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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
[ The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ] MASONIC LANDMARKS .
( To the Editor of 2 he Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As most of your readers no doubt take an interest in whatever bears upon the subject of Masonic Landmarks , the following quotations from the Burgh Records extracts lately given by Bro . W . P . Buchan will be both interesting and useful , viz . : —
" From ancient laws and customs of the Burghs of Scotland , 1124—1424 edited by Professor Innes . ' Leges Burgorum .
xv . De servo alicuius veniente in burgo Si homo alicuius baronis vel militis vel cuiuscunque servu 3 venerit in burgo et emerit ibi burgagium et manserit in burgagio suo per unum annum et diem unum sine calumpnia domini sui vel eius ballivi semper erit liber sicut burgensis et hbertate burgi gaudebit
Of a thryll at cummys to burgh Gif ony mannis thryll barounis or knychtis cummys to burgh and byis a borowage and duellis in his borowage a tuelfmoneth and a day foroutyn challange of his lorde or of his bailye he sail be evir mare fre as a burges wythin that kyngis burgh and ioyse the fredome of that burgh . '
Regiam Maiestatem . Lib . II . c . ix . ' Quibus modi ' s de seruitute ad libertatem peruenitur . Pluribus autem modis potest quis in villenagium positus ad libertatem produci Si natiuus seruus
cuius cunquefuerit seruus quiete per vnum annum et vnum diem in aliqua villa pvivilegiaUv sicut in burgo domini regis manserit scilicet in eorum communia vel gilda tanquam burgensis sine calumpnia domini sui vel alterius nomine suo scilicet balliui so ipso facto a iugo seriulutis liberabitur
Be what way ane man may come fra servitude to Ubertie .
Divers and sundrie waies ane bond man may be made frie .... Gif ane natiue bondman , whais bond that ever he be , remaine quiethe the space of ane year and ane day , in anie privileged toun ( sic as the king ' s burgh in their communitie or gild ) and is not challenged be his maister , nor be mine iu his name , sic as
his bailhe or steward , in that case he sal be frie aud delivered fra bondage . ' " Act xv . of the Leges Burgorum is as old as the time of William the Conqueror , consequently , it is a pretty venerable landmark , ' and , according to it , our 1
free-born ' idea is wrong ; it should bo simply ' free , ' and in Scotland what is called tlie j 1 of free-born should be j——t of freedom . I respectfull y suggest to my American brethren , both white men and black freed-men , to note this . —W . P . BUCUAN . ' '
I give the above quotations believing they may be read with interest by many of your American readers , especially under present circumstances there . Many men and brethren in America whose colour happens to be black have lately been freed by the Sovereign power of the United States , consequently being now
free-men—if their character , & c ., be good—they arc quite entitled to be Free-masons ; and surely men who consider themselves to be highly civilised are not going to continue to be less liberal or charitable than their forefathers of seven or eight centuries ago ! I am , yours fraternally , NEMO .
THE POWERS OF A GRAND MASTER . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — "Cipes" states in No . 38 , page 233 , that the Grand Master has not the power to prevent questions from being brought before the Grand Lodge , or of preventing the fair discussion of it ; he also remarks that , - ' It is tlie privilege of
every brother to protest when he thinks necessary to do so , and the Grand Master has no more power than any other member of the craft to shut his mouth , and to refuse him the privilege of protesting . " I can inform " Cipes" ( whether he is right or wrong ) that it is only within the last month that both his
statements were nullified in the Grand Lodge of Scotland , in so far that the Grand Master refused to allow a question to bo brought in by a member which the Grand Master would not receive ( signed by upwards of three hundred brethren ) nor allow to be read
although it were done b y the brother presenting it . There was a second protest from a Lodge ; this was also refused a reading , although demanded by the li . W . M . of said Lodge . What does " Cipes " say to this ?
I hold that no body , of men if their cause is good , need be afraid of any protest ; it matters not whether thesocicty be secret , social , moral , reli gious , or political . I further hold that no body can refuse to enter dislent of any member or protest of a member , but must engross it in their minutes .
Original Correspondence.
