Letter from Moses Holbrook to John James Joseph Gourgas, 1830 January 08

Letter from Moses Holbrook to John James Joseph Gourgas. Dated January 08, 1830. In this letter, Sovereign Grand Commander Holbrook of the Southern Jurisdiction comments upon the validity of David Bernard and his work, the Light on Masonry, which builds an argument against Freemasonry upon Bernard’s knowledge of the Holy Cross degree. Holbrook surmises that Doctor James H. C. Miller is a relative of David Cade Miller, the printer for William Morgan’s anti-Masonic work Illustrations of Masonry, and “perhaps an Antimason in disguise.” He is glad that Gourgas will reply to the Grand Orient of France and will forward the Southern Jurisdiction’s ideas for the reply. Holbrook believes John Barker “is not honest” and rails against Masonic degree peddlers. He will write Moultrie for his response to the Grand Orient of France. Holbrook states, “I cannot recollect why” the Grand Orient should remain silent on such an important issue “as it fortifies the legality of the jurisdiction of the GO over all the degrees of the Scottish Rite.” Anti-Masonry is growing in South Carolina, but “is not likely to make much headway.” Holbrook concludes by stating there will be an Anti-Masonic convention in New York in September.