Masonic Reminiscences.

ho had gone forth to maintain the integrity of our beloved country , and uphold her Constitution and laws . Think not for a moment that I slightly steem the high honour which you had conferred upon me , but having been ly taug ht in Masonry to be true to my country , I felt that I was obeying •(¦ a behests by marching with those who keep step to the music of the Union I "

In 1863 , Grand Master Fravel , in speaking of the rebellion , said that no ¦ 0 f promise yet appeared , but borne on the wings of almost every breeze came the groans of the dying , while all over the land was heard the wail of the widow and orphans' cry . " Tho desolations of this war , " he said , " have

been most heavily felt by almost every Lodge in the Grand Jurisdiction , —in tBe valley , and in the hill and mountain sides of the South sleep the loved ones , who but a short time ago knelt around our sacred altars . But we must man fully struggle on and maintain our nationality at every hazard , cost what it may . " Among his decisions as Grand Master was the following . He was asked

this question : "A Brother in good standing in the Lodge has gone South , joined the Confederate army , received a commission therein , and is now in arms against the government of the United States . Can the Lodge expel him ? "

His answer was , that for that act alone he could not be expelled 1 In support of this conclusion he quoted the second sectiorrof the Ancient Constitutions , where it says that " if a Brother should be a rebel against the

state , he is not to be countenanced in his rebellion , howevor he may be pitied as an unhappy man , and if convicted of no other crime , though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his rebellion , they cannot expel him from the Lodge , and his relation to it remains indefeasible . "

The committee , through Bro . Hacker , to whom the question was referred , admitted that the Grand Master had quoted the Ancient Charge correctly , but in their opinion ha had misapplied it . They answered it this way :

" Expel him ! and expel him quickly ! and should you ever catch him engaged in his unholy purposes , treat him just as you would the assassin who , in the dead hour of night , would , with stealth , enter your bed-chamber , and there , while carrying out his purposes of robbery , plunge the dagger to the heart of the wife reposing on your bosom ! "

That was the effervescence of an excess of patriotism which , thanks to the better judgment of the conservative members of the Grand Lodge , was promptly laid on the table . Tha Committee on the state of the Order , which had also to do with matters growing out of the war , practically indorsed the Grand Master's view

of the " vexed question , " although not in so many words . It also added that Masonry regarded rebellion against civil government as a heinous crime which should be promptly repudiated . The committee further said that in speaking out as Masons on the subject of the wicked and unholy rebellion which had for nearly three years distracted our once happy country and

deranged our commercial and social relations , they did not think they were interfering with any Mason's political opinion , which they were bound to respect . " Our Brethren , " they said , " who have gone forth to do battle for their country , should know full well that while we , as Lodges , or as a Grand Body , have no power to pass laws or edicts against an enemy in arms , foreign

or domestic , yet we have no sympathy with such enemies , either Masonic , civil or political , and we will do all in our power to hold up the hands of our Brethren who have gone forth in defence of our country , cheer their hearts , relieve the wants of their families at home , and go to their relief in all times of distress , if within our power ! "

At this session the names of all Masons who had entered the military service were ordered to be published in the printed proceedings . The Grand Secretary was also ordered to procure parchment or good paper on which to place the names of all Masons who had , or might thereafter enter the military service of the United States during the rebellion , have it neatly

framed and hung in the hall as a testimony of respect tendered by the Grand Lodge to our patriotic Brethren . A committee was also appointed looking to the erection of a Masonic cenotaph in the proposed soldier's cemetery . A donation of one thousand dollars was also made to the Sanitary Commission , to be used in assisting Indiana soldiers .

As near as can be ascertained , about 1 , 000 affiliated Masons volunteered in the army . There were at that time about 11 , 000 Masons in the State . Taking into consideration the fact that there were none under the age of twenty-one years , and a large per cent , over the age for military service , the per cent , of Masons that went into the Union army was larger , probabl y , than any other class of men .

Active hostilities ceased in April 1865 , and in that year the anniversary of the establishment of Masonry in Indianapolis was celebrated . In announcing the event , Grand Master Hacker said : " As our nation is just emerging from a most cruel and unholy war , with peace and victory perched

upon her banners , who with more sincerity can rejoice over this happy event than Free Masons ? Then let us come up as one man in the approaching anniversary , and rejoice in one grand jubilee over the return of peace and happiness to our bleeding country . "

As a fitting closing to this war reminiscence , the following resolution , by the Grand Lodge , at its session in 1866 , is appended : " Without exhibiting vanity or vain boasting , we may claim that Masonry did as much to divest the war of the rebellion of many of its most terrible features as any of the numerous appliances recognised among Christian communities . It followed the blood y advance of contending armies-

Masonic Reminiscences.

staunching the gushing wounds—lifting the lifeless head—bearing from the fields the lifeless bodies , like a ministering angel it hovered around the soldier ' s couch in the hospital ward—cooling fevered brows , and soothing dying hours . War has now ended ; peace has come again ; the horrors of the

battle-field have passed away , and the laws which were silent during the reign of bloodshed will again speak and be heard ! The duties of the State now begin , and individual and associated charity may pause in their labours with the knowledge of duty well done . "— " Masonic Advocate . "

Gleanings From Exchanges.

