James
Madison has never been proven to have been a member of the Craft and
is never listed among the presidents who have been; but evidence can
be found to support the position that he was a Brother. So what's the
final verdict… was James Madison a Freemason?
John
Francis Mercer, a former congressman who eventually became governor
of Maryland, wrote a letter to James Madison on February 11, 1795. In
it, he asked Madison to encourage John Fenton Mercer, his nephew, to
pursue a military career. In closing the letter, Mercer congratulated
Madison on becoming a Freemason.
In
addition to this letter, there has been some other evidence to
support Madison’s membership in the Fraternity. John Dove, an early
Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Virginia said Madison was one
of the original founders of Hiram Lodge 59 in 1800, and became a
charter member. All records of Hiram Lodge, unfortunately, have been
lost. On Sept 20, 1817, Madison marched in procession with
Charlottesville Lodge 90 and Widow's Son Lodge 60 to lay the
cornerstone of Central College at Charlottesville (later the
University of Virginia). Perhaps most telling, however, were the
attacks made on Madison during the anti-Masonic period.
Mercer's
letter is vague in places and his handwriting is sloppy. He clearly
invites Madison to attend Lodge while his wife Sophia entertains
Madison's wife Dolley. James and Dolley had wed just months before,
prompting Mercer to wax not-so-eloquently on the institution of
marriage, and to congratulate Madison on his marrying her. The
paragraph in question reads as follows:
"I
have had no opportunity of congratulating you before on your becoming
a free mason a very ancient and honorable fraternity — I am sure
you are now much wiser & I do not doubt you are much happier
altho you were very wise & happy before, at least in my opinion —
I hold a lodge on your road perhaps let me take you sometime by the
hand in it & let Mrs. Mercer welcome the fair prophetess [Dolley]
who but cements you to the true faith — a man who has got his head
somewhat clear of a large load of lead in politics [Mercer had
recently resigned from Congress] — feels of course a little
light headed to that you must attribute my levity of this style which
is only intended to apprise you of my respect of friendship for you."
So
Mercer, definitely a Freemason, applauded Madison on becoming a
member and invited him to go to a Lodge meeting. This letter, along
with Madison’s other Masonic ties could confirm he was a Freemason;
end of story.
Not
exactly.
Mercer
himself notes the letter is written in the spirit of levity. The
question is, where was he joking and where was he serious? He was
clearly serious about asking Madison to intervene with his nephew,
but in the next paragraph was he serious in his delight Madison has
become a Mason? It's too bad Mercer didn't use emojis.
Some
scholars believe Mercer was lightheartedly comparing marriage to the
act of joining the fraternity – a stretch, to be sure. Such
scholars must not be Freemasons, who don't consider joining the
fraternity a joking matter. Still, "I hold a Lodge on your
road" might refer to Mercer's home, and he might have been
inviting Madison and the fair prophetess Dolley, clearly meant to be
humorous, to visit. As a result, one might conclude Mercer is joking
about Freemasonry. One might also conclude Mercer had one strange
sense of humor.
The
overthinking that has gone into this letter negates the Occam's razor
principle which would quickly lead to the conclusion Mercer thought
Madison was a Freemason – and he was.
There
is yet another possibility. Mercer thought
Madison was a Freemason but he was not.
To
further confuse the matter, another letter exists which contradicts
Mercer's letter. In 1831, Madison wrote Stephen Bates in response to
Bates' inquiry about Madison's involvement in Freemasonry. A little
context regarding this letter is helpful. First, it is in no way
related to Mercer's letter, written 36 years prior; second, Madison
was in ill-health at its writing and actually dictated the letter to
his secretary J.C. Payne; finally, the letter was written at the peak
of the anti-Masonic fervor sweeping the United States at the time.
Madison begins the letter by apologizing for a slow response, citing
his health as the reason. He then addresses Freemasonry:
"...ignorant
as I was of the true character of Masonry and little informed as I
was of the grounds on which its extermination was contended for, and
incapable as I was and am, in my situation of investigating the
controversy. I never was a mason, and no one perhaps could be more a
stranger to the principles, rites and fruits of the institution I had
never regarded it as dangerous or notorious (noxious?); nor on the
other hand as deriving importance from any thing publicly known of
it. From the number and character of those who now support the
charges against Masonry I cannot doubt that it is at least
susceptible of abuse outweighing any advantage promised by its
patrons."
So,
to paraphrase this cornucopia of run-on sentences, Madison says he is
in no position to investigate the anti-Masonic movement. He claims
never to have been a Freemason, and says he really doesn't know
anything about it. He says he never regarded it as dangerous. He
concludes, given the character of those who are against it, its
disadvantages outweigh its advantages.
So,
that does it. Madison was not a Freemason and even appeared to be
jumping on the anti-Masonic bandwagon; end of story.
Not
so fast.
At
the writing of this letter anti-Masonic sentiment was oozing out of
every crevice in the country. According to William R. Denslow, in his
iconic series 10,000 Famous Freemasons, Madison was under
pressure, being taunted by the anti-Masonic movement. In that
context, this might be interpreted as a politician's answer.
Politicians lie today and no doubt politicians lied then:
"I
am not a crook…"
"I
never had sex with that woman…"
"I
never was a Freemason…"
It
may also be significant that Madison did not write this letter
himself. J.C.Payne, his secretary, was the author. He may have
transcribed it word-for-word or he may have advised or persuaded
Madison, 80 and in ill-health at the time, to deny membership for
political purposes.
This
is not a settled matter. Those claiming definitively either that
James Madison was or was not a Freemason are off base. Denslow and
others have documented the fact Madison over time had been involved
in activities with Freemasons. It is just not certain what the extent
of those activities was.
One
final thing… no one likes unanswered questions, but for now, there
are no good answers. Suppose, however, membership documents from
Hiram Lodge or some other proof comes to light showing Madison to be
a Mason. Here is a man who not only publicly denied his membership
but said the bad outweighs the good in Freemasonry and sided with the
anti-Masonic movement. If Madison is a Brother, that's disappointing.
Still,
if the aforementioned Occam's razor principle comes into play one
could conclude that Madison said he was never a Freemason, so he was
not a Freemason. Period. Pending other documentation proving
otherwise, perhaps it is best to leave it at that.
Full
transcripts and copies of the letters in question are available at:
