Information on George Washington
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 141 – February 20, 2009
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Dear Masonic Student,
Due to numerous requests for information and talks about our Worshipful Brother George Washington, this issue of T.F.S. is being sent early in the hope that some of it will be of use to Masons in their efforts to provide talks and information for Washington’s Birthday events.
The following is an undated letter from Brother Washington to an unknown friend: This was sent to me by Worshipful Brother Ken Roberts.
"Dear Friend,
My first desire to become a Mason was due to the fact that many of Virginia's noblest sons were Members of the Fraternity.
Therefore, it was not without forethought, that on Saturday evening, November 4, 1752, in the village of Fredericksburg, I was made an Entered Apprentice Mason. The Masonic lessons I learned on my admission to Masonry and my contact and conversations with prominent Masons thereafter were of greatest encouragement in after years when I encountered and underwent severe trials, especially those at the commencement of the Revolution.
It was at this time that friendly council reached my ears to the effect that some of the men regarded me as a slave owner and an aristocrat and that they abhorred my Episcopacy. I declared at once to dispel such thoughts from my comrades' minds, and, on one occasion, sat in a Masonic Lodge at Cambridge of which an Orderly Sergeant was Master. I made it a point to meet upon the level and part upon the square, with all my comrades, regardless
of rank or position, and my reward was the loyalty and friendship of all, far beyond my expectations.
There is no doubt in my mind that Masonry and its lessons were helpful throughout the Revolution, both upon the Battlefield and in the Legislative Assembly.
G. Washington."
The Saint John’s Bible and G. Washington & B. Franklin
By Ed Halpaus, MPS (life)
Every four years, when a new U.S. President is sworn into office, Masons speak of the Bible from St. John’s Lodge in New York City; the Bible Brother Washington used when he took the oath of office as President of the United States of America. Brother Alan Boudreau. In his paper “George Washington and New York City,” gives us some interesting information about that Bible and Washington’s inaugural ceremony.
The “Presidential Bible” was presented to St. John’s Lodge by Jonathan Hampton in 1770; it is a King James Bible complete with the apocrypha. The Bible was held by M.W. Brother Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of New York State, and Grand Master of Masons in New York when he administered the oath of office.
Brother Washington placed his right hand on the open Holy Bible, at the conclusion of the oath Washington bent forward as he spoke saying “I solemnly swear,” and kissed the Bible. The Chancellor replied “it is done,” and proclaimed to the gathered audience “Long live George Washington, President of the United States.”
In the history of the U.S, and world there have been many who tirelessly worked together towards the goal of liberty and freedom. They may not have all had a real affection for each other, but many if not most of them did: Two who did truly like each other were W. Brother Washington and M.W. Brother Benjamin Franklin.
It has always been a tradition in Masonic Lodges in the U.S. to commemorate Washington’s birth-date, at a communication near the 22nd of February, with some traditional food and some information about our Brother and first President of the United States. There has been quite a bit written about Brother Washington, and I would say that it might be possible to have a library composed of only books and articles about him. I read once that more has been written about him than any other single American.
Rather than write something new about him here, (as if one could,) I would like to share something with you that I have in a rare book. These are letters from Brother Benjamin Franklin to Brother George Washington and Brother Washington’s letter in return to Brother Franklin.
These letters demonstrate the affection these two Masons had for each other, as well as the patriotism both had for their country. The United States owes a lot to these two men, and as Masons we can all be proud of all they did for freedom.
To: George Washington from Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia, 16 September, 1789.
“Dear Sir;
My malady renders my sitting up to write rather painful to me; but I cannot let my son-in-law, Mr. Bache, part for New York, without congratulating you by him on the recovery of your health, so precious to us all, and on the growing strength of our new government under your administration. For my own personal ease, I should have died two years ago; though those years have been spent in excruciating pain, I am pleased that I have lived them, since they have brought me to see our present situation. I am now finishing my eighty-fourth year, and probably with it my career in this life; but in whatever state of existence I am placed in hereafter, if I retain any memory of what has passed here, I shall with it retain the esteem, respect, and affection, with which I have long been, my dear friend, yours most sincerely.
B. Franklin.”
From George Washington: To Benjamin Franklin. New York, 23 September, 1789.
