THE PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.

THE investigation of Masonry, but a few years ago considered a subject too dangerous to be approached—an inquiry not expecting to be satisfied -an impertinent prying into matters which none but the initiated had a right to know, now constitutes, in every section of the United States, a legitimate topic of conversation and scrutiny.

During the last century the power of masonry over the human mind and its destinies has been prodigious. It bowed to no superior; it acknowledged no rival; it claimed every thing, and yielded nothing. It demanded a recognition of its pretensions, homage to its consequence, and implicit belief in all the principles it established or prerogatives it assumed. So long as it obviously transgressed no rules of right, neither invaded law, liberty, nor social justice, there were no suspicions of its moral or political tendency. Then, it made its way, uninterrupted, to the good opinion of the public. Courtesy to certain of its most respectable members secured it celebrity, favor and respect. Its errors were passed over as venial; even its absurd self-recommendations and praise, which, coming from any thing else, would have called down upon it a torrent of merited ridicule and contempt, were permitted to' escape; and under the fostering care of a culpable credulity, it enlarged itself, grew strong, and spread its roots and branches, until it extracted the very nutriment from whatever was within its influence, and became so firmly established that it fancied neither time, effort, power, nor combination could destroy it. But in the midst of its imagined security, it was destined, in this age of changes, reformations, and wonders, to share the common lot of other human contrivances. Now, when the mcral, no less than the physical, order of nature, appears to undergo an invcrsion of its ordinary laws, masonry,— though, like Lucifer, it had securely erected its throne above the stars, and on the sides of the north,-had monopolized all grandeur, sublimity and science-had given laws to the universe-had "defied a world in arms to stop it"-had claimed a heavenly origin, an antiquity coeval with creation, mysteries too sacred to be gazed upon by vulgar eyes, and principles holy as truth enshrined in deity!-masonry had no right to expect an exemption any longer than crime had introduced to it the medium of its dissolution! Indeed, the infallibility of the institution became a subject of claim; and its indications of resentment, when the right to this was doubted, more than proved, that the appropriation of this attribute to its own use, forms a distinct canon of the order. But all pretensions to this claim have been dissipated by one of its own acts. The assumption of ho

liness, had secured it from the impertinence of scrutiny; and its impu nity, arising from its oaths and tylers, had made it presumptuous and confident. It proceeded, in consequence, under the shelter of its arrogated sanctity, and stimulated by its self-delusion, with an infatuation almost frantic, to disregard equally the rights of humanity, of social law, and of the divine precepts. But while it was singing pans to its own sublimity and perfections, its atrocity was discovered! Blood was found upon its hands; and pursuing the investigation, murder was traced to its principles and the penalties of its oaths! The public were startled-they were aroused--they instantly dragged the institution, in despite of its selfpraises; its distinguished members; its boasts of antiquity, and deeds of charity, before the bar of public opinion, and its members before tribunals of justice! Unfortunately for the institution, its intrigues, defeating the claims of justice, rendered the laws powerless. No adequate atonement having been made for the enormity of the guilt, and masonry, among other things, being found a system of subornation, while its members were exulting in their impunity, the institution was charged with being the instigator of the tragedy. Every inquiry into this increased the evidences, and not cnly the crime, but also the condemnation of Cain was soon fixed upon it! Those whom it had awed and defied then began, in turn, to bid it defiance; and now, it cowers before public opinion, and flies from scrutiny as the scourge by which it anticipates being swept from among the institutions of men.

