Читать книгу Washington's Masonic Correspondence - George Washington, Moncure Daniel Conway - Страница 4

THE earliest letter of General George Washington of Masonic Import known is the one written while in camp at Newburgh in New York, dated State of New York, August 10, 1782, to the firm of Watson and Cassoul in Nantes, France, in which his friend, Brother Elkanah Watson was the chief partner, thanking the firm for the Masonic Apron and ornaments sent him from Nantes, France.

This apron is now in the possession of the Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22, at Alexandria, Virginia.

Elkanah Watson in his Memoirs states:13

"Wishing to pay some mark of respect to our beloved Washington, I employed, in conjunction with my friend M. Cossoul, nuns in one of the convents at Nantes to prepare some elegant Masonic ornaments, and gave them a plan for combining the American and French Flags on the apron designed for this use. They were executed in a superior and expensive style. We transmitted them to America, accompanied by an appropriate address."

By the above extract is shown beyond all doubt the error in the statement so repeatedly made, that the apron at Alexandria is the one made by the Marquise de Lafayette, and presented to Washington by General Lafayette, during his visit to Mount Vernon in 1784, and the one in the Museum of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, that of Watson and Cassoul.14

Following letter was sent to Washington, together with the Masonic Apron and "Ornaments," by Messrs. Watson and Cassoul, from France under date "east of Nantes," 23d 1st Month, 5782.15

"To his Excellency, General Washington, America.

"Most Illustrious and Respected Brother:

"In the moment when all Europe admire and feel the effects of your glorious efforts in support of American liberty, we hasten to offer for your acceptance a small pledge of our homage. Zealous lovers of liberty and its institutions, we have experienced the most refined joy in seeing our chief and brother stand forth in its defence, and in defence of a newborn nation of Republicans.

"Your glorious career will not be confined to the protection of American liberty, but its ultimate effect will extend to the whole human family, since Providence has evidently selected you as an instrument in his hands, to fulfill his eternal decrees.

"It is to you, therefore, the glorious orb of America, we presume to offer Masonic ornaments, as an emblem of your virtues. May the Grand Architect of the Universe be the Guardian of your precious days, for the glory of the Western Hemisphere and the entire universe. Such are the vows of those who have the favor to be by all the known numbers."

"Your affectionate brothers,

"Watson & Cassoul."

"East of Nantes, 23^d 1st Month, 5782."

Owing to the uncertain intercourse between the two countries, it was almost seven months before Brother Washington received the Masonic apron, ornaments and letter from France. He at that time was in camp with the army at Newburg on the Hudson.16

In reply Washington sent the following autograph letter to the donors in Nantes, viz.:

"State of New York

"Aug^t 10^th 1782

"Gent^n.

"The Masonick Ornam^ts

"which accompanied your Bro-

"therly Address of the 23^d of

"Jan^y last, tho' elegant in

"themselves, were rendered

"more valuable by the flattering

"sentiments, and affectionate

"manner, in which they were

"presented.—

"If my endeavours to

"avert the evil, with which this

"Country was threatned by a

"deliberate plan of Tyranny,

"should be crowned with the suc

"cess that is wished—The praise

"is due to the Grand Architect

"of the Universe; who did not see

"fit to suffer his superstructures

"and justice, to be subjected to the

"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

Y^rs

"Mess^rs

"Watson & Cosson17

"East of Nantes"

WASHINGTON'S HEADQUARTERS

NEWBURGH-ON-THE-HUDSON WHERE THE WATSON AND CASSOUL LETTER WAS WRITTEN, AUGUST, 1782.

This autograph letter from Washington to Messrs. Watson and Cassoul is now in the possession of the Grand Lodge of New York, who purchased it from a member of the Watson family in the year 1866 or 1867 at a cost of approximately $1,000, and is now framed and secured between two sheets of glass in the collection of the Committee of Antiquities of the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of New York.18

It is written upon two pages of an ordinary letter sheet, and was a copy of one written by Washington, with which he was not entirely satisfied, as shown by the changes made in the text before it was sent to France. The first copy Washington retained, and is now in the Library of Congress, and is here given for comparison, viz:

Fac-simile of the Original Draft of Washington's Letter to Watson and Cassoul, New York, August 10, 1782.

"State of New York,

"Aug^t 10^th 1782

"Gentⁿ.,

"The Masonick Orna-

"ments which accompanied your

"Brotherly Address of the 23d.

"of the first month, tho' elegant

"in themselves, were rendered

"more valuable by the flattering

"sentiments, and affectionate

"manner, in which they were

"offered.—

"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,

Y^rs.

Endorsed

to

"Mess^rs. Watson &

"Cosson—Nantes

"10^th Aug^t 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.