If " Cipes '" statements are correct , then I say that the Grand Lodge before mentioned does resemble the order of the Jesuits . If Grand Lodge wilfully neglects the laws they have made—not only for the guidance of the Craft , but they also are bound to obey , all having solemnly declared
to support the same—if they break their O . B ., then what becomes of that part of the declaration , where the candidate is bound to abide by the laws of the Grand Lodge so long as she retains the ancient landmarks of the Order ? I must state , with all due respect to the Grand Master , who I revere as the head of the Order , that he
stated in Grand Lodge , if any brother had any complaint to make or grievance that he requested redress for , he would willingly receive the communication , and give it his utmost consideration . I have no doubt he will find , as expressed by his predecessor , the office no bed of roses . From the foregoing you will observe that the conduct of Grand Lodge has been despotic . Yours fraternally , J . B .
"RES NON VERBA" AND "CIPES . " ( To tlie Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . — " Res Non Verba" in his letter to you , published in THE FREEMASON of 20 th November , says that I have " introduced a number of unseemly and uumasonic personalities ,
irrelevant to the subject" into my letter , which appeared iu your paper of 13 th November last . He then says : " I decliue all further consideration of the subject with such an vmgentlemauly opponent . " This is an easy way to get out of a controversy in which a man feels that he is getting the worst of it .
I deny , however , that I have used any uugentlemanly or uumasonic personalities , and I refer the point to your consideration aud that of your readers . I have expressed opinions in which others may differ from me , but I hope I have done so in a manner becoming a Freemason and a gentleman . I have
not so far forgotten myself as to speak of Bro . D . M . Lyon , or any other brother Masou , without styling him Brother , as your correspondent " Res Non Verba" does when he speaks of Bro . D . M , Lyou as " David Murray Lyon . "
The friendly societies which " Res Non Verba ' speaks of—the Odd Fellows , Rechabites , Foresters , Good Templars , & c . —are , in my opinion , illegal , because they require an oath of secrecy from their members ; but for this they would be legal . I remain , yours fraternally , CIPES .
JURISDICTION OF GRAND LODGES AND THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
( To the Editor of Ike Freemason . ' ) Under the first clause , of the above caption , a writer signing himself '' Delta " in your paper dated Oct . 30 , treats your readers to some original ideas , and a few deceptions as well , for which they should be duly thankful . He begins by announcing , as a species of
test , that " no more can two distinct civil governments exist in the same territory than can two Masonic governments ; " and thereupon discourses ancnt the " invasion" of the territory of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana . If this writer had been pleased to remember a little
of the history of Freemasonry in England even , without going into that of any other country , he would not have manufactured so silly a text from which to suspend his discourse . He would havo known that from 1739 to 1813 , or for seventy-five years , two Masonic governments did exist in England—two Grand Lodges ,
complete in all their appointments , and , for much of that time , with noblemen as Grand Masters ; and , notwithstanding this fact , England survived , there was no political revolt whatever proceeding from this infraction of the " impossible " in Freemasonry , and the world at largo revolved on its axis as it did before
and lias done since the union of these respective Masonic governments , which had p lace in the hitter year . " Delta" might just as well say that but one form of the Christum church governmcntciin have p lace in the kingdom of England , or any other kingdom or country ,
as to say that but one form of Masonic government can possibly exist therein . Men are Freemasons not as they are Knglishincu , Frenchmen , or Germans by birth and education , but as they are religionists at the present day , and that is fr itii choice , not compulsion ; and in their choice of a Masonic rite thev should be
as five from restraint as they would he in their choice of a form of religious worship . England would be just as great , and glorious ns she is to-day were the Masonic society blotted from her face . Would this be the case if her civil laws were wiped out ? 1 ler civil
government is her glory and her crown . Her . Masonic government is—what ? Anything ? Nothing ; leastwise nothing which it would hurt her , to the slightest extent , to lose , were it lost to-morrow , or divided into a dozen rival forms . It may be of somo value to a Grand Lodge iu any
Original Correspondence.