The revelations of masonry, by William Morgan, were not the first which had been made of it. But they were the first, which gave an impulse, strong enough, if used with wisdom, zeal and perseverance, to produce a permanent reaction; and with heat enough to consume the blasphemies of the order. It is not the design, here, to inquire from what motive he was moved to publish his developments. In that act, the hand of an overruling providence appears visible; yet the masonic order has judged him, and has pronounced it to be mercenary. From this judgment, however, we appeal; as the oath-bonds of the institution, in their very construction, preclude the possibility of their being impartial; and, whatever they may have been in time past, masonic assertions have now lost their charm, and have ceased to be believed among intelligent men, or indeed among any who do not volunteer to be duped, without collateral evidence. The ingredients composing a cabal, associated for influence and interest, seems to have heretofore formed a species of incantation strong enough to sway the human mind.; to prevent the mental vision from penetrating the delusion thrown over the fancy and the judgment, or to allow a question of doubt to arise, when boasting philosophy is called to investigate the most flimsy falsehoods! To break this magic spell required something powerful. A resort to argument could not avail; and an appeal to the feelings would be as hopeless, because it would be met with feelings as strong, as excited, under better discipline, and in closer union. Thus

has public opinion long been engrossed by the masonic order. A word spoken against its members or mysteries only aroused the esprit du corps and was sure to call down wrath and vengeance on the hapless individual who uttered it; while its tyler and oaths afforded an insulting impunity 'to its members in the face of facts and outrage!

The attempt of Morgan, therefore, to reveal masonry, cannot be viewed as an ordinary occurrence. It was, evidently, the determination of a mind which had weighed the consequences. Of the dangers incurred by the undertaking, he was fully aware. His life was forfeited by his oaths, in view of their being legal and binding; and his signs constantly admonished him of their dreadful import. His publication of the ceremonies and obligations of the order, whatever may have been the motive, must have been the result of a strong conviction that more good must arise from it, than could accrue to himself in the avails. But even should masonic "charity" give it the worst possible construction,—and when opposed, it is seldom "kind,”-the catastrophe precipitated by its own conspiracies and conduct was alone, on the discovery being made, what produced such powerful retropulsion, and forced into active and prompt organization a party which, as much as any ever formed, was the creation, under heaven, of necessity and circumstance. The inference that a su perior power has controlled human action to produce such important results, is sustained by the fact, that the councils of the order, when consulting and maturing so atrocious an undertaking as the murder of an innocent man, appears to have been characterized by a moral dementation —a diabolism for which neither reason, nor humanity, nor civilization, nor law, nor religion, can afford the most specious apology. Had the leaders of the institution, who were actors in this tragedy, been the low, vulgar, or ignorant, we might reasonably mitigate the severity of our censure, and trace, in the deed, horrible as it was, the effect following the cause. But such was not the fact-the princes among the people, appear to have matured the plot and directed its execution; they followed their own councils, devised evil against their neighbor, and fell into their own snare.

But the revelations of Morgan, and their calamitous result, the murder of the revealer, placed a seal upon their truths which awakened the public mind, and sent forth a trumpet voice to the world that public opinion, long swayed by the institution of masonry, was misled. It afforded, at the same time, a key to the deception. While it pointed out the members of the order, in all the relations of civil and social life, like other men, it also exhibited the institution itself as a tyrant, inexorable and vindictive! The question, therefore, in controversy, was soon narrowed down to a single inference, that the mysteries of the order must be what produced Iesults so paradoxical, as to make men, when under the influence of masonry, act so differently from their ordinary character. The public attention was drawn to their consideration. They were explored-and at the crisis when new light on this all-absorbing topic was sought, highly intelligent

and respectable members of the order came forward to aid in the design. They renounced,-confessed that the mysteries of masonry were blasphemous and wicked, and that its ceremonies were impious, and its oaths unjust. These were followed by hundreds. Many thousands have since been added to the catalogue, and now the only bonds which attach men to the institution, in those places where the question is fully agitated, are fanaticism, vanity, ambition, or interest.

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The first who commenced a public warfare through the medium of the Press, against the institution, was the Rev. John G. Steams, a Baptist clergyman, of Paris. N. Y. The selfish and exclusive spirit of masonry forced him to suspect its moral character-next, the binding nature of its oaths; and finally he was induced to commence writing “an inquiry into the nature and tendency of speculative freemasonry." This work was written and published several weeks before the Morgan abduction, and of course before there was any excitement on the subject. It was also done without knowledge that any other individual meditated an attack upon it. It contained no revelation, but prepared the mind for that which, unknown to him, so speedily followed.

