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Article MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Masonic Sayings And Doings Abroad.
to remind you that volumes have been written upon his subject by the opponents of Masonry . " It is a serious question whether any act of ours , which should bring this matter prominently before the world , would be of any benefit to Masonry here , or
to the Craft ' in those countries less favoured than ours . ' It would give opportunity for the friends of the Eomish Church to assert the necessity of the Papal Bull against the Masonic fraternity ; for the adherents of despotism to apologise for the acts of
the Emperor in appointing his own trusty adviser > although a profane , Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France ; and for the reflection that the crown of England has always been sufficiently crafty to have a true and loyal peer of the realm occupy the
Oriental chair of its Grand Lodge . "It is difficult to imagine what possible benefit would result from the meeting you propose . Our Grand Lodges are not political institutions , and there would be great hazard in their attempting to exercise
political influence . If we should try to exercise it , and be partially successful , we might thereby be induced to attempt the experiment again , and thus bring the society into disrepute and inevitable ruin .
'' Of course I do not desire to set up my own judgment against the well-considered plans of my brethren , nor to discourage attempts to ameliorate the misfortunes of my fellows . Nevertheless , I have great fear of bringing the institution of Freemasonry before the public upon any occasion , and of its attempting
in any manner to influence the action of civil governments . " The brethren of the Grand Lodge of this jurisdiction have elected me Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts . Over them I am called to exercise the
functions of this office . Among the many and varied duties of my distinguished predecessors , extending over a period of time especially marked by revolutions and persecutions of the faithful , I can find no precedent for the novel action which you propose , and no
warrant for the meeting to which you have invited me . As an individual Mason you do not ask me to attend . As Grand Master I must respectfully decline your invitation , as I cannot take the responsibility of placing the Grand Lodge and the brethren
of Massachusetts in a position which neither the customs and constitutions of the Craft nor the direction of the Grand Lodge have authorised me to place them . —N . T . Dispatch .
The Fkergreen says that a " Pilgrim Memorial Convention" was recently held in Chicago , in special honour of the " Blarney-stone" of New England . Many of the measures inaugurated by this Convention , which was a national Congregational Convention , are laudable in their conception and noble in their
aim . Being held under the shadow of the execrable Cynosure , and having the infamous Blanchard for one of its engineers , of course this Convention of Congregationalists could not adjourn without " kicking against the pricks , " and so there was introduced a resolution " earnestly requesting the Pilgrim Society
of Plymouth to remove the Masonic tablet on the corner stone of the national monument to our forefathers , on the ground that their spirit and principles were quite inconsistent with the genius of Masonry . " For a wonder , this resolution provoked a warm
discussion , but it was finally postponed indefinitely , as a Congregational Convention is to be held at Cincinnati next summer to expressly consider the question of " the relation of the Church to secret societies . "
Some maintain that a maimed man may be made a Mason by dispensation of the Grand Master . This is an error . Can the Grand Master make a Mason out of a murderer or a thief ? No . Whence then is his power to make Masons out of maimed men ? It may
be said that the moral maiming in the case is more objectionable than the physical maiming in the other . But this is not sufficient . No Grand Master has any rights but those vested in him by his installation , and this is not one of them . A maimed or dismembered
person , in such a condition prior to his being made a Mason , is a record and a public posting of the sin of those who made him . And has a Grand Master any right to afflict a lodge locally , or the brethren generally , with such an exhibition ? We are convinced he has not . —Voice of Masonry .
The Keystone says of John H . Anthon , G . Master of New York , "As a Mason , he is one of the truest , brightest , and best members of the fraternity . As a man , he has the respect and esteem of the people of New York . With all the ability , and learning , and
courage to perform the duties of this high position , we wish'him that eminent success he so justly deserves . We trust he will stand by the ancient landmarks , administer the true Masonic law , and defend that sovereignty which constitutes Grand Lodges the
supreme Masonic authority within their boundaries . The Craft in New York have now a Grand Master capable , competent , active , earnest , sincere , and faithful , a fit successor to Clinton , Simmons , and Gibson men who have made the Grand Lodge of New York a power in the Masonic world . "
At the last communication of the Grand Lodge of Michigan , two hundred and thirty-seven lodges were represented . A table given in the Grand Master's address shows the annual progress since 18 G 0 . In that year there were 115 lodges aud 5 , 816 members i
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Sayings And Doings Abroad.
