Original Correspondence.

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£ The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed b * Correspondents . ]

MASONIC PROMOTION . ( To the Editor of Ihe Freemason . ) DEAII Slit AND BitOTiiKit , —( am glad to know that since your publication ot my letter in reference to the promotion of the Prince of Wales many have espoused niv opinion on that item . 1 would add , that

undue . promotion to any Masonic degree is fraught with evil in two giand directions , viz ., the moral crime committed by the brother presiding and permitting ; and , secondly , the direct nullification ' of the Anticnt Liuidinarks , which every Mason is solemnly enjoined to preserve . What is stated at the commencement of

charge . No . -1 ought , of itself , to be a sufficient constraint : — "All preferment among Masons is grounded upon real worth and personal merit only . " And this general qualification is corroborated by further particular rofeivnces to the HbertA totite entiere of every Masonic degree . How then , in the face of its own

laws , can Freemasonry countenance such an ostensible infraction thereof ? The outer world is always ready with its objurations against inconsistency and irrational procedure ; and it is well , for the sake of erratic humanity , that every one is watched by every other . The Autient Landmarks properly permit princes

and noblemen to occupy superior places , by actual working to obtain them , but directly forbid any oilier course . This is naturally the result of Freemasonry being operative at the time the . Constitutions were declared . Jt being now speculative , error creeps in surreptitiously ,: md therefore it behoves all good Masons and true to wage an unceasing war againt the evil until

it is extirpated . What does Grand Lodge suy in iis defence ? Is the word "precedent" still ( lie specious subterfuge ? If so , the . quality of such precedent had better be re-exnniiiii .-d , for every unbiassed mind conceives it to be pernicious . Yours trulv , l ' Jth July , 1869 . A . CUTIIBERTSON .

SPUMOUS MASONIC BODIES . ( To tin Editor of the Freemason . ) DEAII Sin AND BKOTIIKK , —Under the above head you have editorially , in your p . iper of June 12 , very much misrepresented a condition of Masonic doings in America , anil which , when von are better informed

I believe your sense of right and justice will prompt you to .-orrect . By way of conveying a " brief summary " of that condition you copy n portion of a lialn . itre issued in this country by the chiefs of bodies styling themselves respectively the Supremo Councils of the A . A . S . Itiie for the . Northern and the . Southern .

Jurisdictions of the United States , furnished you by a Bro . Albert ( i . Goutinu , ' !•!* , of New York , and which , originally written for the G . M . ofthe G O . of Francea ' one , has been very much circulated in this country on behalf of the assumption *! of the said Councils , and under which they aim to occupy the whole of these United States

and territories . The Supremo Council of Louisiana was originally organized under French Supreme Council authority , and the statement that , it submitted unconditionally to the authority assumed within the past ten years by the Southern Jurisdiction . Supreme . Council is simply false .

Except on the part of a portion of its members , no enich submission had place : nor was the l . o . Supreme Council dissolved de / acta at any time by the consent of all its members—the statements in the * ' balustre' ' alluded to . being made in the interests of misrepresentation , to the contrary notwithstanding . I would advise

you to be very cautions bow you accept statements of persons signing themselves " . 'l ;! '' from this country , as their statements , if written in any high degree interest , wiil he found to be . invariably ex parte . Before accepting and publishing such you will do well to stop and ask your .-elf : Why is this sent to nic for

publication ? \\ hy should I publish this , evidently but a one-sided statement , by itself , when I have not been approached by the opposite party with his statement ? Why should 1 decide that this is correct , and publish it , when 1 know nothing of the othe- except what I learn through this ? Questions like these will

determine you from doing that which you will subso » qticutly have to regret . Not amliutitr alti ra pari only , but andiatnr utritixqiic pari is safe , and then make your o-. vn deductions and print them . This you will find tin ; enlv way you can represent a fair condition of

any matter -Masonic in America . Mr . Goodall was in baste to forestall English Masonic opinion in favour of his representation , and you dropped right into his ( rap , nnd . with your circulation , spread before I he ey , s ol thousands ofbretlnon his •tateiu nt , and that of those

who evidently desi ed , if they did not employ him to thus inisrepesi nt . That kind of thing has been the Scotch lite , game always played in this country . In 182 *< , the ( I rami Orient of France was inilueeil by just Biich a trick to recognize one man , J .. T . J . Gourgas , of New York City , the writer of a stateme t to that effect , as the Supreme Council for the Northern Juris-

Original Correspondence.

d . ction of the U . * . of America , and another , whose name was g iven by liini , as the Sup . Council of the Southern Jurisdiction ,: and to publish the same in its Calendar . This trick was subsequently ventilated upon inquiry made by the S C . fur France ih .-year following , but it nevertheless had its effect for ' the time—was ' -. a good-enough Morgan until after the

election , " as Thurlow Weed said concerning the body p icked up on the shore of l . ake Ontario in that ' year and proved to be the cause of the revival of these N . and 6 . Supreme Councils when each of them wire much further gone inarlieulo mor'is than the Supreme Council of Louisiana has ever been , or , now , probably , ever will be .

