An "Anti-Secrets" Convention.

AN " ANTI-SECRETS" CONVENTION .

MINNESOTA is a far off country , and St . Charles , to us at all events , is an unknown city . It may be xve are exhibiting a most unpardonable ignorance in making this statement , aud that St . Charles is quite a New Yorkcum-Philadelphia , Chicago , Boston , and half-a-dozen other

United States Cities rolled into one . Still we confess to never having heard of its existence before , and therefore a journal which contains news of what is going on in its precincts is almost as interesting as the journal of an exploration of Central Africa by Stanley , Cameron , or some other

wellknown and vetei-an traveller . We labour under one very serious disadvantage in perusing the intelligence which has reached us from this remote part . Wo have little or nothing to guide us in forming an estimate of tho people ' s character and we shall feel grateful to any of our American friends

¦ who will vouchsafe us the blessing of a little enlightenment , on this material point . Are the worthy citizens of St . Charles ordinary mortals like the rest of humankind , or have thoy unnaturally elongated ears , with an asinine propensity to be pig-headed—our readers must kindly excuse the lajmis

calami—and obtuse when they should be docile and intelligent ? Are they distinguished in an especial degree by their sanity , or have they maniacal tendencies of any kind ,

and particularly on the score of religion ? The smallest modicum of information on these points will bo gratefully received . Until , however , we obtain this information , wc must content ourselves with the ono alternative course

which is open to us . We must form our own conclusions on the matter , and , with every desire to spare the feelings of the citizens of St . Charles , Minnesota , the opinion we have formed of them is most unfavourable . We cannot conceive of them as possessing any of that bright

intelligence and sound common sense by which a very large proportion of their fellow-citizens of tho United States arc distinguished . On the contrary , we should imagine the Goddess Luna must have presided at their birth , and has ever since exercised an overpowering influence over their

faculties . Only in this way can we account for the absurdity of which some among them , and from the neighbourhood , were guilty in the month of December , when a convention was hold in St . Charles for four consecutive days , for the

purpose of denouncing Freemasonry , its principles and upholders . We have heard of the extreme folly exhibited by certain people who are in the habit of kicking against the pricks—or "bricks , " as we once heard an elegant extract of a Civil servant decribe it . And is it not

chronicled in the pages of the immortal Cervantes what befel his hero , the chilvalrous Don Quixote , when he tilted at the windmills ? We know there are people who aro at as great pains to betray their folly as others are to conceal it , and we suppose there always will bo such , as long as the

world lasts ; but the spectacle is far from being an agreeable one , and for ourselves we would rather keep them in that state of obscurity for which by nature they are intended , if only they would have the kindness to let us do

so . Many , however , among them are prone to take unto themselves the role of important public characters , and an impartial consideration of their claims to figure in such a capacity becomes inevitable .

But to return to our sheep—a class of animal which has little or no brain power—we mean these citizens of St . Charles who held an " Anti-Secrets " Convention in tbe month of December last . Onr information is derived from the

St . Paul Dispatch of Gth January last . The title at first alarmed us not a little . It ran thus : —

"THE ANTI . SECRETS . OlTlCI . U , l-ltOC'E-DI . VfiS or THE ST . CHARLES CONVENTIOX . Organised Opposition to Secret Societies . " However , a sense of relief overcame us as we read the article . AVe began with something akin to mortal terror

at the fete that was in store for Freemasonry . Wo completed its perusal with mingled feelings of pity and contempt that people should be guilty of an act of such supreme folly , and then expect others to listen patiently to an account of it . The narrative takes the form of

minutes of the proceedings . We are told that on the 11 th December , great encouragement was experienced by the appearance of so many earnest Christian workers , some teams composed of "men of more than ordinary courage , " having - come in open conveyances from thirty to fifty miles . " The

hall whero the meeting was held was soou crowded , and the meeting having been called to order , Bro . E . Paine A . M . (? Asinorum Magister ) was elected chairman , and Rev . WFonton Secretary . Bro . Hardie then " made" the opening prayer . A hymn was sung , and the necessary committees were

appointed . Even thus early , however , a hitch in tlie proceedings occurred . Past Master E . Ronayne failed to arrive iu time , and tho meeting foil back on the Rev . J . P . Stoddard , who " gave a powerful and convincing lecture on the antagonism of sworn secrecy and Freemasonry to

domestic relations . " As early as !) a . m . tho next morning , a " prayer meeting , led by the chairman , was held . " "Prayers were fervent , and the Lord seemed near . " Then after the transaction of some immaterial business , the Rev . Mr . Stoddard lectured ou " Masonic Satellites , " and " the

thoroughly , despotic , aud world-wide grasp of _ rcemasonry was exhibited in the most forcible and convincing logic . " By the time appointed for the afternoon session , it seems , Past Master E . Ronayne had contrived to reach the place of meeting , so , after more prayer and some short addresses ,

just to pass away the time , that distinguished personage proceeded to discuss the question , " aro Masonic obligations binding ? " and having resolved it in his own fashion , he in the evening Avorked the first degree of Freemasonry . To this , wc aro told , "the attention of the audience was

profound and respectful , while the base and wicked character of Freemasonry was overwhelmingly exposed . " The day following ( the 1 _ th ) , prayer meeting and a report on Constitution aud Bye-Laws of tho Organization , after which four resolutions were passed . In the first , Freemasonry

was denounced as a " revival of the secret worship of the old Baal or sun GJod of Egypt and Samaria ( the Hiram AbitV of the Lodge being simply the Heregod of the Mysteries ) . " The second wo do not understand , for if it has any meaning whatever , it must be

taken as complimentary to those who associate with Freemasons . The third expresses heartfelt thanks at " the establishment of schools for Christian culture , which bear a faithful testimony against the Lodge system . " The fourth aud last is denunciatory of the sale and use of

intoxicating liquors , and especially of " the rum traffic , ' which " finds its strongest ally iu the Lodge , through its influence in our courts and upon public sentiment . " Later in the day " Ronayne " worked and explained the

second degree , and " Stoddard " gave another lecture . On Saturday , the 14 th , no meeting was held till the evening , " as all wished to have a little rest before the great and final tragedy , " Under these circumstances it is not sur-