be banished forever from the scenes of intellec tual enjoyment, and the presence of his God!

I shall now, my young countrymen, take my leave of you, perhaps for ever: And certain it is, that I can never again address you on subjects of more importance to your happiness, both here and hereafter, than those which this work embraces. Come what will of me: whether I am destined to fall by the hand of some vulgar and midnight assassin, as has been threatened ;* or to die on the bed of peace, surrounded by dear connexions and valued friends--I thank my God, in the utmost sincerity of my soul, that he has spared me to draw this portrait of a corrupt and degenerate ORDER--an ORDER-(if there can for a moment be such a thing as an Order in a republican government)-whose schemes are as dark as those of the disciples of Loyola, and whose discipline is as despotic and dangerous as that of the Inquisition: And solemnly to warn you, who must at no distant day become the props of your country's existence, the defenders of her soil, the vindicators of her rights, the authors and conservators of her laws, and the proud pillars of her glory; to beware, as you would of the most deadly poison, of coming within the pale of its licentious mysteries, its unhallowed orgies, and its blasphemous rites. Too long, by far too long, has it already polluted the sacred soil of liberty: too long already has it darkly controuled the ballot of the unsuspecting freeman, and paralyzed the right of electiont-too long has it stained the purity of the ermine, and defiled the sanctity of the altartoo long has it corrupted legislation and perver

* See Appendix, Note 20.

↑ See Appendix, Note 21.

ted justice-too long has it made the Jury Box the sink of partiality and favoritism; and the stand of the witness the source of perjury, and the protection of fraud and villany-too long has it been permitted to redeem felons from the State Prison, before they had half expiated their crimes; and to rob the gallows and the gibbet of their honest dues:-MORALITY, PATRIOTISM, LIBERTY and RELIGION; the holy laws it has violated, and the domestic, civil and political ties it has severed; the promising young men it has lured to destruction, and the heart broken parents, whose grey hairs it has brought with sorrow to the grave; the husbands it has alienated from their wives, and the wives it has robbed of the society and protection of their husbands; the widows and the orphans it has plunged into misery, and the blood of the martyrs it has slain; ALL CRY ALOUD, in ONE UNITED VOICE, TO THE GOD OF ETERNAL JUSTICE, FOR ITS TOTAL EXTIRPATION FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!

ALBANY, Dec. 8th, 1827,

APPENDIX.

NOTE I.

The spirit of Job was in a right tune, when he said-Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil. Job ii. 10.

And so of the Psalmist, when he said-It is good for me, that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes; the law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Ps. cxix. 71, 72.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I have kept thy word. Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Ps. 67, 75.

Blessed is the man, whom thou chasteneth, O Lord; and teacheth him out of thy law. Ps. xccv. 12.

Prosperity, says LORD BACON, is the blessing of the Old Testament adversity is the blessing of the New, which carrieth the greater benediction, and the clearer revelation of God's favor: yet even in the Old Testament, if you listen to David's harp, you shall hear as many hearse-like airs as carols; and the pencil of the Holy Ghost hath laboured more in describing the afflictions of Job, than the felicities of Solomon,

NOTE II.

The following Proclamation, was issued by the Governor, agreeably to its date, for the discovery of the truth in Morgan's case :PROCLAMATION,-By De Witt Clinton, Governor of the State of N. York. Whereas the measures adopted for the discovery of WILLIAM MOR GAN, after his unlawful abduction from Canandaigua in September last, have not been attended with success; and whereas many of the good citizens of this State are under an impression, from the lapse of time and other circumstances, that he has been murdered; Now therefore, to the end that, if he be living, he may be restored to his family, and, if murdered, that the perpetrators may be brought to condign punish ment; I have thought fit to issue this proclamation, promising a reward of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS for the discovery of the said William Morgan, if alive and, if murdered, a reward of TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS for the discovery of the offender or offenders, to be paid on conviction and on the certificate of the Attorney General, or officer prosecuting on the part of the State, that the person or persons claiming the said last mentioned reward is or are justly entitled to the same under this proclamation. And I further promise a free pardon, so far as I am authorised under the constitution of this State, to any accomplice or co-operator who shall make a full discovery of the offender or offen

ders. And I do enjoin it upon all officers and ministers of justice, and all other persons, to be vigilant and active in bringing to justice the perpetrators of a crime so abhorrent to humanity, and so derogatory from the ascendency of law and good order.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and the Privy Seaf [s] at the city of Albany, this 19th day of March, Anno Domini 1827. DE WITT CLINTON.

Previous to issuing the preceding Proclamation, the Governor had issued two others, one dated on the 7th of October, 1826; and the other on the 26th day of the same month; predicated, not on the presumption that Morgan had been murdered; but that he had been unlawfully seized and conveyed away; which Proclamations were issued in consequence of a communication, either in the same, or similar language, to the one which follows, and from the same source-I copy it from Col. Miller's Republican Advocate, published at Batavia—a paper which deserves the patronage of every honest man in the United States:

TO THE PUBLIC.-On the 11th of September, William Morgan, a native of Virginia, who had for about three years past resided in this village, was, under pretext of a Justice's Warrant, hurried from his home and family, and carried to Canandaigua. The same night he was examined, on a charge of Petit Larceny, and discharged by the justice. One of the persons who took him away, immediately obtained a warrant against him, in a civil suit; for an alleged debt of two dollars on which he was committed to the Jail of Ontario county. On the night of the 12th September, he was released by a person pretending to be his friend, but directly in front of the jail. notwithstanding his cries of Murder, he was gagged and secured, and put into a carriage, and after travelling all night, he was left (as the driver of the carriage says) at Hanford's Landing, about sunrise on the 13th, since which he has not been heard of. His distressed wife and two infant children, are left dependant on Charity for their sustenance. The circumstances of the transaction have given rise to the most violent fears that he has been murdered. It is however hoped by his wife and friends, that he may be now kept concealed and imprisoned in Canada. All persons who are willing to serve the cause of humanity, and assist to remove the distressing apprehensions of his unfortunate wife, are earnestly requested to communicate to one of the Committee named be-. low, directed to this place, any facts or circumstances which have come to their knowledge, and are calculated to lead to the discovery of his present situation, or the particulars of his fate, if he has been murdered-Batavia, October 4, 1826.

Committee.-T. F. Talbot, D. E. Evans, T Cary, Wm. Keyes, Wm. Davis, John Lay, T. Fitch, L. D. Prindle, E. Southworth, J. P. Smith. A short time after the preceding appeal to the public, meetings of the people were held in the several counties of Genesee, Ontario Mon. roe and Niagara, as stated in my letter to Messrs. Gales and Seaton; at which committees were appointed, who went, as I have stated in that letter, into as thorough an investigation, as possible; and their Report is perfectly conclusive, as to the fact of Morgan's abduction and murder, by the masonic agents of the masonic fraternity, in conformity to Masonic Law, in such cases. The following is the closing Paragraph of their Narrative, with their signatures affixed-and also the Postscript to the said Narrative:

REMARKS.-We now have laid before our fellow citizens the detail, or report, which has been so often called for. If it has not been as inter