“Dear Sir,
The affectionate congratulations on the recovery of my health, and the warm expressions of personal friendship, which were contained in your letter of the16th instant, claim my gratitude. And the consideration, that it was written when you were afflicted with a painful malady, greatly increases my obligation for it.
Would to God, my dear Sir, that I could congratulate you upon the removal of that excruciating pain, under which you labor, and that your existence might close with as much ease to yourself, as its continuance has been beneficial to our country and useful to mankind; or, if the united wishes of a free people, joined with the earnest prayers of every friend to science and humanity, could relieve the body from pains or infirmities, that you could claim an exemption on this score. But this cannot be, and you have within yourself the only resource to which we can confidently apply for relief, a philosophic mind.
If to be venerated for benevolence, if to be admired for talents, if to be esteemed for patriotism, if to be beloved for philanthropy, can gratify the human mind, you must have the pleasing consolation to know, that you have not lived in vain. And I flatter myself that it will not be ranked among the least grateful occurrences of your life to be assured, that, so long as I retain my memory, you will be recollected with respect, veneration, and affection by your sincere friend,
George Washington.”
Finally, an English Freemason, Samuel Lightfoote, in “Brother Lightfoote’s Journal” on July 4, 1781, wrote about fighting for freedom; he cited the war of 1187 where Saladin defeated King Guy, he wrote: “This decisive battle led, ultimately, to the return of the Holy Land to the people who lived there.” [Referring to the date of his paper] “The Fourth of July is also, as every schoolboy knows, the date upon which the rebellious American colonists declared themselves independent of the British Motherland. One must be careful saying it these days, but I rather admire Brother Washington’s initiative in securing the government of that great country for its citizens. Nobody likes being ruled by outsiders, as both the Arab and the American have proved.”
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 02/16/09 is: “What are a few of the connecting links of Eastern Free Masonry -which lie deeply imbedded in the Chinese Culture and Moralisms - which seem to have parallel in Western Masonry?
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 141 – February 20, 2009
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
Dear Masonic Student,
Due to numerous requests for information and talks about our Worshipful Brother George Washington, this issue of T.F.S. is being sent early in the hope that some of it will be of use to Masons in their efforts to provide talks and information for Washington’s Birthday events.
The following is an undated letter from Brother Washington to an unknown friend: This was sent to me by Worshipful Brother Ken Roberts.
"Dear Friend,
My first desire to become a Mason was due to the fact that many of Virginia's noblest sons were Members of the Fraternity.
Therefore, it was not without forethought, that on Saturday evening, November 4, 1752, in the village of Fredericksburg, I was made an Entered Apprentice Mason. The Masonic lessons I learned on my admission to Masonry and my contact and conversations with prominent Masons thereafter were of greatest encouragement in after years when I encountered and underwent severe trials, especially those at the commencement of the Revolution.
It was at this time that friendly council reached my ears to the effect that some of the men regarded me as a slave owner and an aristocrat and that they abhorred my Episcopacy. I declared at once to dispel such thoughts from my comrades' minds, and, on one occasion, sat in a Masonic Lodge at Cambridge of which an Orderly Sergeant was Master. I made it a point to meet upon the level and part upon the square, with all my comrades, regardless
of rank or position, and my reward was the loyalty and friendship of all, far beyond my expectations.
There is no doubt in my mind that Masonry and its lessons were helpful throughout the Revolution, both upon the Battlefield and in the Legislative Assembly.
G. Washington."
The Saint John’s Bible and G. Washington & B. Franklin
By Ed Halpaus, MPS (life)
Every four years, when a new U.S. President is sworn into office, Masons speak of the Bible from St. John’s Lodge in New York City; the Bible Brother Washington used when he took the oath of office as President of the United States of America. Brother Alan Boudreau. In his paper “George Washington and New York City,” gives us some interesting information about that Bible and Washington’s inaugural ceremony.
The “Presidential Bible” was presented to St. John’s Lodge by Jonathan Hampton in 1770; it is a King James Bible complete with the apocrypha. The Bible was held by M.W. Brother Robert R. Livingston, Chancellor of New York State, and Grand Master of Masons in New York when he administered the oath of office.
