The Masons

What do you think happened to the Masons after the overthrow of the Federalist government?

That is a really excellent question Monkt.  I would guess that like most secret orders, they don't just have ONE grand strategy but several, all leading to their ultimate goal.  A chess master doesn't either.  He waits for the right time and puts plan B or C into effect depending on how his opponent moves his pieces.  Effectively, they have lost the north american union, but that doesn't mean that they can't try destablizing some other part of the world when they consider the time to be right. 

That is a really excellent question Monkt.  I would guess that like most secret orders, they don't just have ONE grand strategy but several, all leading to their ultimate goal.  A chess master doesn't either.  He waits for the right time and puts plan B or C into effect depending on how his opponent moves his pieces.  Effectively, they have lost the north american union, but that doesn't mean that they can't try destablizing some other part of the world when they consider the time to be right. 

I would suggest first that Freemasonry is NOT a secret order. It is very visible and obvious to everyone. You will see our Square and Compass everywhere, at least in the USA.

Second, considering some of the big backers of the Revolutions were Masons, Sam Adams for one, Franklin. Washington and several others. 9 of the 56 Signers of the Declaration were Masons, as well as Ellery, Hancock and Hues.

The Tea Party, depending on who you talk to, was organized and played out primarily if not completely by Masons.

From my decades as a Mason and centuries for my Family being in Masonry, except for the oddball liberal, Masons tend to be more Libertarian in their beliefs politically. There are some bad apples, I have actually excused myself from a Lodge when I found out the members were KKK. Not something I could understand anymore than I could understand a Catholic supporting birth control.

If you actually have an open mind and want some reading material, I can supply a few sites that explain some of the conspiracy idiocies.

The other reason I think there are so many conspiracies about the Masons is that most people truly cannot believe that someone and some organization could actually be as good and giving as the Masons are.

With all that said, there are several Masons I have met over the years that if I had my way would not be allowed in Lodge ever again. I do not always have the ability to push things like this and I wont deny there have been and still are some idiots out there who are unfortunately still Masons.

Master Mason
Humble Student of Life

I would suggest first that Freemasonry is NOT a secret order. It is very visible and obvious to everyone. You will see our Square and Compass everywhere, at least in the USA.

Second, considering some of the big backers of the Revolutions were Masons, Sam Adams for one, Franklin. Washington and several others. 9 of the 56 Signers of the Declaration were Masons, as well as Ellery, Hancock and Hues.

The Tea Party, depending on who you talk to, was organized and played out primarily if not completely by Masons.

From my decades as a Mason and centuries for my Family being in Masonry, except for the oddball liberal, Masons tend to be more Libertarian in their beliefs politically. There are some bad apples, I have actually excused myself from a Lodge when I found out the members were KKK. Not something I could understand anymore than I could understand a Catholic supporting birth control.

If you actually have an open mind and want some reading material, I can supply a few sites that explain some of the conspiracy idiocies.

The other reason I think there are so many conspiracies about the Masons is that most people truly cannot believe that someone and some organization could actually be as good and giving as the Masons are.

With all that said, there are several Masons I have met over the years that if I had my way would not be allowed in Lodge ever again. I do not always have the ability to push things like this and I wont deny there have been and still are some idiots out there who are unfortunately still Masons.

Master Mason
Humble Student of Life

I've know a number of masons, and they are all reasonably level headed.  I saw a History channel show talking about conspiracy theories, and a portion of it covered conspiracies around the masonic lodge.  It claimed conspiracy stories around the lodge began in the late 19th century.  Unfortunately, I don't recall the details well, but the southern group of lodges, with their well known KKK affiliations and inter-lodge politics played a significant role in fostering those stories.  If I can find a credible source, I'll try to post it.

What do you think happened to the Masons after the overthrow of the Federalist government?

What gives anyone cause to think that there weren't a boatload of Masons involved in the overthrow of that Federalist government?

I make no particular allowance for the Masons, but while Masonic ritual and the seeming of secrecy would tend reliably to have an appeal among the Hamiltonians (particularly as they would conjure themselves as having been "driven underground"), Freemasonry is by no means monolithic. 

Consider a Hamiltonian network of Lodges which appear - outwardly - identical to the "standard" gatherings, but which are, in fact, selectively restrictive as to membership and purpose.

A "secret society" parasitic upon the "secret society" of Freemasonry. 

How difficult might it be for the Hamiltonians to accomplish that?  What mechanism is built into Freemasonry to prevent lodges from "going rogue"?

A number of conspiracy theorists posit exactly that -- that there is a secret society operating within the Masons, unbeknownst to the majority of members who are not "illuminated."

What do you think happened to the Masons after the overthrow of the Federalist government?

What gives anyone cause to think that there weren't a boatload of Masons involved in the overthrow of that Federalist government?

I make no particular allowance for the Masons, but while Masonic ritual and the seeming of secrecy would tend reliably to have an appeal among the Hamiltonians (particularly as they would conjure themselves as having been "driven underground"), Freemasonry is by no means monolithic. 

Consider a Hamiltonian network of Lodges which appear - outwardly - identical to the "standard" gatherings, but which are, in fact, selectively restrictive as to membership and purpose.

A "secret society" parasitic upon the "secret society" of Freemasonry. 

How difficult might it be for the Hamiltonians to accomplish that?  What mechanism is built into Freemasonry to prevent lodges from "going rogue"?

There is no mechanism to stop someone from claiming to be a Mason. Nor to stop a group of calling themselves Masons. Clandestine, meaning not Official, Masonry includes Lodges which allow Women to become Masons and the Oddfellows. The P9 Lodge in Masonry was excluded when it was found out that they were actually Political Thugs and using Masonry to further their political ambitions and even hanged someone who got in their way at one point. Regular Lodges and Jurisdictions do not always agree with each other. Alabama due to the influence of the KKK is not recognized by many other Jurisdictions. In many ways it is an honorary system.

I know I digressed on the original Concept. I agree, Despite that Washington was at the core with Hamilton on the Whiskey Tax, I think Masons would have stood against Washington at the time. I would not be surprised in the real history if there were Masons among those rebelling.

Considering the benevolence of Masonry I would think it would have survived and even been a solid wall against Hamiltonians and their want for a central controlling government. Additionally since the primary charity of Masonry is for kids, there would be tons of effort put into destroying childhood diseases which would eventually yield a population of very healthy individuals such as the major  characters.

BTW you can find ALL the rituals and WORDS of Masonry online. After all this is the Internet. What also keeps someone from infiltrating is a dues card. Though if someone really wanted to they could probably counterfeit one. We don't work that hard to make sure they are that secure.

The issue in the 1900's or actually the early 1800's, the Morgan Affair, a few Brothers got a little too zealous and tried to stop a man from publishing Masonic Ritual. He was actually run out of town and turned up a year or so later remarried despite not divorcing his first wife and under an assumed name. The result those was a backlash against Masons and our choice to stop interacting in Politics.