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Article TO THE GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND.—No. II. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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To The Grand Lodge Of Ireland.—No. Ii.
street , any more than we can in your present location . You may , among your archives ( I ) , have proofs of having there met , but it would puzzle your " evergreen , " the D . G . Secretary ( who is , by the way , the most irresponsible deputy existing ) , to bring one single proof of good service in the cause of Masonry . Show me my error , and I will on conviction make you the most ample atonement . It is intention to address a series of letters it lease
my you , may p you , on certain topics . —The present will glance at the circumstance of a late suspension of a member of your body , ancl the more recent citing of one of the most exemplary Masons of the universe before you , to show cause why he departed from some of your customs . Do not you laugh when I candidly assure you , that it puzzled me then as it does now , to know how he could depart from customs he never saw , and which very customs you yourself have no knowledge of whatever . to cite
I freely admit , may it please you , the power you possess Brethren before your tribunal ; but there is an adage to the effect , that however it may be well to have a giant ' s strength , it may not be well to use it—yours is a case in point—your bodily strength is an overmatch for your mental . In the first case in question , there was doubtless a plausible case for inquiry ; but then , may it please you to remember , you permitted a most unwarrantable anomaly , in re , " Masonic law versus Masonic justice ; " the prosecution was urged at railroad speed : but when the defendant attended to state those facts necessary to the case , and which he had not entrusted to any other party , you declined
to admit him , and he was actually suspended , during a scene of turmoil , much after the manner of Macbeth ' s ladies , unsurpassed in any annalia , without being permitted to show cause why he ought not to be suspended !* Your conduct on the occasion resembled the bursting of a steam-boiler , by ivhich many were hurt ; and thus scalded by your own carelessness , they visited on the absent defendant a sentence which , but for the folly of those who passed it , might be thought severe : unfortunates themselves to
whereas you should have committed the some Masonic asylum in Dublin , where they might by time and care have been brought to their senses—when , may it please you , will you come to yours ? Observe , the wound you inflicted has left no dishonourable scar ; time may have marked him , as it does all mankind , but the marks of the scythe bearer are a correction , not a curse ; it is to be hoped that the mark of cicatrix not be eternal .
your may 'To show the good temper and high principle that influence an English Mason , whose reputation and character some of your silly members took the opportunity to attack in his moment of trouble , I will ( by bis permission ) extract a paragraph or two in relation to the Brother you suspended . — " I am of opinion that the punishment exceeds the fault , and that his position is a violation of Freemasonry , which ought always to demand that the veil of Charity should be gently thrown over all error
—and nothing can alter my opinion . " Again , in a letter to the object thus shamefully dealt with , the same Brother observes , — " Power loses its moral effect when exercised as power—true principle in its correction is slow to judge , but in the end is sure to reform the error or punish the fault . "—May it please you , ponder well .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Grand Lodge Of Ireland.—No. Ii.
street , any more than we can in your present location . You may , among your archives ( I ) , have proofs of having there met , but it would puzzle your " evergreen , " the D . G . Secretary ( who is , by the way , the most irresponsible deputy existing ) , to bring one single proof of good service in the cause of Masonry . Show me my error , and I will on conviction make you the most ample atonement . It is intention to address a series of letters it lease
my you , may p you , on certain topics . —The present will glance at the circumstance of a late suspension of a member of your body , ancl the more recent citing of one of the most exemplary Masons of the universe before you , to show cause why he departed from some of your customs . Do not you laugh when I candidly assure you , that it puzzled me then as it does now , to know how he could depart from customs he never saw , and which very customs you yourself have no knowledge of whatever . to cite
I freely admit , may it please you , the power you possess Brethren before your tribunal ; but there is an adage to the effect , that however it may be well to have a giant ' s strength , it may not be well to use it—yours is a case in point—your bodily strength is an overmatch for your mental . In the first case in question , there was doubtless a plausible case for inquiry ; but then , may it please you to remember , you permitted a most unwarrantable anomaly , in re , " Masonic law versus Masonic justice ; " the prosecution was urged at railroad speed : but when the defendant attended to state those facts necessary to the case , and which he had not entrusted to any other party , you declined
to admit him , and he was actually suspended , during a scene of turmoil , much after the manner of Macbeth ' s ladies , unsurpassed in any annalia , without being permitted to show cause why he ought not to be suspended !* Your conduct on the occasion resembled the bursting of a steam-boiler , by ivhich many were hurt ; and thus scalded by your own carelessness , they visited on the absent defendant a sentence which , but for the folly of those who passed it , might be thought severe : unfortunates themselves to
whereas you should have committed the some Masonic asylum in Dublin , where they might by time and care have been brought to their senses—when , may it please you , will you come to yours ? Observe , the wound you inflicted has left no dishonourable scar ; time may have marked him , as it does all mankind , but the marks of the scythe bearer are a correction , not a curse ; it is to be hoped that the mark of cicatrix not be eternal .
your may 'To show the good temper and high principle that influence an English Mason , whose reputation and character some of your silly members took the opportunity to attack in his moment of trouble , I will ( by bis permission ) extract a paragraph or two in relation to the Brother you suspended . — " I am of opinion that the punishment exceeds the fault , and that his position is a violation of Freemasonry , which ought always to demand that the veil of Charity should be gently thrown over all error
—and nothing can alter my opinion . " Again , in a letter to the object thus shamefully dealt with , the same Brother observes , — " Power loses its moral effect when exercised as power—true principle in its correction is slow to judge , but in the end is sure to reform the error or punish the fault . "—May it please you , ponder well .