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Anti-Masonic Party From the 20 's and through the 40 's of XIX century the Anti-Masonic Party has been the first influential minor ideological organization, which could be an opponent for two dominating political forces in the United States, the Federalists and the Republican Democrats, to initiate alternative activities on the national scene. As it is suggested by its name, this party was established for the purpose of total abolition of Freemasonry; it was a product of a very powerful social, moral and very successful movement against the Masons. Anti-Masonic party was the first one, which conducted presidential nominating convention and recommended to introduce party principles for American electorate. National movement against Masons started in the Northwest in early 20 s and soon spread deeper into the country. Common public supposition that Mason union organized a secret government and intends to influence American legislation and administration, and also that it is going to bind major political and religious institutions to work for the Masons own benefit, became the main reason of forming a massive Anti-Masonic campaign, which soon turned out to be a gigantic national political force.
Many prominent politicians supported this ideology, blaming the Masons in criminal conspiracy and saying that the present political strategy of the United States and the Masons are essentially contrary, so it can bring damage to the countrys safety. Many citizens joined this movement not because of deep political convictions: generally, they did not trust or had no positive opinion about the Masons. Criticism and public condemnation of the Masons received its peak in September of 1826 with strange events, surrounding the disappearance of William Morgan, an itinerant stonecutter from Batavia, New York. He belonged to Masonic society, but after a political refusal from the side of one of Masonic organizations, Morgan got angry. He wrote a book, named Illustrations of Masonry, containing some compromising materials and revealing some set information about the Masons, and was going to publish it.
There is controversial evidence about what exactly happened to Morgan, most probably he was kidnapped and presumably roped and weighted by executors of the authorities of Masonic group, though it was announced like he had been arrested and escaped. As the response on openly fake investigation of Morgans case and obvious covering-up of its details, as a result of what Masonic jury and judges almost did not punish the guilty, a new strong wave of social protest enhanced all around the country, indicating dislike and detest of Masonry. In spring of 1827 numerous meetings in towns and cities voted for blocking the Masons from administration and office. There is a tone of speech of an Anti-Masonic leader: We believe in the abolishment of the Freemasons for their history of deceit, crime, nepotism, and bribery. The Freemasons have a Secret Empire by which they make sure that their members succeed in high position jobs in all fields, especially the government. With this sort of rampant nepotism they control virtually every aspect of the society secretly.
Many of those who have tried to make public the truth about the Freemasons have suffered greatly. (Braintree Anti-Masonic Party, p. 1) The Anti-Masonic Convention of New York State exclaimed: The real object of the institution (Masonic Order) is, to procure UNFAIRADVANTAGES to its members! (Lanze, The Antimasonic Party, p. 3). Foes of the Masons joined their efforts in criticizing of the existing order, and in summer a fierce reactions Thurlow Weed, publisher from Rochester Telegraph, arranged a strong attack of mass media on Masonic ideology, which ended with endorsement of anti-Masonic candidates for New York State Assembly elections. In autumn of 1827 fifteen of them were successfully elected. A year later five Anti-Masons became members of the Senate and seventeen of them were elected to the Assembly.
At the end of 1927 they organized legislative Anti-Masonic party at its first convection. Though the Congressional campaign of Anti-Masonic society in 1828 is supposed to be not significant, the party has been developing fast and its power influenced political situation and administration in many states: representatives of it became governors in Pennsylvania and Vermont; some of them were elected to the House of Representatives. Many famous politicians, even from Masonic society, like Thaddeus Stevens, William Seward or Henry Clay, came out with their support of Anti-Masonic party. In 1829 Thaddeus Stevens became a spokesman in Pennsylvania with statewide respect and reputation, and the campaign for Governor and Congress, sponsored and carried out by the leaders of Anti-Masonic party had a good success: Thurlow Weed was elected to the New York Assembly. It its social activity the party reflected national antagonism towards the Masons with the help of public propaganda.
In 1829 Thurlow Weed established his Anti-Masonic magazine Enquirer, which has been published and distributed in New York. In 1830 he started publishing one more magazine, Albany Evening Journal, which was sponsored by the party and became its main public printing issue. As Anti-Masonic movement has been enlarging, the number of subscribers for Weed's Enquirer grew up, besides, there were a lot of local papers and press releases appeared, mainly in the Eastern states. In the beginning of the 30 s there were 46 such issues in New York and 55 in Pennsylvania. In their local and national politics, principles of Anti-Masons were hardly different from the ones of National Republicans.
They supported all major economical, financial, political and international improvements of the existing American system, like, in particular, the issue of reestablishing of American National Bank, saying that local banks were more vulnerable to corruption, bribery and political manipulation. Besides, being highly moral and religious party, the Anti-Masons strictly followed ideology of antislavery and defended rights of women. Consequently, almost all the ideas proposed by Democratic leaders were usually opposed by the Anti-Masons. Many of famous politicians and organizers from the party united their efforts to promote the ideas of Anti-Masonry, which were accepted and understood by American citizens. As a reporter from Pennsylvania newspaper wrote in 1830, A Yankee concern from the beginning. (Lanze, The Antimasonic Party, p. 6). Soon some members of Anti-Masonic Party joined the Whig Party, the new Republican Party or the other political groups and fractions, as they supposed that they have to accomplish their mission of eliminating of Masonic ideology in the other parties.