As to Grand Lodge jurisdiction , I regret to find you just , as fur from ri ght when you compare as similar the ( i . L . of England and the many ( i . L . ' s of America ; for there is no similarity in the condition named . That of England is a body formed under a monarch y , and regulated by monarchical laws . These laws give to it exclusive control of all Masonry recognised at

the union in 181 o , and no more . The Grand Lodges of the Unitid States are not , except i I a few instances , recognized even b y the States iu which they exirt . and not at all by the United States' Government . They are self-elected bodies exclusively , and as such have no right to dominate other Masonic bodies which do not recognise them . They do this , however , just , as the

Roman Catholic Church does—by excommunicating such bodies , and calling them clandestine . This is all the Church of Koine can do , except where it has power , as in the Koniagna or States of the Church iu Italy ; and this is all these Grand Lodges can do anywhere . Wherever one of them is incorpor ted by the State iu which it exists , that , incorporation has always

been based upon such Grand Lodge being n charitable organization . " It is so in Massachusetts , it is so in Kentucky , it is so in Louisiana , and it is so in all places ( States ) , as the only manner iu which the bod y called a Lodge or Grand Lodge of Masons can be incorporated . Now , let me ask you , I iy what right has one charitable body to set itself upas princeps of g .

whole State in which numerous others bodies of men have also organized themselves as charitable bodies ? Is the principle or practice of charity a monopoly , or so understood anywhere ? This claim of jurisdiction over Masonry of any degree set . up by any Grand I . edge of Masons in the Uni : cd States is mere , assumption , and nothing else . The " balustre" alluded to , and

which you have copied , following the statement of the G L . of Lo ., calls this assumption ' ¦ the common law of the United States . " I say , and will proceed to prove , that it is not a law at all , neither pioper nor common . No such law has ever been enacted by any number of the Gaud Lodges of the United States which by it would be affected in convention held at

any time or m any place . How then can it be a law ? A lam must be enacted hy a majority of the people who are to be affected by that law , or their representatives , in congress or legislature assembled . Heretofore , and to get a foothold iu the United States , the Supreme Councils of A . A . S . Kite , have wuind their right to organize bodies of Masons ot lodges to work the three

degrees known to the Scottish A . A . Rite , as they arc known and worked in France , and have been in that country known for more than an hundred years , under otic authority or another . Mark the language' •waived " this right . When they feci they are quite strong enough they will resume it ; or , in this country , assume it , and by that time the Grand Lodges of the

American York Rite will be so fully possessed by ihein that there will bo no opposition . This rite in fall Chassaignac is now working in New Orleans , under the authority of his S . C . ot Lo . He and his colabourers arc declared by the G . L . of I / i . clandestine , and the G . O . of France is condemned fiir recognizing them . So long as the Grand Orient of France

condemned Fotilhouzeandtlie Lo Supreme Council , it did well , and was applauded by thu Councils north and south , and the Grand Lodges generally . When it endorses Foulhuuze ' s successor it does ill . The old story of your bull and my ox ! You will naturally ask , * ' If this be so why should the two A . A . S . Kite Supreme Councils which assume

to possess the Unit' . d States and territories not support Chassaignac , us he is only doing that which they expect to do when , as you ( I ) sny , they arc strong enough ? ' ' 1 will answer : 1 st , Chassaignac dared to reorganize u State Supreme Council , and in defiance of the assumption of the two S . C . ' s aforesaid , w ich divide

the forty states and territories of this country between themselves and desire to keep them so nivided . 2 nd , Chassaignac did so to admit black men and men not so black who , before the " late unpleasantness" in this country , had been slaves , but are now free men , and made by Chnssiiigiisic and his co-labourers Free-Masons .