to remind you that volumes have been written upon his subject by the opponents of Masonry . " It is a serious question whether any act of ours , which should bring this matter prominently before the world , would be of any benefit to Masonry here , or
to the Craft ' in those countries less favoured than ours . ' It would give opportunity for the friends of the Eomish Church to assert the necessity of the Papal Bull against the Masonic fraternity ; for the adherents of despotism to apologise for the acts of
the Emperor in appointing his own trusty adviser > although a profane , Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France ; and for the reflection that the crown of England has always been sufficiently crafty to have a true and loyal peer of the realm occupy the
Oriental chair of its Grand Lodge . "It is difficult to imagine what possible benefit would result from the meeting you propose . Our Grand Lodges are not political institutions , and there would be great hazard in their attempting to exercise
political influence . If we should try to exercise it , and be partially successful , we might thereby be induced to attempt the experiment again , and thus bring the society into disrepute and inevitable ruin .
'' Of course I do not desire to set up my own judgment against the well-considered plans of my brethren , nor to discourage attempts to ameliorate the misfortunes of my fellows . Nevertheless , I have great fear of bringing the institution of Freemasonry before the public upon any occasion , and of its attempting
in any manner to influence the action of civil governments . " The brethren of the Grand Lodge of this jurisdiction have elected me Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts . Over them I am called to exercise the
functions of this office . Among the many and varied duties of my distinguished predecessors , extending over a period of time especially marked by revolutions and persecutions of the faithful , I can find no precedent for the novel action which you propose , and no
warrant for the meeting to which you have invited me . As an individual Mason you do not ask me to attend . As Grand Master I must respectfully decline your invitation , as I cannot take the responsibility of placing the Grand Lodge and the brethren
of Massachusetts in a position which neither the customs and constitutions of the Craft nor the direction of the Grand Lodge have authorised me to place them . —N . T . Dispatch .
The Fkergreen says that a " Pilgrim Memorial Convention" was recently held in Chicago , in special honour of the " Blarney-stone" of New England . Many of the measures inaugurated by this Convention , which was a national Congregational Convention , are laudable in their conception and noble in their
aim . Being held under the shadow of the execrable Cynosure , and having the infamous Blanchard for one of its engineers , of course this Convention of Congregationalists could not adjourn without " kicking against the pricks , " and so there was introduced a resolution " earnestly requesting the Pilgrim Society
of Plymouth to remove the Masonic tablet on the corner stone of the national monument to our forefathers , on the ground that their spirit and principles were quite inconsistent with the genius of Masonry . " For a wonder , this resolution provoked a warm
discussion , but it was finally postponed indefinitely , as a Congregational Convention is to be held at Cincinnati next summer to expressly consider the question of " the relation of the Church to secret societies . "
Some maintain that a maimed man may be made a Mason by dispensation of the Grand Master . This is an error . Can the Grand Master make a Mason out of a murderer or a thief ? No . Whence then is his power to make Masons out of maimed men ? It may
be said that the moral maiming in the case is more objectionable than the physical maiming in the other . But this is not sufficient . No Grand Master has any rights but those vested in him by his installation , and this is not one of them . A maimed or dismembered
person , in such a condition prior to his being made a Mason , is a record and a public posting of the sin of those who made him . And has a Grand Master any right to afflict a lodge locally , or the brethren generally , with such an exhibition ? We are convinced he has not . —Voice of Masonry .
The Keystone says of John H . Anthon , G . Master of New York , "As a Mason , he is one of the truest , brightest , and best members of the fraternity . As a man , he has the respect and esteem of the people of New York . With all the ability , and learning , and
courage to perform the duties of this high position , we wish'him that eminent success he so justly deserves . We trust he will stand by the ancient landmarks , administer the true Masonic law , and defend that sovereignty which constitutes Grand Lodges the
supreme Masonic authority within their boundaries . The Craft in New York have now a Grand Master capable , competent , active , earnest , sincere , and faithful , a fit successor to Clinton , Simmons , and Gibson men who have made the Grand Lodge of New York a power in the Masonic world . "
At the last communication of the Grand Lodge of Michigan , two hundred and thirty-seven lodges were represented . A table given in the Grand Master's address shows the annual progress since 18 G 0 . In that year there were 115 lodges aud 5 , 816 members i