The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939 Page: 213
446 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Early Masonry in Mexico (1806-1828)
because of their abuses. He thought that they neither represented
the national will nor did their principles amount to anything but
to satisfy their own appetites. In order to counteract the per-
nicious influence of the lodges in politics, with the aid of a
number of distinguished liberals, he formed a third party called
Imparciales (I mpartialists). As the term of Victoria was draw-
ing to an end, he hoped that they might use their influence in the
presidential election so that a man who was above parties might
be elected.53
Some months after the Plan of Montafio had failed a proposition
against the secret societies was presented in the Chamber of
Deputies. Moreles, fiscal of the court of justice, had denounced
them in La Aguila Mexicana and declared their influence per-
nicious. The government then asked the state governors to ex-
press their opinion about them. Many of the governors were
Masons and in order to avoid suspicion they pretended to be
against them.54 The pope had issued a, bull against Freemasonry
in 1825 and now it was published toward the end of 1828; no
doubt, this caused some people to turn against the secret societies.55
Finally through the influence of the Scottish Rite Masons a law
was passed on October 25, 1828, which prohibited all clandestine
meetings, and the penalties for violating it were to be very severe.
The new law was circulated immediately and was aimed at the
Yorkist lodges which worked almost publicly. The law, however,
was to have a far different result from what its originators ex-
pected, for they were to be the victims of it. The Grand York
Lodge pretended to comply with the law to avoid persecution and
to trap the Scottish Masons. The hostility between the two groups
was worse than ever and acts of vengeance were carried to the
extreme. Sevarriano Quesada, a venerable of the Yorkist lodge
Silencio number 25, was assassinated and there were many mili-
tary executions. Such procedure caused Masonry to lose its pres-
tige in the country.
Many lodges were denounced to the government. A Scottish
Rite lodge holding meetings in the street of Las Batas at the
home of Colonel Nifio de Rivera, who was a venerable in it, was
surprised by the agents of the government. Even the Grand
53Toro, 56, 59-60.
saRiva Palacio, IV, 146.
ss5Bancroft, V, 34.213
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 42, July 1938 - April, 1939, periodical, 1939; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101107/m1/235/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.