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Article THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW. ← Page 4 of 8 →
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The Freemasons' Quarterly Review.
many leading points , yet have our strictures been suffered to remain uncontradicted . There are serious faults in our executive , amounting to grievances , endured by the Anglo-masonic community ; in the relating of these we have merely been retaliated on by some occasional spluttering on a question of privilege . That our entire legal constitution requires investigation we aver , its
whole framework may be taken to pieces without detriment and reconstructed , and thus the members of a partial , if not a vicious legislature , may be effectually corrected ; but this change must come about by the voice from below the dais , and it must be followed by the " hand-writing on the wall , " or the influence of the purple will prevail , and we shall still find that our boasted laws will continue to be only " a mockery , a
delusion , and a snare . " Whenever the " voice" has really spoken , fear has impelled the executive to grant an instalment of justice ; but are we to be content with instalments , when tve can compel the payment of principal and interest ? It is easy to show that whenever the executive prances in an attitude to do something generous or liberal , it curvets in fanciful pride , but
exhibits nothing of the knightly nobility of Freemasonry—all is a measure wrung by necessity—a tribute to the fear of examination—a sop to circumstance . The Grand Registrar we admit to be an efficient officer , but he is also President of the Board of General Purposes ; but whoever heard of the identity of a prime minister and attorney-general ? A prime minister may require the advice of the attorney-general , but in " re masonica , " an appeal must be from Philip to Philip .
In sober truth , the Grand Registrar should consider himself to be a public officer , not the tool of power , for the humblest Mason has a claim to his service , equal to that of the Grand Master . A change in the protectorate would at once put an end to the banding together of those who owe their position to the preference of personal friendship , or as the reward of sycophancy . The dai ' s would be tenanted by brethren selected
by different Grand Masters , who , each observing for himself , would endeavour to place before the prominent attention of Grand Lodge , such Masters and Past Masters as had honestlyand truly done their duty—there should be no preference as to persons or lodges , the selection should be made with reference to service and position ; and even should errors occur , they would not be frequent , for the opportunity would be limited ;
but now , THREE purpled sycophants have so poisoned the ear of the Grand Master , that our prediction is verified , and in listening to them he has lost himself . A nobler Mason , and of the highest rank , when living , held the opinions we now deliver ; they made a deep impression on us , and the time has now arrived , when to conceal them would be treason .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Quarterly Review.
many leading points , yet have our strictures been suffered to remain uncontradicted . There are serious faults in our executive , amounting to grievances , endured by the Anglo-masonic community ; in the relating of these we have merely been retaliated on by some occasional spluttering on a question of privilege . That our entire legal constitution requires investigation we aver , its
whole framework may be taken to pieces without detriment and reconstructed , and thus the members of a partial , if not a vicious legislature , may be effectually corrected ; but this change must come about by the voice from below the dais , and it must be followed by the " hand-writing on the wall , " or the influence of the purple will prevail , and we shall still find that our boasted laws will continue to be only " a mockery , a
delusion , and a snare . " Whenever the " voice" has really spoken , fear has impelled the executive to grant an instalment of justice ; but are we to be content with instalments , when tve can compel the payment of principal and interest ? It is easy to show that whenever the executive prances in an attitude to do something generous or liberal , it curvets in fanciful pride , but
exhibits nothing of the knightly nobility of Freemasonry—all is a measure wrung by necessity—a tribute to the fear of examination—a sop to circumstance . The Grand Registrar we admit to be an efficient officer , but he is also President of the Board of General Purposes ; but whoever heard of the identity of a prime minister and attorney-general ? A prime minister may require the advice of the attorney-general , but in " re masonica , " an appeal must be from Philip to Philip .
In sober truth , the Grand Registrar should consider himself to be a public officer , not the tool of power , for the humblest Mason has a claim to his service , equal to that of the Grand Master . A change in the protectorate would at once put an end to the banding together of those who owe their position to the preference of personal friendship , or as the reward of sycophancy . The dai ' s would be tenanted by brethren selected
by different Grand Masters , who , each observing for himself , would endeavour to place before the prominent attention of Grand Lodge , such Masters and Past Masters as had honestlyand truly done their duty—there should be no preference as to persons or lodges , the selection should be made with reference to service and position ; and even should errors occur , they would not be frequent , for the opportunity would be limited ;
but now , THREE purpled sycophants have so poisoned the ear of the Grand Master , that our prediction is verified , and in listening to them he has lost himself . A nobler Mason , and of the highest rank , when living , held the opinions we now deliver ; they made a deep impression on us , and the time has now arrived , when to conceal them would be treason .