country that there should be none other in that country , but such a condition can be of no value to Freemasonry , per se . It would no doubt be of value to the Established Church of England were there no other form of church government in that kingdom , and no other form of Christian worship than that
recognised by it ; but there is no more necessity for the hvtter condition than the former , or vice versa , so far as the individual Churchman or Freemason may require . If I ask a man what makes him a Freemason , and he knows how to answer , he will reply , " My obligation . " If I ask a man what makes
him a christian , he will most probably reply , " My creed . " The one does not answer : "My Grand Lodge , " nor the other , "My church government . " This ex - travagent idea about the absolute necessity for one Grand Lodge being dominant in any one state or nation is the veriest twaddle , and should be frowned
down by every man gifted with common sense . For England it is possible the present form of Masonic government is the best ; yet no one knows , as no other has ever been tried—the rival Grand Lodges , of which the present is the issue having existed with scarcely any difference in their manners and customs . Other
European countries do not regard English Freemasonry , that is the English style , satisfactorily , as witness how thoy have changed it in Germany and France . In the latter country a lodge can be organised in any rite of half-a-dozen which its charter members may chose to adopt , although that which is
known as the French Rite is generally preferred . This keeps the power in the hands of the Grand Orient , as it , being ready to charter a lodge in any Rite , thero can be no excuse for brethren to seek for authority to do so of a Grand Lodge in any other country , consequently there is no such thing as " invasion of territory "
known to the Grand Orient of France . She properly regards Masonic rites as Christianity regards Christian denominations—means , simply , various to obtain the same end , and tend to the same purpose—fraternisation of the human race . The minds of men are various as their faces , and change , diversity , is
agreeable to the majority of mankind . Tins fact is witnessed in the various christian sects which at the _ present day prosper and multiply . One form of christian worship , blindly believed in and universally supported , led , in the 16 th century , to an outburst of popular feeling which culminated in the Protestant
Reformation ; and , since that time , will it be said the Christian church has been less effective in civilising mankind ? One form of Masonry in England and America is fast leading to abuses—centralisation , dogmatism , taxation at pleasure by Grand Lodges , or rather by the few who control these bodies , diversion of money from its
legitimate Masonic purpose : the latter more particularly in the United States , with a groat disregard for tho highest Masonic idea , universal fraternity , encouraged by these State Grand Lodges , which , like the Church of Rome , would have all Masonry bend to there behests . As the 16 th century saw a revolution
in Christianity , it is possible the 19 th century may yet see a revolution in Masonry . Nothing but the fact that men can be Masons or not , as they please , has prevented such a revolution as yet . Could men have been Christians or not , as they pleased , in the 16 th century , I believe we should not have had the Protestant
Reformation . Had the Grand Lodge of Louisiana recognised tho American black man as a candidate for Masonry , Bro . Eugene Chassaignaft would not have had occasion to recognise the Supreme Council of Louisiana upon the basis of the G . O . of France , as he / lid , or on any other
basis . There is no more rig ht to decide that the colored man of Louisiana or elsewhere , to-day , in the United States of America should be denied the advantages Freemasonry may confer upon him , than there is to decide he should be denied the advantages christian civilization should confer upon him ; nor
because that body which sets itself up as supreme in the one case does so deny him , that there should not be another body created that would not so deny him . The Grand Orient of France so long as there was no change , looking to the adoption of the black man in New Orleans as a candidate for Masonry , did not
see any necessity for a second Masonic authority being set up in that city , differing in no degree from the first in it 3 principles and ethics , and hence did not recognise the Supreme Council up to 1868 . So soon , however , as it was plainly shown that no Masonic organization in Louisiana would receive tho black
man—though , under the laws of the nation , a citizen of that State—except that of which Bro . E . Chassaignac was chief , tho Grand Orient of France , true to its principles of "Liberty , Equality , Fraternity , " at once recognized that body , and in June last endorsed anew its recognition , ou the face of the protest of Louisiana ' s and New York's Grand Loilgcs , and their
threats of suspension of correspondence with and non-recognition of that Grand Orient . "Delta" endeavours to deceive your readers b y the sophistry he puts into the last paragraphs of his letter . Let the Grand Lodge of Louisiana enact , as a constitutional provision , that men of every race and color kuown to the world may be candidates for Masonry within its lodges , by virtue of their manhood
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Original Correspondence.
Original Correspondence .
[ The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents . ] MASONIC LANDMARKS .