Brother Washington placed his right hand on the open Holy Bible, at the conclusion of the oath Washington bent forward as he spoke saying “I solemnly swear,” and kissed the Bible. The Chancellor replied “it is done,” and proclaimed to the gathered audience “Long live George Washington, President of the United States.”
In the history of the U.S, and world there have been many who tirelessly worked together towards the goal of liberty and freedom. They may not have all had a real affection for each other, but many if not most of them did: Two who did truly like each other were W. Brother Washington and M.W. Brother Benjamin Franklin.
It has always been a tradition in Masonic Lodges in the U.S. to commemorate Washington’s birth-date, at a communication near the 22nd of February, with some traditional food and some information about our Brother and first President of the United States. There has been quite a bit written about Brother Washington, and I would say that it might be possible to have a library composed of only books and articles about him. I read once that more has been written about him than any other single American.
Rather than write something new about him here, (as if one could,) I would like to share something with you that I have in a rare book. These are letters from Brother Benjamin Franklin to Brother George Washington and Brother Washington’s letter in return to Brother Franklin.
These letters demonstrate the affection these two Masons had for each other, as well as the patriotism both had for their country. The United States owes a lot to these two men, and as Masons we can all be proud of all they did for freedom.
To: George Washington from Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia, 16 September, 1789.
“Dear Sir;
My malady renders my sitting up to write rather painful to me; but I cannot let my son-in-law, Mr. Bache, part for New York, without congratulating you by him on the recovery of your health, so precious to us all, and on the growing strength of our new government under your administration. For my own personal ease, I should have died two years ago; though those years have been spent in excruciating pain, I am pleased that I have lived them, since they have brought me to see our present situation. I am now finishing my eighty-fourth year, and probably with it my career in this life; but in whatever state of existence I am placed in hereafter, if I retain any memory of what has passed here, I shall with it retain the esteem, respect, and affection, with which I have long been, my dear friend, yours most sincerely.
B. Franklin.”
From George Washington: To Benjamin Franklin. New York, 23 September, 1789.
“Dear Sir,
The affectionate congratulations on the recovery of my health, and the warm expressions of personal friendship, which were contained in your letter of the16th instant, claim my gratitude. And the consideration, that it was written when you were afflicted with a painful malady, greatly increases my obligation for it.
Would to God, my dear Sir, that I could congratulate you upon the removal of that excruciating pain, under which you labor, and that your existence might close with as much ease to yourself, as its continuance has been beneficial to our country and useful to mankind; or, if the united wishes of a free people, joined with the earnest prayers of every friend to science and humanity, could relieve the body from pains or infirmities, that you could claim an exemption on this score. But this cannot be, and you have within yourself the only resource to which we can confidently apply for relief, a philosophic mind.
If to be venerated for benevolence, if to be admired for talents, if to be esteemed for patriotism, if to be beloved for philanthropy, can gratify the human mind, you must have the pleasing consolation to know, that you have not lived in vain. And I flatter myself that it will not be ranked among the least grateful occurrences of your life to be assured, that, so long as I retain my memory, you will be recollected with respect, veneration, and affection by your sincere friend,
George Washington.”
Finally, an English Freemason, Samuel Lightfoote, in “Brother Lightfoote’s Journal” on July 4, 1781, wrote about fighting for freedom; he cited the war of 1187 where Saladin defeated King Guy, he wrote: “This decisive battle led, ultimately, to the return of the Holy Land to the people who lived there.” [Referring to the date of his paper] “The Fourth of July is also, as every schoolboy knows, the date upon which the rebellious American colonists declared themselves independent of the British Motherland. One must be careful saying it these days, but I rather admire Brother Washington’s initiative in securing the government of that great country for its citizens. Nobody likes being ruled by outsiders, as both the Arab and the American have proved.”
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com the Masonic Monday Question for the week of 02/16/09 is: “What are a few of the connecting links of Eastern Free Masonry -which lie deeply imbedded in the Chinese Culture and Moralisms - which seem to have parallel in Western Masonry?
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by Email at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@gmail.com with Subscribe in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publications.
To read some past issues of Ed’s publications on the web go to: http://www.halpaus.net and click on the publication you would like to read.
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Seek to mentor a Brother Mason:
It’s good for him, it’s good for you, and it’s good for Freemasonry!
Labels: History