Newspapers / Masonic Journal (Greensboro, N.C.) / June 2, 1876, edition 1 / Page 1
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,'^V V /l Mw \->f- (Y- VOL. 1. Masonic Visitors During Centenuial. GllEENSRORO, C„ FRIDAY, JLNE 2, 1876 NO 38. the upon regularity of Masonic governments, | ambition ; but that ambition, and that respect tor Masonic comity which I fLo rTrotifi^of,•v^v, ^6 an^bt to anrl !'he gratification of the same, s Ilavir.g read the Keystone's article on this subject, which called foi th the criti cisms of the DispcUch^ we now give our readers the benefit of the following article from the Keystone in replv, prefacing it with our endorsement of the position which it assumes, and urge our Brethren everywhere to be as hrm as he in their . adhesion to the laws of our ancient Or der, and independent of all other “Mod ern" Institutions; In our late article in the Keystone upon “Masonic visitors during the Centennial" we distinguished incidentally between Ancient Graft Masonrv, represented bv all ot the Grano Lodges of Fiee and Ac cepted Masons of the United States and of the world, and the Ancient and Ac cepted Scottish Rite, represented inter alia by certain Grand Orients of Europe; and we emphasized the fact, and gave several reasons therefor, that the Grand Lodge of free and Accepted Masons of Pen nsylvaniahas decided that members hailing from certain European Grand Ori ents and Grand Lodges, not recognized by this Grand Lodge, cannot be admitted to our Lodges, Our Brother of the New York Dispatch appears to have misunder stood us. He says; “We are perfectly willing to admit that the Acystoiie correctly states the Perin- sylvania idea on the subject of the York Kite ; but it is quite as certain that it is not true of any other known jurisdiction, nor is it correct on general principles; for if Masonry were bound down to cer tain set phrases and a pariioular mode of reciting them, it would follow that no one but a PennsylVania-made Mason could visit in that State, it being well- known that its ritual and instruction are essentially different in form from those of all the rest, not even excepting the Grand Lodge of England, from which they sprang. Again, nothing is more certain than that the ‘York Rite,' as a rite, has no practical existence, if, indeed, it ever existed ; and, a: we have heretofore de monstrated, all this talk about Ancient York Masons is the sheerest bosh in the world.” Now, we made no distinction whatever between the different ritualistic forms that Ancient Craft Masonry has assumed, ■and we said nothing about Pennsylvania Work, either directly or indirectly. We spoke of something that, to our intelli gence is back of all that; we referred to certain fundamental principles that un derlie pure Freemasonry. The one only ancient Masonic Rite to which we alluded is e.cemplified to all intents in equal puri ty in New York, and Pennsylvania, and England. The allusion to “Ancient York Mason,s” is the Dispatch's, not ours. We neither asserted their existence, nor found ed any argument upon such a predicate. The only pure and ancient Masonry that, in exact language, exists in Pennsyl Vania, is Free and Acoep'.ed Masonry— the same that exists in New York, It is true that our forms are simpler than theirs, but the body of our Masonry is the same—therefore, we need add nothing further in answer to the paragraph above quoted. But our New York Brother goes on to add ; ‘'Our Philadelphia Brother will find, if he closely scans the report of his State Committee, that the question of admission 3S not based on difference of rites or ritu als, for that would isolate our respective jurisdictions, but rather, and in fact only. so far as aught to, and we are pleased tobe able to^ j be add,doeslu a large degree j^revail. Let ! not by his own desires, but by us hope that, this distinction being better | fellow members, who, appreciating under»itood, may at last lead to a closer ' his worthiness a.-id qualifications, seek to U ^^a«onic powers in i elevate him. To seek office is unmasonic- •inion ctmou" a the world.' We freely admit that the Committee of Ccrrespor.dence, in their report, based their recommendation of non-recognition of the Grand Lodges and Grand Orients referred to. upon the fact that these Bodies had either unlawfully emasculated them- selvesot certain inheientsovereign pow ers, and assumed to delegate the same to a so called Masonic Diet; or were net otherwise in a Masonic condition tojusti- fy their rocognition by the Gr.'uid Lodge of Pennsylvania. The reasoning with reference to Rites, Ancient and Modern, was -jur own, and we are prepared to stand by it, for to our mind it is irrefraga- biy sound. So far as our knowledge of European Grand Orients goes, they all work under a modern Rite, with thirty three degrees, which Bro. Mackey, in hi.s Encyclopaedia says, had no existence pri- 01'to 1801 It was a development, on a sliding scale, of another modern rite, of twenty-five degrees, organized in 1758. Bro. Mackey, (himself an A. and A. Rite Masonjsays expressly that the A. and A. Rite is “one of the youngest of the Mason ic Rites, having been established not ear Her than the year 1801.” Now. how re cognition can lawfully be given by any Grand Body of Ancient Craft .Masonry to a Grand Body of Modern Masonr •, hav ing eleven times its number of degrees, and pretending to confer the three primi tive degrees themselves, weeannot con ceive. According to the old fashioned notions, the two Rites are so different as to require their independent existence. How can a Free ana Accepted Mason recognize a modern Body calling itself Masonic, which outside of the United States assumes to exercise absolute con trol (and in the United States only waives the claim) over the three degrees of the ancient symbolic Rite of Free and Ac cepted Masons, and thus makes these three degree.s the foundation of a Rite cor.sisting i,f thirty-three degrees ? Per- h.aps the Dispatch can answer this ques tion. We conclude with a paragraph from our former article ; “ In refusing to admit members of the A. and A. Rite we throw no slur on the Rite—we merely say, it is not ours, and who will deny it ? There is no F'ree and A ccepted Mason from any lawful juris diction on the face of the globe that will be denied entrance to our lodges upon ap plication and due avouchment, or exami nation. Of this there can