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Washington's Masonic Correspondence: As Found among the Washington Papers in the Library of CongressWashington, George

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Washington's Masonic Correspondence: As Found among the Washington Papers in the Library of Congress

Name: Washington's Masonic Correspondence: As Found among the Washington Papers in the Library of Congress
Author: Washington, George

Washington, George

Freemasons; Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Correspondence; Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Freemasonry

"Many apologies are
     "due to you, for my not acknowledging
     "the receipt of your obliging favour of
                      for
     "the 22d ult, and ^ not thanking you, at
     "an earlier period for the Book you
     "had the goodness to send me.

     "I have heard much of the ne-
     "farious & dangerous plan, & doctrines
     "of the Illuminati, but never saw the
     "Book until you were pleased to send
     "it to me. The same causes which
     "have prevented my acknowledging the
     "receipt of your letter, have prevented
     "my reading the Book, hitherto, name-
     "ly, the multiplicity of matters which
                  me
     "pressed upon before, & the debilitated
     "state in which I was left after a se
     "vere fever had been removed, and
     "which allows me to add little more now,
     "than thanks for your kind wishes and
     "favourable sentiments, except to cor-
     "rect an error you have run into, of my
     "presiding over the English Lodges in
     "this Country. The fact is, I preside over
     "none, nor have I been in one, more than
                                  thirty
     "once or twice, within the last years.

     "I believe notwithstanding, that
     "none of the Lodges in this Country are
     "contaminated with the principles as-
     "cribed to the society of the Illuminati."

        "With respect
          "I am, Sir,
            "Your Obedt Hble Servt

              "Go. Washington"

       "The Revd Mr Snyder.
     Endorsed
     to
     "The Revd Mr. Snyder.
     "25th Sep. 1798."


=FAC-SIMILE OF PRESS COPY OF WASHINGTON'S SECOND LETTER TO REV. G. W.
SNYDER.--OCTOBER 24, 1798.=


In this letter WASHINGTON was correct in stating that he had not
presided over the "English Lodges in this Country," undoubtedly meaning
as Grand Master General.

Where WASHINGTON says "_The fact is I preside over none_," he meant that
he did not then preside over any individual lodge, as he at that time
was a Past Master of Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, of Virginia.[68]

Where he says "_Nor have I been in one_, [meaning an individual lodge]
_more than once or twice within the last thirty years_," he obviously
had in view his occasional visits to the various lodges during that
period, and that he could not, on account of his official duties and
other conditions, attend any lodge regularly.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Washington's Masonic Correspondence: As Found among the Washington Papers in the Library of Congress

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