GLEANINGS FROM EXCHANGES .

The Master of a Lodge is an autocrat , if he will be ; but no Master , with the good of his Lodge at heart will assert his opinion in direct and offensive opposition to that of his Brethren . He is a servant king , and as such should rule . He is king , because his right to govern is supreme . He is servant , because his Brethren have , by tho exercise of their united opinion , placed him in that position of absolute power . There are times when one's opinion should

be exercised and enforced , if contrary to that of others—whether Master , Secretary , or Lodge . No one should permit a substitution of his position of right . When that is done the man sinks his manhood beneath cowardice . Bettor stand alone and be right , than go with the multitude to do wrongi Thus it is tho duty of a Masou in Lodge , or elsewhere in the Fraternity , to oppose all cliquoism and tricky political schemes to accomplish personal aims of ambitious but undeserving men .

Will the time ever come when unity , peace , and goodwill to all will reign supreme in our Lodge Room ? Will the time ever come when jealousy will not be a prominent factor for evil in our degree teams ? Will the time ever come when the most competent , capable and energetic Brothers will be

chosen to officer our Lodges ? When will the timo ever come when the natural born mischief-maker will make himself known to the Brothers of a Lodge just before they ballot on his name ? Will the time ever come when the Brothers of the Fraternity will support their paper , and do everything in their power to advance the interests of their Lodges through its columns ?

The Mason who votes to reject a candidate for reasons personal , or foreign to Masonry , not only abuses the " silent power " in him , but forfeits respect and confidence as a Mason . If the candidate is worthy to be a Mason , personal consideration should have no part in the matter , and should not influence the exercise of the ballot . To act otherwise is to employ a

dangerous power to gratify personal spleen against a helpless party wnom he stabs in the dark where he his protected by law , and the petitioner is wholly defenceless . While the secret ballot is a bulwark to Masonry , it should not be changed into the assassin's dagger , or the footpad ' s bludgeon to strike at the character of the unprotected and unsuspecting . —John D . Vincil .

To " got even " by using the black ball is unmanly , un-Masonic and despicable . The man who resorts to such a measure to gratify his desire for revenge , to heal his wounded pride , or show his bitterness because of defeat- , d ambition , will find his action unsatisfying in every respect . He will loathe

himself , and if he has a spark of manhood left will hide himself , and in a little while find his " engagements " convenient to keep him from the Lodge meetings . The end of such a man can easily be seen . Not possessing the spirit of Masonry he will drift out of it , and the Fraternity will be gainer by his loss .

Cremation services have been officially declared , by the Masonic authority , not to be Christian burial . The question that brought about this decision arose over the making of funeral arrangements for the late Charles H . Reisser , a high Mason . It had always been Mr . Reisser's wish to be

cremated . The Grand Master of Pennsylvania , Judge Arnold , returned a decision that the services of the cremation were not Christian burial under Masonic law . The family decided to abandon their original intention to cremate . The funeral took place recently . Masonic organisation attended in a body and performed Masonic rites .

Albert Pike was of the opinion that there is nothing in the world that has the power to create , between men living in different countries , speaking different tongues and never seeing the faces nor hearing the voices of each other , an affection so warm and constant as that of Mason for Mason .

Also Freemasonry not only brings together , as nothing else in the world can , men who without it would never have known each other , but it creates mutual liking and esteem where , without it , one man on account of politics or religious differences would ; have lived and died in the firm belief that the other was not fit to be either liked or esteemed .

A man who passes through the ceremonies of Masonry has imparted to him certain knowledge which it is supposed will always remain with him . He is not always a Mason in the sense that he is entitled to recognition or assistance . He can forfeit all claim upon the Fraternity by un-Masonic conduct . He can put himself without the pale of the Lodge by simply failing

to discharge voluntarily assumed duties . If he neglects to pay all his dues and suffer the penalty , he ceases to be a Mason . He is always a Mason in the obligation which rests upon him to " preserve inviolate the mysteries unfolded to him . " This obligation rests with just as binding force upon one who is suspended or expelled or who has of his own accord withdrawn from the Order .

Fancy" ( marvellous buck dancer ) , R . H . Douglass ( original monologue " Rehearsal" ) , Emmcline Ethardo ( Melanges Artistiqucs ) , La Belle Rose ( Serpentine Globe Act ) , Edwin Barwick ( comedian ) , May Evans ( vocalist ) , Bro . John Le Hay ( ventriloquist ) , Florenz Troupe ( marvellous acrobats ) , Cissie Loftus , "Belles of the Boulevard" ( speciality dancers ) , Clara Wielancl ( Chanteuse Eccentriquo ) , G . H . Chirgwin ( tho White-Eyed Kaffir ) , and Tableaux Vivants .

Palace Theatre . —The programme here still includes a number of attractive features ,, which nightly interest large audiences , from the commencement of the overture at 8 o ' clock until the Tableaux Vivants at 11-5 . Bro . John Le Hay takes a turn each evening , and displays his wonderful ventrilocpjial powers , but he is by no means alone as a shining light . Briefly summarised , the programme includes Edith Yorke ( vocalist ) , " My