The public attention being greatly excited by an aggregation of pro voking circumstances, connected with the revelations, the supposed mur der, the trials, and numerous daring outrages committed by masons, evidently with the sanction, and obviously under the protection of the insti tution, a thorough investigation of its mysteries became imperative, Much had been done in this way, but more was anxiously sought. The honorary degree of masonry yet remained behind the veil, and engravea illustrations of the signs, grips, and ceremonies were called for. At this crisis, the AUTHOR of this work, who had early seceded, and was known to be well qualified for the undertaking, was solicited to commence it.

The author of this Ritual renounced masonry under the following circumstances. He was on a visit to an encampment in New-York. While there, he was masonically informed, that William Morgan was murdered, and that one of his murderers, had presented himself in that room; had avowed the part he had taken in the transaction as one of his murderers; that he claimed and received their protection; had been screened, provided with funds, and sent, under the protection of another individual, to England.―This information aroused the indignation of Mr. Allyn; who instantly suggested that for the honor of masonry, the facts should be disclosed. This honorable motion was indignantly resented, and Mr. A., fearless of the consequences, made affidavit of the fact-but the vindictive fraternity, as they loved by rule, so he soon found they could hate by rule with equal facility! This drove him to examine the masonic principles for he had not designed to withdraw from the order. An examination was followed by a conviction of its iniquity, and he soon renounced. He stood among the highest masons in the United States, had taken all the important regular and honorary degrees, and had committed to memory

and made himself familiar with their ceremonies, oaths, signs, grips, words, &c. To Mr. Allyn, therefore, was assigned the task of preparing a complete Ritual of the masonic mysteries, as the best qualified of any who stood in the ranks of the seceders. He has completed his labor, giving the utmost satisfaction to all parties. Even the masonic fraternity have never pretended, in one instance, to deny its accuracy. The advantages it presents, in its developments, have given universal confidence, and as a standard work, embodying all that is essential to be known, it is unrivalled. He had spent many months in delivering lectures, before crowded audiences, in New-York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and in Philadelphia. In the course of these lectures he made powerful demonstrations in the masonic corps. Thousands, in consequence, withdrew from the order, and seceded. But its untiring vengeance pursued his steps in all places. He was insulted, mobbed, sued, imprisoned, abused and libelled! The house in which he lectured was more than once torn down; and often the windows and doors were broken and battered with stones and other missiles, while he sought, in vain, the protection of that law which he had not violated! But in all this, he moved forward, undaunted, in the path of duty; and he continues to operate in every way in which he can most effectually subserve the cause. With a modest deportment, an unstained honor, a veracity unquestioned, a resolution unshaken, a reputation unblemished, he continues to press against the common enemy. Firm, in the midst of dangers, and frank in the midst of treachery, he presents his publications to the patronage of the anti-masonic public, claiming that support through this medium, of spreading light into the dark mysteries of masonry, which, at this crisis of our affairs, could not be expected from his lectures.

As said before, the revelations of this volume have been made by a practical man. The engraved illustrations were drawn from life, and are perfectly accurate. The sketch of Orangeism has been obtained from a man who was long the master of an orange lodge in Ireland, and has since been convinced of its affinity to masonry in every malign tendency. Since it was prepared for the press, another gentleman has revealed the same with some additional information, without knowing that any revelation had been placed in our possession, thus confirming every particular. They are, both of them, men of education and highly respectable professions and standing in society. These developments must greatly enhance the value, as they will give additional interest to the work.

Orangeism is principally confined to Ireland, where it originated. It has lately been altered, changed, and adapted to the present condition of society there. It was contrived by a clandestine mason, and, like it, at first began to climb the ladder of antiquity and sublimity. But it has been reduced to two degrees, ORANGEMAN, and PURPLE. The candidate was formerly sworn, everywhere;-he is so now, in America; but in Ire. land he is only bound by promise; and, in his initiation, is neither stripped