Washington's Masonic Correspondence / As Found among the Washington Papers in the Library of Congress

by George Washington

Snyder, who was not a native of this country, evidently labored under the impression that Washington was a Grand Master General, who presided over all of the English (or Symbolic) Masonic Lodges in the United States. Snyder evidently used the term "English" Lodges, to distinguish them from the Masonic bodies working in the so-called higher (Scotch) degrees, as are now known as the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.

How important Washington considered this correspondence is shown by his precaution in taking a press copy of both of his letters to Snyder, who he was led to believe was the regular pastor of the German Reformed Congregation at Fredericktown. These are now in the Library of Congress. It will be noted that in all of his other Masonic correspondence, copies were made in his regular letter books by his clerks, of both address and reply. Brother Washington evidently surmised that this letter from Snyder was nothing more or less than a scheme to entrap him. It was not until a month had elapsed, and then only after due consideration, that the following reply was sent to Fredericktown, viz.:

"Mount Vernon, 25^th Sept. 1798.

"Sir,

"Many apologies are
"due to you, for my not acknowledging
"the receipt of your obliging favour of
for
"the 22^d ult, and ^ not thanking you, at
"an earlier period for the Book you
"had the goodness to send me.
"I have heard much of the ne-
"farious & dangerous plan, & doctrines
"of the Illuminati, but never saw the
"Book until you were pleased to send
"it to me. The same causes which
"have prevented my acknowledging the
"receipt of your letter, have prevented
"my reading the Book, hitherto, name-
"ly, the multiplicity of matters which
me
"pressed upon before, & the debilitated
"state in which I was left after a se
"vere fever had been removed, and
"which allows me to add little more now,
"than thanks for your kind wishes and
"favourable sentiments, except to cor-
"rect an error you have run into, of my
"presiding over the English Lodges in
"this Country. The fact is, I preside over
"none, nor have I been in one, more than
thirty
"once or twice, within the last years.
"I believe notwithstanding, that
"none of the Lodges in this Country are
"contaminated with the principles as-
"cribed to the society of the Illuminati."

"With respect
"I am, Sir,
"Your Obed^t H^ble Serv^t

"The Rev^d M^r Snyder.
Endorsed
to
"The Rev^d Mr. Snyder.
"25^th Sep. 1798."