Original Correspondence.

Original Correspondence .

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR . To the Editor of the Freemason . Dear Sir and Brother , The enclosed extracts from an address delivered by Bro . Rob Morris , Past Grand Master of Kentucky , June 4 th , 1873 , may afford some light to your esteemed correspondent , Bro .

D . Murray Lyon . With regard to the Victoria Chapter , recently inaugurated in Glasgow , being the first established in Great Britain , it will appear from Bro . Morris' statement that , prior to 1868 , when he resigned the office of Grand Patron , no charters

had been granted for the organisation of chapters , the bodies which may have been formed before that time were designated " Families of the Eastern Star , " and those , we learn from the same source , had ceased to exist , which is fully borne out by Bro . D . Murray Lyon .

For the information of those who feel interested in the matter , I may state that the charter I issued to Victoria Chapter bears the signatures of Bro . Robert Macoy as Grand Patron , a Mason of world-wide reputation , who for upwards of twenty years has been Grand Recorder of the

Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the State of New York , and of Bro . Morris as Grand Secretary , of whom Bro . Lyon speaks . I am , dear Sir and Brother , Yours courteously and fraternally , H . J . SHIELDS , 33 . Glasgow , Oct . 24 , 1874 .

"Illustrious Grand Matron , Grand Patron , Officers , and Delegates of the Grand Chapter , Eastern Star , of the State of New York , I accept this as as a good occasion to visit your Grand Chapter of the Adoptive Rite , and thank you for the invitation . By your permission , I will place

upon record certain facts containing the origin and progress of the Rite with which I am familiar In the " Eastern Star Manual , " compiled by Bro . Macoy , the statement is made iu the preface that " the Order of the Eastern Star was established in the United States in

1778 . " This is an error . It should have read , " Adoptive Masonry was established at that time . " .... When I began to write and lecture upon Freemasonry , I found the desire for ladies' degrees as deeply planted in the breasts of others as my own , and I was called

upon everywhere to confer such degrees as we had , —namely the Good Samaritan , the Heroine of Jericho , the Mason ' s Daughter , and others . They were all rather thin , gave but little satisfaction , barren in matter , and inartistic in form , and I was convinced that something better could

be made . In v 8 jo , twenty-three years ago , I wrought out with all my ability my idea of what was needed in this department , and called it the Eastern Star . .... Two ideas I kept steadily in my mind , —namely that in the ties which bind Master Masons together , the honour , safety ,

and comfort of the wife , widow , mother , sister , and daughter are sacredly regarded ; and , second , that to make these privileges available in the moment of peril or distress , some forms of private recognition are needed . Twenty-three years of experience , and the affiliation of fifty

thousand ladies , substantiate the belief upon which I set out . We cannot truthfully say to a lady that we will " introduce her into Freemasonry ; " nor do I think such a statement ever has been made , nor can we promise the lady who has been initiated into the forms of the

Adoptive Rite , that she will be thereby any more entitled to Masonic aid than she was before , nor do I think that that statement has ever been made . What , then , is the inducemen ! we offer her ? Why this : that a lady who , by birth or marriage is really in possession of these

rights of relief , will find her appeal made easiei to her through the signs and passes , and , perhaps still more through the certificate we furnish her This is the spirit and purpose of the Adoptive Rite , as I have always taught it , and every othei

Mason who , directly or indirectly , has beer instructed in this system through me . I pre same I have personally communicated thc degree of the Eastern Star to ten thousand ladies In this most respectable assembly are many wh <

Original Correspondence.

received the degrees from me , and they can testify if I have ever promised them more than this . Several attempts were made at different times to organise the Eastern Star into a system . The first , in 18 ^ 5 , was styled "the Constellation , " of which a number were constituted . But it

was found in practice that the Ritual was too complicated , demanding mere dramatic skill then was available in many places , and this soon fell into disuse . Then , in 1859 , a Ritual was framed for "Families of the Eastern Star , " of which quite a large number were organised .

But the trouble with these was , that not enough of the dramatic element was introduced into them , and they fell through for want of interest . In 1868 , when I sailed for the Holy Land , I resigned to Bro . Robert Macoy the title and prerogatives of Grand Patron , which I had

assumed as the author of the system , he consenting to undergo the heavy cares incumbent upon the office . I need not say that Bro . Macoy has fully justified my choice . The result of his labours , continued through five years , has been to establish chapters of the Eastern Star in all parts of

New York , in New Jersey , in Mississipi , in Illinois , in Iowa , in Massachusetts and Connecticut—to name them all would almost be to call the roll of the States . Surely this is an encouraging evidence of the adaptedness of this system to the wants of the present age . The