be no doubt, and more than this no one has a right to expect.” Polluting the Ballot-box. We have read that “in the lowest deep there is a deeper still,” This may appear paradoxical, but whether it is or is not so, if there be any word more mean than meanest, then we wish to apply that epi thet to the man claiming to De a Mason and a member of a Lodge, who deliber ately, willfully, and with malice pretense, determines to destroy the best interests of his Lodge by, on every occasion that offers, depositing a black ball, and for no other or better reason than a majority of his Lodge would not elect him to office. Every Mason should have a laudable to vent your spleen because your subord inate vanity is not gratified, by stabbing the character of worthy and unoffending gentlemen, W'ho, forming a favorable opinion of the Masonic institution, desire to aid in the extending of its benevolence is not only more than nnmasonic ; it is cowardly, dastardly, fiendish, and hell ish. The man calling himself a Freemason, who deposits a black ball from other than purely Masonic motives, is a Thug; and though by the Masonic law his base and iniquitous motives cannot be inquired into, yet if he is possessed of the least fractional part of what is known as con science, then must he feel that he has a HELL Within his own breast. He must know and feel that he is a murderer of an innocent man’s character, a character which for manliness, uprightness, and common honesty, is as far superior to his own as light is to darkness. Indeed, we do not hesitate to say, that the man who would begiiiltv of violating his covenant as a Mason in the manner we have indicated (and we fear there are more than one in this metropolitan city,) would not hesitate to commit a murder were it not for the fear of the gallows. In committing the latter, the greatest of all crimes, though he confessed it not, suspicions, or suspicious circumstances, would p'.ace him under at least confine ment until it was cleared away, and he would therefore hesitate belore rendering himself amenable to the bauds of justice ; but in committinf' the former, he, in his coward's heart, knows that neither sus picions or suspicious evidences can reach him, and though suspected, and he knows that he is suspected, he continues in his infamous career, and shelters him self, coward like, behind the sanctity of the Masonic ballot box,, to the injury of his Lodge and the stigmatizing of the character of men as far above himself as heaven is above earth. If the days of miracles had not passed away, we should pray that the devil, which dwells in the c ayey tabernacle of such wretches, should, by a miracle, be cast out, and those features which bear the impress of manhood and manliness should not belie themselves.—New York Square. In the blood of ancestry may be found . the prophecy of destiny. At the Japan department in Philadel phia, a few days since, a young lad}' ex.- amining a quaintly wrought vase asked the Japanese youth in attendance;— “What is that vase made for ?” The po lite little fellow replied ; “Madame, that was made expressly to secure the admi ration of the American ladies.” PEN AND SCISSORS. ... .Life is too short to lose it- ... .Honest pride is a rare jewel, ....Tlirovv away nothing tlial is useful. Xo poverty so terrible as is cli unkeness. -.. .We will be happy no matter what loads we carry. Opportunities ripen to be plucked and utilized. The humafi heart 'Will produce fruit ac cording to its planting, Giris -never marry a man for to-day, but for that long to-morrow. Some attractive women do not attract angels or good company. Life. Is useless to the person who can not mal;e it useful to others. The person who does a mean act throws poison into his own ^ell. ... Every person is sure of one good friend if he will not abuse himself .... When you do not know tlie way, stop till the angels And and direct you. .... It i.s better to preserve love than to mourn because it cannot l>e regained, ... A cairiage in Xewark is ‘‘Por Sail Sheap.” Another person 'n’lio desires a.hearing —a deaf man. .... A man’s awn manner and character is what be.st becomes him, .... 'I'liey liave a Grange school in Union township, near Iron Springs, Ark. Mr. Moody was given a purse of $1500 during his stay in Augtlsta, Ga. .... New Yorkers wash stale poultry wit'i soda to whiten it, and then blow it up. ... If others do not understand and love us we can still be pure, and good, and love oursclvo.s. .... The richest mother We know of is tlie one whose children arc her keys to Heaven and its parlors. .... It requires wisdom to distinguish be tween our real and imaginary wants and thus ta escape suffering. The pare.it who develops the good, pure ami beautiful in .a child swells the bank account in Heaven. .... J/any a sweet kernel is in a faugh shell; so are thousands of the sweetest souls in the world in coarse clothes. .... California Granges ask the Legislature to lix fees of attor.neys in cases where no con tract has been made. A pleasure park at Port 'W'ayne, Ind., has been named “Mad Anthony,” after the famous general of that soubriquet, .... Don’t moralize to a man who is on his back. Help him up, see him tiraily on h;s feet, and then give him advice and means. ... Elihu Burritt can call a man a splay footed idiot in thirty three languages, but if it is a big mat, he usually does i; in Sanscrit. .... The Sultan kills iris mothers-in-law ; and so would any body who had 1800 wives. Think of a man with 1300 mothers-ih-law'. .... Tlib flist Christian newspaper ever published in Japan lias just been issued at Kobe. If is in Kana characters, which all tlie people can read. .... Tlie first mosquito ol the season is sing ing around oiirearsas we evrite this. * * * ■* * The first mosquito of the season lies a quivering mass of insect mins on ttie floor. .... A prisoner at Auburn smashed five sewing inaChinUs with a sledge hammer tlie other day to spite the State, He now wislies that he had’nt smaslied but one. .... The National Grange Executive Com mittee are working out a more perfect busi ness for co-operative stores. In due time the proper blaiiks will be ready for use in ail branches 'of such stores. li ft ill I F- li# m
Masonic Journal (Greensboro, N.C.)
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June 2, 1876, edition 1
1
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