hearty and most sincere Wish of "Your Excellency's | very humble and | "devoted Servant, "G. W. SNYDER. "Fredericktown, (Maryland) Aug. 22, 1798. "His Excellency General George Washington." =FAC-SIMILE OF FIRST PAGE OF LETTER FROM G. W. SNYDER TO WASHINGTON, AUGUST 22, 1798.= =FAC-SIMILE OF FOURTH PAGE OF LETTER FROM G. W. SNYDER TO WASHINGTON, AUGUST 22, 1798.= =FAC-SIMILE OF PRESS COPY OF WASHINGTON'S ANSWER TO REV. G. W. SNYDER.--SEPTEMBER 25, 1798.= This man Snyder (Schneider) was an agitator and thoroughly irresponsible person, having no ecclesiastical connection with any organized Church Body. In the year 1787, Schneider came from Albany, New York, to Frederick, ostensibly to collect money to build a Church. He was kindly received and permitted to preach in the Reformed Congregation, where he soon fomented discord and trouble. Schneider was soon driven out of Frederick Town, but returned again in 1794, when he renewed the trouble in the Church, which ended in a schism. The matter finally got into the Civil Court, and on February 15, 1800 the case was decided against him, which ended his activity in Frederick Town; soon after which he left for parts unknown.[67] Snyder, who was not a native of this country, evidently labored under the impression that WASHINGTON was a Grand Master General, who presided over all of the English (or Symbolic) Masonic Lodges in the United States. Snyder evidently used the term "English" Lodges, to distinguish them from the Masonic bodies working in the so-called higher (Scotch) degrees, as are now known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. How important WASHINGTON considered this correspondence is shown by his precaution in taking a press copy of both of his letters to Snyder, who he was led to believe was the regular pastor of the German Reformed Congregation at Fredericktown. These are now in the Library of Congress. It will be noted that in all of his other Masonic correspondence, copies were made in his regular letter books by his clerks, of both address and reply. Brother WASHINGTON evidently surmised that this letter from Snyder was nothing more or less than a scheme to entrap him. It was not until a month had elapsed, and then only after due consideration, that the following reply was sent to Fredericktown, viz.: "MOUNT VERNON, 25th Sept. 1798. "_Sir_,