'Ibis , you see , is a double offence on C . ' s part . The G . L . of Lo . under the " waiver" arrangement occupied the State , and bv the aid of its Master Mason lodges made Master Masons for the Lodges of Perfection , & e „ of the A . A . S . Rite , and for the Chapters , & e , of'he American Kite ; iu fine , did the initiatory work , and , as is being done by every other Grand Lodge in

Original Correspondence.

the United States , Chassaignac did not ask the G . L . of Lo ., or the " Mother Council ofthe \\ orld , " as the S . C . South styles itself , for leave to practise all or any ofthe degrees of the A . A . Kite . He would onl y havo been refused if he had , and another black mark consequently be put against him . He believed in tho

great Fatherhood of God and the great Brotherhood ) of Man , and , so believing , resuscitated ' the Supremo Council of Lou ' siana , and took his material from , tho newly enfranchised , arguing properly that any man who b y liis country ' s laws was endowed with the right .

to vote at his staleor county election had ,-ilso the right to be made a Mason . This ri ght the Grand Lodge ' of Kngland recognized long ago , having adopted the argument when she resolved to strike '' free born " from her prerequisites and adopt ' •free man " as allsufficient . And the Grand Orient of France has now

recognised it , in endorsing Chassaignac and bis Lo . Supreme Council . So has the G . O . of Belgium . So did the G . L . of Hanover . So would the G . L . of Kngland , if she recognized the A . A . S . Rite a » Masonry ; and so will all other grand Masonic boiliea in course of time , because the principle recognized by Chassaignac recognizes the Manhood of Man ; and

those who deny that principle , and prefer to recognize assumed law and the despotism of the strong hand , cannot maintain their position but for ihe time being . I beg your pardon for occupying your columns with this so lengthy explanation , but which I considered due to von no less than in thu interests of truth and justice , and remain .

Fraternally vows , J . FLETCHER BRENNAN , Editor of the American Freemason Cincinnati , O ., U . S . A ., July 4 , 1809 .

The Tolling Bell.

THE TOLLING BELL .

BY II . 3 . DANIEL . Toll for the good—thou solemn bell , toll on ! For them , at least , thou hast a-joyful sound—Since to eternal bliss their souls are gone , And having borne the Cross , with light are crown'd .

Toll for the great—the princes of the eirth . Their sceptres shatter'd , fallen , and thrown aside ; Their thrones deserted , and tlieir pride of birth No better now than if a beggar died . Toll for the wise—for even they must die , As dies the fool , but not like him unknown , Since they have raised our low humanity , Aud folly ' s gew-gaw idols overthrown .

Toll for the brave who for tlieir country bled , And closed their eyes upon the field of strife—Who bore the battle-brunt when cowards fled , And deemed their honour dearer far than life . Toll for the rich—toll on , thou solemn bell ! The worm hath tr umplied o ' er the power of gold j If worthy of their stewardshi p—' tis well ; If not—their souls they have insanely sold .

1 oil for the poor , whose days were dark and drear ; Beyond tb 0 grave the sunshine smiles for them . Although disdained on earth , in Heaven held dear , That chiefly honours those whom we contemn . Toll for the child— -that little hum-in flower That shrunk before the world ' s cold wintry blast . And drooping ,- faded in life ' s morning hour , Too frail , too bright , too beautiful to hist .

Toll for old age , bowed down with many years , A son of sorrow sighing for the end—Whose smiles have been outnuinber'd by his tears , Who welcom'd death as one would greet a friend . Friends weep when those they love resign their

breath , But wherefore weep when Azrnel sets us . ree ? It matters not if none lament my death , When thou , oh ! funeral bull , host toll'd for mo . July , 18 C 9 .

The sun in the firmament gives light , and in that light , warmth that animates all nature iu life and growth . The very plants rise up front the earth in confession of its wondrous power ; they cannot speak , but they expand their beauteous flowers , and give out their sweet fragrance to the air of heaven , perfect their germs for an after life , and then fall

down and die at the termination of their varied periods of permitted existence , in conformity with the di , viue law of nature . —Ellis . HOI . LOWAV ' 8 PIMA— Biliousness . Diseases of the Liver . — 'I'liniugli imperfect drainage or uncleanly habits , the hot summer ' s sun will eaiii-o the atmosphere to be sitrrharged willi ileli-tiiom cxli ihitioiis which produce fevom , and irritiitiniis n' the bowels . To check tho undue action of the

liver . 11-u-i 11 y the llrst indication of febrile complaints , the Pills Invented by Professor Ilollmvny stand unrivalled , These Pill are so chciply and easily priiciueu , tlmt non « need sutler fi-nm nana li , indigestion , iliso-ilereil liver , dizziness or torpid liowel " , or in a word , fnnii any functional irrciiuliirity . The- * Pills produce u more Imp ) j- effect In ' tb * dilutive organs than any other mcdiu'il compound , whether mineral or vegetable . Hy these means miy person can easily secure robust health .