record we have of any Masonic Body proposing a masonic
address to General WASHINGTON, was the resolution offered in King
David's Lodge, No. 1, at Newport, Rhode Island, during WASHINGTON's
visit to Newport in March, 1781, while the French Army under Rochambeau
was quartered there. WASHINGTON arrived in Newport on the sixth of March
and remained there until the thirteenth, when he left for Providence by
way of Bristol.

It was in anticipation of this visit that the Brethren of King David's
Lodge, of which Brother Moses Michael Hays[10] was Worshipful Master,
that a masonic greeting to General WASHINGTON was proposed. The
following entry from the old Minute Book of the Lodge will explain why
the project failed to materialize.

=MOSES M. HAYS

W. M. KING DAVID'S LODGE, No. 1, NEWPORT, R. I., 1780-1781. GRAND MASTER
OF MASONS IN MASSACHUSETTS, 1788-1793.=

EXTRACT FROM THE RECORDS OF KING DAVID'S LODGE.

"Regular Lodge night, held at the house of Mr. James Tew, Wednesday
evening, the 7th February, 1781. 5781.

"A motion being made that as our worthy brother, his Excellency
General Washington, was daily expected amongst us, a committee
should be appointed to prepare an address in behalf of the Lodge, to
present him. Voted, That the Right Worshipful Master (Moses Michael
Hays) together with brothers Seixas, Peleg Clark, John Handy, and
Robert Elliot, be a committee for that purpose, and that they
present the same to this Lodge at their next meeting for their
approbation."

"At a Lodge held by request of the Right Worshipful Master, Feb.
14th, 1781. 5781,

"The committee appointed to draught an address to our worthy
brother, His Excellency General Washington, report, that on inquiry
they find General Washington not to be a Grand Master of North
America; as was supposed, nor even Master of any particular Lodge.
They are, therefore, of opinion that this Lodge would not choose to
address him as a private brother at the same time, think it would
not be agreeable to our worthy brother to be addressed as such.

"Voted, That the report of the committee be received, and that the
address be entirely laid aside for the present."[11]

Now as to the cause for this uncertainty how to address Brother
WASHINGTON, it will be recalled that just at that time, the proposition
sent out by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania nominating General
WA