THOMAS M. SAHARSKY Clotworthy Stephenson Lost Son of Virginia JEAN-YVES LEGOUAS The Judeo-Masonic Conspiracy Theory in France Prior to the Second World War Part Two WALTER BENESCH The Importance of Music among the Arts and Sciences W. BRUCE PRUITT The Joseph Warren Tavern PHILALETHES The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters Volume 73 • No- 2 Volume seVenty-three • number two 45 PHILALETHES SOCIETY OFFICERS The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters http ://www.freemasonry.org President Rashied K. Sharrieff-Al-Bey, FPS SUNY Nassau Community College Editor Shawn Eyer, FPS One Education Drive 107 S. West St. #541 Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work Alexandria,VA 22314 USA Building G, Rm G357 editor @ freemasonry.org Garden City, NY 11530-6793 USA [email protected] Publications Richard E. Fletcher, FPS Committee George Braatz, MPS 1st V. President Benjamin Williams, MPS Thomas W. Jackson, FPS [email protected] Christopher Murphy, MPS Paul Rich, MPS 2nd V. President Adam Kendall, MPS [email protected] ISSN 2151 – 139x 3rd V. President Oscar Alleyne, FPS Copyright © 2020 The Philalethes Society [email protected] Philalethes is the official publication of The Philalethes Secretary Terry L. Tilton, FPS Society, founded December 1, 1928. Any article appear- 2501 Highway 37 ing in this publication expresses only the opinion of the Hibbing, MN 55746 USA writer, and does not reflect the official position of The 701-640-2855 [email protected] Philalethes Society. The Society speaks only through the Executive Board attested to as official by the Executive Treasurer R. Stephen Doan, FPS Secretary. 6411 Seabryn Drive Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275-4755 USA Contact only the Editor for article submissions, letters [email protected] concerning items in the magazine, and reprint requests. Contact the Librarian for back issues, duplicates of Librarian Richard E. Fletcher, FPS articles, additional magazines. Contact the Secretary for [email protected] membership and administrative matters. Membership or subscription rate : Postmaster, send address changes to : USA $50.00 The Philalethes Society All Others $60.00 c/o Terry L. Tilton, FPS 2501 Highway 37 Membership is open to all Master Masons. Subscription, Hibbing, MN 55746 USA at the same cost, is available to non-Masons, libraries, lodges, study clubs and research groups. Single copy price $12.50. Follow us on Facebook http://facebook.com/philalethes Art credits: Marianita Peaslee (cover, 85, back cover), Shawn Eyer (51), Thomas Saharsky (57), Masons Hall 1785 charitable foundation (59), Brian Warren (79) IN THIS EDITION Volume 73, Number 2 FEATURES COLUMNS 50 Clotworthy Stephenson 86 Editor’s Remarks LoSt SoN oF VirGiNiA Thomas M. Saharsky OTHER FEATURES 60 The Judeo-Masonic Conspiracy Theory in France Prior to the 48 The Masonic Library Second World War, Part Two and Museum Association Jean-Yves Legouas Tyler Vanice 69 The Importance of Music 74 The Joseph Warren Tavern among the Arts and Sciences A JoUrNeY throUGh PerSoNAL, Walter Benesch MASoNiC, ANd reVolutioNArY hiStorY W. Bruce Pruitt IN REVIEW 87 Voices of the Fellows 84 Symbols in the Wilderness: Early Robert I. Clegg, FPS Masonic Survivals in Upstate New York by Joscelyn Godwin & Christian Goodwillie Shawn Eyer Justice, the boundary of right, con- the hostility of partial or narrow stitutes the cement of civil society. visions of the hidden and manifest This virtue, in a great measure, con- nature of mankind. stitutes real goodness, and is there- — Tobias Churton, 2007 fore represented as the perpetual study of the accomplished Mason. There is an endless supply of Light — William Preston, provided by reception of our sym- c. 1780 bolic degrees and regular study of our Masonic rituals, emblems, and In the words of Alexander Pope, “the symbols. Esteemed brothers down proper study of man is man,” and through the ages have devoted entire in a sense, Masonry only involves lifetimes and never drained the well man’s truest knowledge of himself; PHILALETHES of wisdom contained there. this explains its universality—and — Kirk White, MPS The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters G MASONIC Library & Museum ASSOCIATION here are a Plethora of Mason- We take museums and libraries for granted; ic-related organizations in the world like always expecting them to be there but are usually THigh Twelve International Inc., National out of site. A large undertaking that can have tens Sojourner Inc., youth groups like the Order of of thousands of objects with a staff of one or two DeMolay, and there are some less mainstream people and knowing the precise location of each organizations that have niche subsets that collect item while keeping paperwork for them is not an specifically George Washington Masonic stamps. easy skill. Many Grand Lodges and other Masonic The Masonic Library & Museum Association organizations have both in some fashion, display- (MlMa) is one these organizations. Founded in ing their proud history of Freemasonry found in 1995, the mission