( To the Editor of 2 he Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —As most of your readers no doubt take an interest in whatever bears upon the subject of Masonic Landmarks , the following quotations from the Burgh Records extracts lately given by Bro . W . P . Buchan will be both interesting and useful , viz . : —
" From ancient laws and customs of the Burghs of Scotland , 1124—1424 edited by Professor Innes . ' Leges Burgorum .
xv . De servo alicuius veniente in burgo Si homo alicuius baronis vel militis vel cuiuscunque servu 3 venerit in burgo et emerit ibi burgagium et manserit in burgagio suo per unum annum et diem unum sine calumpnia domini sui vel eius ballivi semper erit liber sicut burgensis et hbertate burgi gaudebit
Of a thryll at cummys to burgh Gif ony mannis thryll barounis or knychtis cummys to burgh and byis a borowage and duellis in his borowage a tuelfmoneth and a day foroutyn challange of his lorde or of his bailye he sail be evir mare fre as a burges wythin that kyngis burgh and ioyse the fredome of that burgh . '
Regiam Maiestatem . Lib . II . c . ix . ' Quibus modi ' s de seruitute ad libertatem peruenitur . Pluribus autem modis potest quis in villenagium positus ad libertatem produci Si natiuus seruus
cuius cunquefuerit seruus quiete per vnum annum et vnum diem in aliqua villa pvivilegiaUv sicut in burgo domini regis manserit scilicet in eorum communia vel gilda tanquam burgensis sine calumpnia domini sui vel alterius nomine suo scilicet balliui so ipso facto a iugo seriulutis liberabitur
Be what way ane man may come fra servitude to Ubertie .
Divers and sundrie waies ane bond man may be made frie .... Gif ane natiue bondman , whais bond that ever he be , remaine quiethe the space of ane year and ane day , in anie privileged toun ( sic as the king ' s burgh in their communitie or gild ) and is not challenged be his maister , nor be mine iu his name , sic as
his bailhe or steward , in that case he sal be frie aud delivered fra bondage . ' " Act xv . of the Leges Burgorum is as old as the time of William the Conqueror , consequently , it is a pretty venerable landmark , ' and , according to it , our 1
free-born ' idea is wrong ; it should bo simply ' free , ' and in Scotland what is called tlie j 1 of free-born should be j——t of freedom . I respectfull y suggest to my American brethren , both white men and black freed-men , to note this . —W . P . BUCUAN . ' '
I give the above quotations believing they may be read with interest by many of your American readers , especially under present circumstances there . Many men and brethren in America whose colour happens to be black have lately been freed by the Sovereign power of the United States , consequently being now
free-men—if their character , & c ., be good—they arc quite entitled to be Free-masons ; and surely men who consider themselves to be highly civilised are not going to continue to be less liberal or charitable than their forefathers of seven or eight centuries ago ! I am , yours fraternally , NEMO .
THE POWERS OF A GRAND MASTER . ( To the Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , — "Cipes" states in No . 38 , page 233 , that the Grand Master has not the power to prevent questions from being brought before the Grand Lodge , or of preventing the fair discussion of it ; he also remarks that , - ' It is tlie privilege of
every brother to protest when he thinks necessary to do so , and the Grand Master has no more power than any other member of the craft to shut his mouth , and to refuse him the privilege of protesting . " I can inform " Cipes" ( whether he is right or wrong ) that it is only within the last month that both his
statements were nullified in the Grand Lodge of Scotland , in so far that the Grand Master refused to allow a question to bo brought in by a member which the Grand Master would not receive ( signed by upwards of three hundred brethren ) nor allow to be read
although it were done b y the brother presenting it . There was a second protest from a Lodge ; this was also refused a reading , although demanded by the li . W . M . of said Lodge . What does " Cipes " say to this ?
I hold that no body , of men if their cause is good , need be afraid of any protest ; it matters not whether thesocicty be secret , social , moral , reli gious , or political . I further hold that no body can refuse to enter dislent of any member or protest of a member , but must engross it in their minutes .
Original Correspondence.
