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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 5 of 25 →
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Provincial.
Masonic Benevolent Institution : my position as Treasurer to the Asylum required me to be explicit . I could not give the new institution my undivided allegiance ; but it being based on charity , demanded the good opinion of all Masons . I felt it necessary to take exception to three of its clauses , but I was met with the improper exercise of power , against which I protested , and ever will protest . " A kind of recruiting activity has been at work to prejudice me in
the Provinces—on one occasion it signally failed . At a great public Masonic meeting I ventured to attend , and it was gratifying to observe ; that the amende honorable was made , and I felt that Masonry could rise superior to the machinations of unkind persons . Among other dastardly charges , I have been stated to have ungratefully returned the generous kindness and hospitality of my Irish Brethren , by speaking disparagingly of them . This—on my Masonic honour—I deny . I do not
name the recreant , lest he should hear ' On all sides from innumerable tongues a dismal and universal hiss , the sound of public scorn . ' " Brethren , was any punishment awarded to an M . P ., not a P . M . of our Order —( laughter and cheers )—who , to shew the prostrate state to which our Order might be reduced , actually stated , that unless some stop was put to the freedom of language , we should lose our charter , or at any rate , that when death should cause a vacancy in the Masonic throne
such vacancy could not be supplied , by reason that we should be despised among men . A more uncalled for or ridiculous attack on our honour could scarcely have been thought of , much less made ; the witless man was , I am certain , innocent ( senator though he was ) of the 39 th of Geo . 3 , c . 79 , by which Act our Order is recognised by the most honourable exemption from the fate that awaits every other secret society , because our meetings are based on the princip les , of charity .
The M . P . hazarded his all on the cast—a gambler would have done no more ; contrast the tendency of his conduct with the charge against me , for being supposed to have heard some tendency to disrespect . Was he rebuked ?—Oh , no ! he was faintly applauded . " Brethren , let us remember that we cannot endanger our tenure until we do what such Brethren , as I have alluded to , would misdirect us to do—become uncharitable —( applause ) .
" There is no man whose mind is well regulated , that is not disposed to pay to rank and station what is essentially due to both , and to make great allowance for the failings of the nobly-born , for the sake of their rank , as a set-off against the clamorous mendicant whom we relieve for the sake of his necessity , although otherwise he may be unworthy of our sympathy . But there are limits to every human duty , and we should be calm in our judgment as regards rank and station;—mind gives both ; wanting mind what is either?—but with mind and grace to adorn it , what moral grandeur !
" Rank ' s a robe Which sets best when negligently worn , Disclosing the minds perfect symmetry ;" And in regard to Freemasonry , it is too holy an institution to be entombed with the mortal remains of any man" When men know what their own natures are , And feel what God intended them to be , They are not nwerl by pomps the sun outlives . " " The Freemasons' Review—as an organ of Masonic public utility
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
Masonic Benevolent Institution : my position as Treasurer to the Asylum required me to be explicit . I could not give the new institution my undivided allegiance ; but it being based on charity , demanded the good opinion of all Masons . I felt it necessary to take exception to three of its clauses , but I was met with the improper exercise of power , against which I protested , and ever will protest . " A kind of recruiting activity has been at work to prejudice me in
the Provinces—on one occasion it signally failed . At a great public Masonic meeting I ventured to attend , and it was gratifying to observe ; that the amende honorable was made , and I felt that Masonry could rise superior to the machinations of unkind persons . Among other dastardly charges , I have been stated to have ungratefully returned the generous kindness and hospitality of my Irish Brethren , by speaking disparagingly of them . This—on my Masonic honour—I deny . I do not
name the recreant , lest he should hear ' On all sides from innumerable tongues a dismal and universal hiss , the sound of public scorn . ' " Brethren , was any punishment awarded to an M . P ., not a P . M . of our Order —( laughter and cheers )—who , to shew the prostrate state to which our Order might be reduced , actually stated , that unless some stop was put to the freedom of language , we should lose our charter , or at any rate , that when death should cause a vacancy in the Masonic throne
such vacancy could not be supplied , by reason that we should be despised among men . A more uncalled for or ridiculous attack on our honour could scarcely have been thought of , much less made ; the witless man was , I am certain , innocent ( senator though he was ) of the 39 th of Geo . 3 , c . 79 , by which Act our Order is recognised by the most honourable exemption from the fate that awaits every other secret society , because our meetings are based on the princip les , of charity .
The M . P . hazarded his all on the cast—a gambler would have done no more ; contrast the tendency of his conduct with the charge against me , for being supposed to have heard some tendency to disrespect . Was he rebuked ?—Oh , no ! he was faintly applauded . " Brethren , let us remember that we cannot endanger our tenure until we do what such Brethren , as I have alluded to , would misdirect us to do—become uncharitable —( applause ) .
" There is no man whose mind is well regulated , that is not disposed to pay to rank and station what is essentially due to both , and to make great allowance for the failings of the nobly-born , for the sake of their rank , as a set-off against the clamorous mendicant whom we relieve for the sake of his necessity , although otherwise he may be unworthy of our sympathy . But there are limits to every human duty , and we should be calm in our judgment as regards rank and station;—mind gives both ; wanting mind what is either?—but with mind and grace to adorn it , what moral grandeur !
" Rank ' s a robe Which sets best when negligently worn , Disclosing the minds perfect symmetry ;" And in regard to Freemasonry , it is too holy an institution to be entombed with the mortal remains of any man" When men know what their own natures are , And feel what God intended them to be , They are not nwerl by pomps the sun outlives . " " The Freemasons' Review—as an organ of Masonic public utility