of this organization is to as- their state but it takes resources, knowledge, and sist and support, through education, facilitation planning, which wasn’t always the case. of communication, coordination of effort, and Like many organizations, MlMa came about other means, those individuals charged with the from a desire to not only assist oneself to have more collection, management, and preservation of the resources but to also help others in similar situa- Masonic heritage. tions with common issues. Decades ago, people interested in Masonic libraries and museums used to attend the Northeast Conference on Masonic Education and Libraries (NeCoMelI) as this was Tyler Vanice, MPS, is a member of The Lodge an annual focal point for getting together with like of the Nine Muses № 1776, Free and Accepted minded individuals from across the country. In the Masons of the District of Columbia, and the Vice President of the Masonic Library and Museum early 1990’s, Brothers John H. Platt, Jr. (Pennsyl- Association. vania); Paul Bessel (George Washington Masonic 48 philalethes • The Journal of Masonic Research & Letters The Masonic Library and Museum Association National Memorial); Keith Arrington (Iowa); Ed collections. The old Boyden cataloging system, Ralph (Ontario); Mike Kaulback (Massachusetts); used by many librarians, was updated by Richard along with Cynthia Alcorn (Massachusetts); Joan Bush, so it can remain easily used. The website Kleinknecht Sansbury (Supreme Council, aaSr, offers articles and other helpful information for S.J.) and others came together during these meet- all persons, whether they are professionals in the ings, dubbed this side-group the “North American field or those just starting their collections. Masonic Librarians Consortium” and held their Now, the organization is thriving with mem- own private sessions during the conferences. bers from throughout the world. One is not re- These librarians and curators eventually de- quired to be a mason to join this organization cided that they wanted to hold a separate meeting as its mission and scope allows it to be open to that met in the fall, even though NeCoMelI met all who’s interested in learning and spreading in the spring. These members, knowing that Grand knowledge. Many Grand Lodge librarians and Lodges would not financially support another museum staff are not in the fraternity as they organization with similar goals, chose to still be chose to hire professionals in the field to care for active with NeCoMelI as well (which was later the history of Freemasonry in their state. Proper disbanded in 2001 and their assets turned over care and preservation of our Masonic history is to MlMa). The first meeting occurred in October integral to understanding American Freemasonry 1992 at the House of the Temple of the Ancient and and is more crucial than the title of “Brother” to Accepted Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction, in the caretaker of our history. Washington, D.C. The Masonic Library and Museum Associ- On October 20–21, 1995, this group attended ation is holding its 25th Annual Conference on their Fall Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hosted September 12, 2020. We originally planned on by Keith Arrington from the Grand Lodge of Iowa, meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the annual and reorganized themselves as the Masonic Library meeting but the Executive Committee discussed and Museum Association, with John. H. Platt from concerns over long term planning with traveling, Pennsylvania as its first President. hotel accommodations, and the overall effect of Their idea was simple: in the beginning, the that CoVID-19 is having on the economy, it was members were concerned with gathering data decided to hold the conference online instead. on its member libraries, the procedures used in The meeting will be open to all members. Further their museum and library, sources they used for information will be posted at masonic-libraries.com. finding Masonic books and literature, and indexing Normally, these conferences are a wonderful asset Masonic articles in journals (how and where to to everyone in attendance as there are a series acquire books was a serious issue as online retail of lectures with various topics that change each was not nearly as prevalent as it is now). Now, the year but focus mostly with museums, libraries, organization focuses more with bibliographic collection care, storage, niche collecting (remem- and member support, essentially helping both ber those stamps?) and more. Once the business large and small, public and private, libraries and section of the meeting is complete, there would museums set themselves up to organize their continued on page 80 Volume seVenty-three • number two 49 Clotworthy Stephenson Lost Son of Virginia Thomas M. Saharsky investigates the life of an influential artisan and Freemason “May this stone long commemorate the goodness of God in those uncommon events which have given America a name among the nations Under this stone may jealousy and selfishness be forever buried.