If " Cipes '" statements are correct , then I say that the Grand Lodge before mentioned does resemble the order of the Jesuits . If Grand Lodge wilfully neglects the laws they have made—not only for the guidance of the Craft , but they also are bound to obey , all having solemnly declared
to support the same—if they break their O . B ., then what becomes of that part of the declaration , where the candidate is bound to abide by the laws of the Grand Lodge so long as she retains the ancient landmarks of the Order ? I must state , with all due respect to the Grand Master , who I revere as the head of the Order , that he
stated in Grand Lodge , if any brother had any complaint to make or grievance that he requested redress for , he would willingly receive the communication , and give it his utmost consideration . I have no doubt he will find , as expressed by his predecessor , the office no bed of roses . From the foregoing you will observe that the conduct of Grand Lodge has been despotic . Yours fraternally , J . B .
"RES NON VERBA" AND "CIPES . " ( To tlie Editor of The Freemason . ) DEAR SIR AND BROTHER . — " Res Non Verba" in his letter to you , published in THE FREEMASON of 20 th November , says that I have " introduced a number of unseemly and uumasonic personalities ,
irrelevant to the subject" into my letter , which appeared iu your paper of 13 th November last . He then says : " I decliue all further consideration of the subject with such an vmgentlemauly opponent . " This is an easy way to get out of a controversy in which a man feels that he is getting the worst of it .
I deny , however , that I have used any uugentlemanly or uumasonic personalities , and I refer the point to your consideration aud that of your readers . I have expressed opinions in which others may differ from me , but I hope I have done so in a manner becoming a Freemason and a gentleman . I have
not so far forgotten myself as to speak of Bro . D . M . Lyon , or any other brother Masou , without styling him Brother , as your correspondent " Res Non Verba" does when he speaks of Bro . D . M , Lyou as " David Murray Lyon . "
The friendly societies which " Res Non Verba ' speaks of—the Odd Fellows , Rechabites , Foresters , Good Templars , & c . —are , in my opinion , illegal , because they require an oath of secrecy from their members ; but for this they would be legal . I remain , yours fraternally , CIPES .
JURISDICTION OF GRAND LODGES AND THE GRAND ORIENT OF FRANCE .
( To the Editor of Ike Freemason . ' ) Under the first clause , of the above caption , a writer signing himself '' Delta " in your paper dated Oct . 30 , treats your readers to some original ideas , and a few deceptions as well , for which they should be duly thankful . He begins by announcing , as a species of
test , that " no more can two distinct civil governments exist in the same territory than can two Masonic governments ; " and thereupon discourses ancnt the " invasion" of the territory of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana . If this writer had been pleased to remember a little
of the history of Freemasonry in England even , without going into that of any other country , he would not have manufactured so silly a text from which to suspend his discourse . He would havo known that from 1739 to 1813 , or for seventy-five years , two Masonic governments did exist in England—two Grand Lodges ,
complete in all their appointments , and , for much of that time , with noblemen as Grand Masters ; and , notwithstanding this fact , England survived , there was no political revolt whatever proceeding from this infraction of the " impossible " in Freemasonry , and the world at largo revolved on its axis as it did before
and lias done since the union of these respective Masonic governments , which had p lace in the hitter year . " Delta" might just as well say that but one form of the Christum church governmcntciin have p lace in the kingdom of England , or any other kingdom or country ,
as to say that but one form of Masonic government can possibly exist therein . Men are Freemasons not as they are Knglishincu , Frenchmen , or Germans by birth and education , but as they are religionists at the present day , and that is fr itii choice , not compulsion ; and in their choice of a Masonic rite thev should be
as five from restraint as they would he in their choice of a form of religious worship . England would be just as great , and glorious ns she is to-day were the Masonic society blotted from her face . Would this be the case if her civil laws were wiped out ? 1 ler civil
government is her glory and her crown . Her . Masonic government is—what ? Anything ? Nothing ; leastwise nothing which it would hurt her , to the slightest extent , to lose , were it lost to-morrow , or divided into a dozen rival forms . It may be of somo value to a Grand Lodge iu any
Original Correspondence.
