Why We Have Anti-Masonic Conventions In America.

AA'as opposed lo the Avar with England in 1812 , and South Carolina Avas for it . When Massachusetts Avas for free trade , South Carolina was for protection ; ancl when Massachusetts became converted to protection , South Carolina became a free trade State Indeed , it is not improbable that South Carolina Avould long since haA'e abolished slavery if Massachusetts had defended the slave institution . NOAV , as Massachusetts made anti-masonry a party measure , South Carolina treated anti-masonry AA'ith

contempt . Tbe result Avas , that Avben our Northern Whigs found that the Northern Masons Aveut over to the Democratic party , and that the few Southern Whigs would bave nothing to do Avith anti-masonry—in short , Avhen tbey became satisfied that antimasonry could not cross " Mason and Dixon line , " the Whigs withdrew from antimasonry , and then the anti-masonic fire began to fade and die out even in the Church : Masons once more began to breathethey once more ventured to wear Masonic ins in

, p their shirt fronts ; tbe late Bro . C . W . Moore , of Boston , even sued an anti-mason for a libel , and won the suit ; the anti-masonic party was virtually broken up ; but antimasonic hatred still lingered for some years . It Avas not , I believe , before 1840 that a Masonic initiation took place in Boston , and it was not before 1843 that Masons

ventured to turn out nere m a public procession . Tbe Masonic unpopularity induced some Masons to import Oddfellowsbip from England . The new importation Avas remodelled : degrees were added ( Masonic fashion ) . As Masons haA'e Encampments for batching Masonic chivalry , so have Oddfellows Encampments for hatching chivalry . The IAA ' chivalries look so much alike that I myself mistook the Oddfellow chivalry for Masonic chivalry . The Masonic K . T . ' s pretend that tbey will use their SAVOI-CIS in fighting against infidelsbut Avbom the

, OddfelloAv K . T . ' s mean to fight I never could learn . But any IIOAV , Oddfellows are not quite as foolish as Masons , for the former have only seven degrees all in all , Avhile it Avould puzzle a Philadelp hia la \ A'yer to tell how many degrees Masons have ; but thus much I can say , upon the authority of a Canadian Avriter , that in Canada West Masons Avork no less than two hundred and sixty degrees .

While South Carolina checked tbe spread of anti-masonry . Oddfellowsbip aided Masonry in recovering its popularity . Oddfellows made no especial reli gious display in their public processions , hence they excited less prejudice among the pious and impious , and hence those AVIIO Avere biassed against Masonry did not scruple to join the Oddfellows ; girls AVIIO discarded Masonic lovers coidd see no reason ivby they should decline Oddfellow loA'ers ; and AA'hen once Oddfellows acquired a taste for mysteriesthey Avere tempted to pry also into Masonic mysteries . Thus anti-masonic

, prejudices began to decline , and Masonic popularity was finally revived . But nevertheless , anti-masonic bomb-shells continued to be fired here and there from the true blue orthodox pulp its ( Catholic as well as Protestant ) , and even Messrs . Moody and Sankey denounced Freemasons as an ungodly set of infidels .

The present anti-masonic agitation is mainly due to political ambition . Most every American would like to be President of the United States . Nor is this surprising , Lincoln was onee a rail-splitter , Johnson was a tailor , Grant Avas a tanner , yet tbey were Presidents of the United States ; and Ave IIOAV read in our daily papers how Gen . Grant is honoured by crowned heads , and IIOAV he is lionized by tho people everywhere , hence the aspiration for that office among Americans is intense . NOAV , iu Illinois , or in

Ohio , there lives a Calvinist , Bev . Mr . J . Blanchard , AVIIO also wants to be President . But in order to become President he Avould first have to be nominated by a political party in a public convention , and , knoAving that the existing political parties would not nominate him , like other President-mongers of his kidney , Mr . Blanchard had to get up a neAV party . Each party must , however , have a country-saving hobby of its OAVII , and as our BeA'erend lacked ingenuity to invent a new hobbyancl as he depends upon

, true blue orthodoxies for bis success , so he , therefore , thought that the old anti-masonic hobby Avould be sufficient , for them as a country-saving hobby . Party leaders as a ride are by no means sure of getting tbe Presidency : this , hoAvever , does not prevent them from trying for it , for sometimes two or more would-be Presidents unite or sell out on the eve of election , Avhich ma } ' , any how , be the means of securing them some office .