t, therefore, upon this ground
withdraw my approbation from it.

"While I offer my grateful acknowledgements for your
congratulations on my late appointment, and for the favorable
sentiments you are pleased to express of my conduct, permit me to
observe, that, at this important and critical moment, when high and
repeated indignities have been offered to the Government of our
country, and when the property of our citizens is plundered without
a prospect of redress, I conceive it to be the indispensable duty
of every American, let his station and circumstances in life be
what they may, to come forward in support of the Government of his
choice and to give all the aid in his power towards maintaining
that independence which we have so dearly purchased; and under this
impression, I did not hesitate to lay aside all personal
considerations and accept my appointment. I pray you to be assured
that I receive with gratitude your kind wishes for my health and
happiness and reciprocate them with sincerity.

"I am, Gentlemen and Brothers,
"Very Respectfully,
"Your most Ob't Servant,

"Go. Washington"

"Elkton, November 8th, 1798."

=GEORGE WASHINGTON

BY CHARLES BALTHAZAR FEVERET DE SAINT MEMIN.

THE LAST PORTRAIT OF WASHINGTON FROM LIFE, TAKEN IN PHILADELPHIA,
NOVEMBER, 1798.=

Footnotes:

[62] Cf. "Freemasonry in Maryland," by Edw. J. Schultz, Baltimore, 1884,
Vol. I, pp. 265-266.

[63] _Ibid._, p. 266.

XV

CORRESPONDENCE WITH G. W. SNYDER, 1798.

As to the correspondence with one G. W. Snyder (Schneider), who
represented himself as a preacher of the Reformed Church of
Fredericktown, Maryland, our late Brother James M. Lamberton, in his
address before the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, at the
celebration of the "Sesqui-centennial Aniversary of the initiation of
Brother GEORGE WASHINGTON into the Fraternity of Freemasons," held in
the Masonic Temple, in the City of Philadelphia on Wednesday, November
the fifth, A. D. 1902, states:[64]

"It is well known that during the French Revolution religion was
dethroned, and reason installed in the place of Deity. The
spreading of such doctrines was by many ascribed to the
'Illuminati,' who were supposed to be Masons. During this period
clubs like the Jacobin Clubs in France were formed in