Rituals of the system you are now working , styled Chapter of the Eastern Star , were the work of Bro . Macoy himself , I assisted him in the preparation of certain portions , and gave him my warm approval ofthe whole . He expressed the opinion to me many years since , that no

form of the Adoptive Rite can be permanent , or can exercise much influence upon the minds of its recipients , unless it is hedged in with charters dramatized in ceremonies , and illustrated with jewels and paraphernalia like other systems of Masonry . This form of Eastern Star Chapters

seems to meet with universal acceptance , and I think it may be deemed permanent . As to the charge of modernism , this applies equally to all the forms of Masonry , except the first three degrees . To say that ladies have nothing to do with Freemasonry , is a stupid assertion unworthy

a sensible man . To whom are the benefits applicable , if not to them ? And what good is Freemasonry to ] do them , unless they are informed of their claims ? And what better way is there for imparting this information than the method practised in the lectures and ceremonies

ofthe Eastern Star . There is nothing to discern age us in the opposition we meet with . For the same opposition was made to Royal Arch Masonry sixty years ago , yet see how popular it is now ! Everything in Masonry must stand upon its own merits . If the Eastern Star satisfies the demands of the age , it will live . Men

may say what they please against it , it will live , and will become an institution in the land . That it has done good already , I know . That it has capacity for good , a thousand times greater , I honestly believe . Therefore , let us adhere to it patiently , do its work faithfully , and in due time we shall receive our reward if we faint not .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . SAMUEL INNS , D . P . G . M ., OF NORTHHANTS AND HUNTS .

We have this week to record the death of Bro . Samuel Inns , of Towcester , member of the Lodge of Fidelity 44 , 5 , and D . P . G . M . of Northhants and Hunts . The deceased brother had been for upwards of 30 years a member of the Masonic

brotherhood , and always evinced the liveliest desire to promote the interests and welfare of the Craft , and to carry out in a practical manner the princip les of the Order . He never spared expense and trouble in doing this , and his zeal was rewarded in a small degree

by his promotion to the . important office which he held at his death , and to which he was raised several years since . He had been for some time ailing , but his friends did not anticipate so speedy a termination to his career as was the case , his last illness being of only two days' duration .

Obituary.

It was felt ( though not specially wished by deceased ) , that it was incumbent on all his brothers in the province , and especially those of his own lodge , that it was their duty to pay a last tribute , to his memory by following him to his grave , and accordingly , at his funeral on the 15 th

inst ., upwards of 60 members of the lodges in the province assembled for that purpose , for which a dispensation from Grand Lodge had been previously obtained . Lodge being opened , a procession was formed and marched up to the residence of deceased , and thence to the parish

churchyard , in Masonic order . His Grace the Duke of Manchester , P . G . M . of the province , was prevented from attending by his absence from England , but sent a letter of condolence , and many similar letters were sent by other brothers who were unable to attend .

The funeral service was taken b y the Rev . W . H : Lee , Vicar of Towcester , the Rev . E . G . James , late Curate , Bro . the Rev . Tyrwhitt Drake , P . P . G . C , Bro . the Rev . Wm . Howes , P . P . G . C , and Bro . the Rev . C G . Barr . The " Dead March" in Saul was impressively

played while the bod y was in the church , by Bro . Wm . Simmonds , W . M . 445 , and P . G . O . The deceased brother ' s regalia was borne on the pall . The pall bearers were six of the oldest P . M . ' s of deceased ' s lodge . Bro . Marston was G . D . C , and Bro . Evans 445 was A . D . C .

Before closing the lodge it was unanimously resolved to request the lodges of the province to go into mourning for three months , and the customary banquet of the deceased brothers lodge , which was fixed for Oct . 33 rd , is of course postponed .

A luncheon was provided for the bre thren assembled , and after it the memory of the deceased brother was drunk in solemn silence .

A funeral sermon was preached on Sunday morning last , by the Rev . W . H . Lee , when most of the members of deceased's lodge were present in their private capacity . Deceased was 67 years of age .

Masonic Tidings.

Masonic Tidings .

A KINDLY NOTE . —The Supreme Council of Freemasons in France has invited all the Grand Lodges of the world to meet at Lausanne on the first Monday in September , 1875 . Says a clerical paper , " It is against the general peace

that this assembly will conspire . All the friends of honesty—les amis flu lien—should keep their eyes upon it . " I want to know whether this sort of language is not libellous ? If it be not , most certainly it tends to incite a breach of the

peace . BRO . GEORGE KENNING has received the commands of Grand Lodge for the supply of clothing and jewels , for the Grand Master and other Grand Officers .

BRO . EDWARD VERNON has just returned from a pleasant trip to his native land across the water . He was a guest at No . 33 , Goldensquare , London , and speaks in rapturous terms

of his reception by Captain Nathaniel George Philips , 33 , and other distinguished members of the Supreme Council of England . We envy our stalwart brother his delightful experiences of travel . —New York Dispatch .

BRO . KNIGHT , the newly-elected Alderman for the Ward of Cripplegate , was entertained at a complimentary dinner , given by the residents of the ward at the Albion Tavern last week .

HOLLOWAV ' PILLS AND OINTMENT . —The most effectual cure for gout and rheumatism . A frequent cause of these complaints is the inflammatory state of the blood , which usually attends bad digestion , produces lassitude with great durability , and indicates the want of a proper circulation of that fluid , which with its impurity superinduced greatly aggravates these disorders . HoIIoway ' s Pills arc of so purifying a nature that a few doses taken

in time are an effectual preventive against gout and rheumatism , but whoever may have an attack of either should use HoIIoway ' s Ointment , thc searching properties of which , combined with the effects of the Pills , ensure a certain cure . The Ointment should , at least twice a day , be thoroughly rubbed into the parts affected , after they have been sufficiently fermented with warm water to open the pores , and thereby facilitate the introduction of the Ointment to the gland . ADVT .