At the beginning of 1931 the leaders of Anti-Masonic party started working on creation of clear concept of political platform, which was aimed to mobilize all the members of national and local anti-Masonic institutions to prepare and carry out national campaign. Numerous local conventions were held and special resolutions and declarations were published with the purpose to introduce party nominees and to announce and to publicize its political and ideological principles. For example, the address of the Oswego County Convention, which took place in October of 1832, states that it was Resolved, That it is the peculiar aim of Anti-Masonry to restore equal rights, equal laws, and equal privileges to all men, by rendering ineligible to office, the adherents of the blood-stained order (Lanze, The Antimasonic Party, p. 3). Those were first and very important steps towards establishing of more coordinated and democratic scheme of nomination. On September 26, 1831 Anti-Masonic party held the first ever in American history national nominating convention of party members, which took place in Baltimore, Md. The main goals of this convention were to announce the first in history party political and social platform, which was mostly blaming Masonry for its excessive confidentiality, exclusivity, and obvious autocratic character, and to discuss possible presidential candidates from the party for the elections of 1832.
At first, nominating of John C. Calhoun and John Marshall has been discussed, but no one of them could receive support. That is why till the last moment the most probable candidate supposed to be John McLean, a member of the Supreme Court. But at the end he withdrew his name form the list of nominees in favor of Henry Clay, former Mason and Republican, who joined Anti-Mason party to receive a chance to be nominated. It was clear that if Clay would be elected, the party would merge into much larger and powerful party of the Republicans. That is why surprisingly a minor figure of William Wirt, Attorney General of the United States, also a former Mason (! ) from Maryland, became Anti-Masonic convention nominee for the Presidency and Amos Ellmaker from Pennsylvania - for Vice President.
Anti-Masonic leaders and politicians felt rather optimistic about possible opportunities of the party candidates, because previously Anti-Masonic nominees proved to be successful at local and state elections, so promoting activity has been started widely around the country. In some states the administrative bodies opened a number of cases, connected with crimes and offences from the side of representatives of Masonic societies. Legislatures of some states adopted the laws prohibiting to take or to give any oaths somewhere not in official courts. These laws were directed on increasing of controlling of Masonic Grand Lodges; it was required form those organizations to submit files with the lists of all the members and declarations, reflecting their principle obligations. Abundant Anti-Masonic newspapers and other media have been thriving in this vivid political action. But as a result of the election of 1832 William Wirt, running against a famous politician and existing President Andrew Jackson, managed to receive only below 40, 000 popular votes, but he won seven electoral votes in the state of Vermont, where Anti-Masonic party member William A.
Palmer was elected as governor. The party also received some votes in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ohio, where its members obtained administrative positions. Eventually, the major political impact of the first in history involvement and practical participation of the third political party in American presidential campaign and elections turned out to be not more than withdrawal of the votes and support from the declined candidate Henry Clay in favor of the President Andrew Jackson (ironically belonging to Masonic organization), who triumphantly won the elections with considerable margin. After such ineffective performance on political stage, the influence and national social activity of Anti-Masonic party started fading away.
The most important reason of that was Masonic beliefs of the reelected President, thats why the party did not receive any support from the government. The other reason was considerable loss of its public popularity. Nevertheless, within a couple of years some local anti-Masonic organizations went on functioning, trying to be competitive in local elections with the Republicans or the Democrats. But especially after national elections in 1836, the party suffered a rapid decline and disintegration of its members. As the prevalent reformative principles started to be concentrated on issues of antislavery, the majority of members of anti-Masonic movement joined a newly created Wing Party, which won a good amount of seats in the 23 rd Congress, or migrated to the Democratic Party. The movement, initiated and developed by the leaders of Anti-Masonic party achieved its primary objective: in the mid 30 th the number of Masonic lodges decreased from 480 to 49 and the amount of their members reduced from 30, 000 to 4, 000.
But much more important progress evoked by this party is on political field. The party introduced convocation of nominating conventions for the elections of different levels, and later this idea was adopted with enthusiasm by both dominating parties. This party was the first religious-moral political fraction, which brought up and discussed the problems of equal rights and womens suffrage. It developed significant political culture as one of the main factors of ideological movement of the party, and it introduced a lot of other social and technological innovations. Besides, the very phenomenon of successful political performance, though even temporary, of Anti-Masonic party as the third political force, is its principal contribution into historical progress of the United States. Bibliography: Anti-Masonic Movement [online]" Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service, 2004 [accessed 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Anti-Masonic Party 1827 - 1836 [online]" AP US Notes, 2003 [accessed 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Braintree Anti-Masonic Party [online]" Neighborhood Link Inc. , Braintree Clubs and Organizations, 1997 - 2004 [cited 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Lanze, Laurie Buonanno.
The Anti-Masonic Party [online]" State University of New York at Fredonia, Department of Political Science [cited 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Last, Mark. Thee Anti-Masonic Party [online]" Laser Links Personal Website, [accessed 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Thee Anti-Masonic Party [online]" Online Highways, 2002 [accessed 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web Braintree Anti-Masonic Party [online]" Neighborhood Link Inc. , Braintree Clubs and Organizations, 1997 - 2004 [cited 18 November 2004 ] Available from World Wide Web: web
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