"Last Friday Evening the Grand Lodge met, agreeable to adjournment and after a long debate on the subject, whether it was expedient at present to elect a Grand Master General for the United States, it passed in the negative.

"Inclosed I transmit you the vote from the G. Sec'y.

"Yr Affecte Brother
"& Hble Servt
"Jos: Webb.
"Rev Dr Smith
"Philadelphia."

The belief that Washington was the Grand Master of the United States was widespread, and, as our late Bro. James M. Lamberton said in his address before mentioned,[87] notwithstanding the fact that the project to elevate General Washington fell through, "that the action of the Army Lodges and of our Grand Lodge got abroad, is shown by translations of two letters from a Lodge at Cape Francois,[88] on the island of San Domingo, directed to General Washington as Grand Master of all America, soliciting a charter, which were presented to our Grand Lodge, February 3, 1786. The same thing is shown by a medal struck in 1797, the obverse showing the bust of Washington, with the legend, "G. Washington President. 1797," the reverse showing many Masonic emblems,[89] with the legend "Amor. Honor. Et Justica G.W.G.G.M." (i. e., George Washington, General Grand Master).

The writer of the letters to Washington, Snyder, quoted at the beginning of this chapter, being of foreign birth, and not a member of the Masonic Fraternity, nor even living where a Masonic Lodge existed, evidently labored under the same delusion as the Brethren at Cape Francois.

The Masonic Correspondence of Washington as represented upon these pages, should settle for all time to come the question, as to the esteem in which Washington held the Masonic Fraternity, of which he was an honored Member.

It is stated that there are still a large number of Washington papers in the Library of Congress, that are not accessible, as they have thus far not been classified or indexed. Thus it is in the possibilities that there may be still further documentary evidence found of Masonic import, in addition to such as are set forth upon these pages.

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