country that there should be none other in that country , but such a condition can be of no value to Freemasonry , per se . It would no doubt be of value to the Established Church of England were there no other form of church government in that kingdom , and no other form of Christian worship than that
recognised by it ; but there is no more necessity for the hvtter condition than the former , or vice versa , so far as the individual Churchman or Freemason may require . If I ask a man what makes him a Freemason , and he knows how to answer , he will reply , " My obligation . " If I ask a man what makes
him a christian , he will most probably reply , " My creed . " The one does not answer : "My Grand Lodge , " nor the other , "My church government . " This ex - travagent idea about the absolute necessity for one Grand Lodge being dominant in any one state or nation is the veriest twaddle , and should be frowned
down by every man gifted with common sense . For England it is possible the present form of Masonic government is the best ; yet no one knows , as no other has ever been tried—the rival Grand Lodges , of which the present is the issue having existed with scarcely any difference in their manners and customs . Other
European countries do not regard English Freemasonry , that is the English style , satisfactorily , as witness how thoy have changed it in Germany and France . In the latter country a lodge can be organised in any rite of half-a-dozen which its charter members may chose to adopt , although that which is
known as the French Rite is generally preferred . This keeps the power in the hands of the Grand Orient , as it , being ready to charter a lodge in any Rite , thero can be no excuse for brethren to seek for authority to do so of a Grand Lodge in any other country , consequently there is no such thing as " invasion of territory "
known to the Grand Orient of France . She properly regards Masonic rites as Christianity regards Christian denominations—means , simply , various to obtain the same end , and tend to the same purpose—fraternisation of the human race . The minds of men are various as their faces , and change , diversity , is
agreeable to the majority of mankind . Tins fact is witnessed in the various christian sects which at the _ present day prosper and multiply . One form of christian worship , blindly believed in and universally supported , led , in the 16 th century , to an outburst of popular feeling which culminated in the Protestant
Reformation ; and , since that time , will it be said the Christian church has been less effective in civilising mankind ? One form of Masonry in England and America is fast leading to abuses—centralisation , dogmatism , taxation at pleasure by Grand Lodges , or rather by the few who control these bodies , diversion of money from its
legitimate Masonic purpose : the latter more particularly in the United States , with a groat disregard for tho highest Masonic idea , universal fraternity , encouraged by these State Grand Lodges , which , like the Church of Rome , would have all Masonry bend to there behests . As the 16 th century saw a revolution
in Christianity , it is possible the 19 th century may yet see a revolution in Masonry . Nothing but the fact that men can be Masons or not , as they please , has prevented such a revolution as yet . Could men have been Christians or not , as they pleased , in the 16 th century , I believe we should not have had the Protestant
Reformation . Had the Grand Lodge of Louisiana recognised tho American black man as a candidate for Masonry , Bro . Eugene Chassaignaft would not have had occasion to recognise the Supreme Council of Louisiana upon the basis of the G . O . of France , as he / lid , or on any other
basis . There is no more rig ht to decide that the colored man of Louisiana or elsewhere , to-day , in the United States of America should be denied the advantages Freemasonry may confer upon him , than there is to decide he should be denied the advantages christian civilization should confer upon him ; nor
because that body which sets itself up as supreme in the one case does so deny him , that there should not be another body created that would not so deny him . The Grand Orient of France so long as there was no change , looking to the adoption of the black man in New Orleans as a candidate for Masonry , did not
see any necessity for a second Masonic authority being set up in that city , differing in no degree from the first in it 3 principles and ethics , and hence did not recognise the Supreme Council up to 1868 . So soon , however , as it was plainly shown that no Masonic organization in Louisiana would receive tho black
man—though , under the laws of the nation , a citizen of that State—except that of which Bro . E . Chassaignac was chief , tho Grand Orient of France , true to its principles of "Liberty , Equality , Fraternity , " at once recognized that body , and in June last endorsed anew its recognition , ou the face of the protest of Louisiana ' s and New York's Grand Loilgcs , and their
threats of suspension of correspondence with and non-recognition of that Grand Orient . "Delta" endeavours to deceive your readers b y the sophistry he puts into the last paragraphs of his letter . Let the Grand Lodge of Louisiana enact , as a constitutional provision , that men of every race and color kuown to the world may be candidates for Masonry within its lodges , by virtue of their manhood